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.
Charles Nott
Practice Lead: Commodities Technology and Innovation
Charles’ career started within trading technology, working with well-known leaders in energy and commodity trading focusing across the technical and software development spectrum. Charles continued his career in hedge fund technology, working with a broad swathe of the leading multi-strats in the United States, focusing on software development and quantitative development.
Returning to commodities and energy in 2025, he is focused on Technology and Analytics leveraging his deep exposure to niche technical skills, high impact analytics, top percentile technologists and the AI driven skill sets that will dominate the job markets in the years to come.
Similar to Jonathan, Charles’ key focus and expertise is the energy transition, digitalisation and building high impact, technical and analytical teams. Outside of work, Charles combines his passion for the outdoors with treks, rock climbing and cycling with a love for live music.
Charles holds a BA in Theatre Studies from the University of Gloucestershire.
Mark Newson
Marketing
Mark brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of digital marketing and recruitment, blending deep sector knowledge with a sharp digital strategy focus. He has held senior roles at two of the world’s leading recruitment brands, earning a reputation for delivering high-impact digital campaigns that drive growth, boost brand visibility, and foster engagement.
He has led digital transformation initiatives across performance marketing, SEO, marketing automation, CRM optimisation, and content strategy. His data-driven, commercial approach has helped firms strengthen their online presence, attract top talent, and deepen client relationships.
At Modus, Mark is enhancing the firm’s digital footprint and brand narrative to ensure strong, relevant market connections.
His expertise includes employer branding, B2B lead generation, and digital analytics—vital capabilities in today’s recruitment landscape.
Outside work, Mark is a keen sportsman and father of two. He holds a BA in Business Studies from the University of Plymouth.
We can help with challenges of all kinds:
from hiring assessment to leadership development, from board appraisals to succession planning.