Management Team:
Contact our team of consultants.
Jonathan Funnell
Founding Partner
Jonathan began his career as a derivatives trader, trading fixed income and commodities on a proprietary basis. Switching to executive search in 2014, this first-hand market experience has afforded Jonathan a level of technical knowledge that has come to be greatly valued by his clients, enabling him to establish himself as trusted partner to some of the world’s leading trading organisations.
He has been involved in advising boards and executive management teams on executive appointments and wider strategic advisory work, supporting merchant traders, funds, utilities and banks as they move into different asset classes and adopt new strategies. His key focuses include energy transition and digitalisation, and he has particular expertise in building quantitative trading teams and analytics teams.
Outside of work Jonathan is a keen snowboarder and escapes to the mountains whenever family life permits. He has a young family and is an avid supporter of his boyhood club Brighton & Hove Albion.
Jonathan holds a BA in History & Politics from the University of Leicester.
James Thompson
Partner
James built his career in investment banking, holding senior roles at global institutions such as Barclays and HSBC, where he worked closely with front-office trading businesses and senior management. This exposure to trading floors and market-facing teams fostered a strong interest in financial markets and ultimately led him to pursue his own trading path.
He has traded oil, precious metals, and FX, developing a practical understanding of trading strategy, risk management, and performance across different market conditions. James now advises hedge funds, trading houses, and energy market participants on senior front-office hires and strategic buildouts across the energy and broader commodities markets. He is valued for his market credibility, discretion, and ability to engage meaningfully with senior traders and portfolio managers.
Outside of work, James is a committed petrolhead and spends much of his time at car meets and track days.
James holds a BEng in Automotive Engineering from Kingston University.
We can help with challenges of all kinds:
From hiring assessment to leadership development, from board appraisals to succession planning.