Global CEO, Mitchellake Group and DVX Board

Jon Tanner

Global CEO, Mitchellake Group and DVX Board

Jon Tanner co-founded the MitchelLake Group in 2001 and has been advising startup, scale-up and enterprise clients on leadership, executive search and talent acquisition for digital ventures and initiatives for almost two decades.

As Group CEO and Managing Partner, Jon is based in Singapore and works across our international hubs in APAC, Americas, and Europe. He directly supports global clients, collaborating with the broader MitchelLake team, and continuing to build our collective ecosystem of exceptional talent and partner organisations. Jon is an active early stage investor and passionate supporter of entrepreneurs, ventures and innovation including SocietyOne, Biteable, Blackbird VC, and Genos International.

DVX Partners CFO

Mary Karolyi

DVX Partners CFO

Mary Karolyi, our Global CFO, leads all traditional aspects of the finance function and helps drive the global commercial strategy of our business.

Apart from oversight and establishment of finance functions, her experience has also included the transformation and evolution of start-ups, scale-ups and other growth or disrupted organisations within the technology, retail, professional services sectors and across the Asia Pacific, United States of America and the United Arab Emirates. Mary is a chartered accountant, fellow of the Tax Institute of Australia, member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Human Resources Institute.

Partner, Board Practice Mitchellake Group

Michael Solomon

Partner, Board Practice Mitchellake Group

Michael Solomon has led a varied commercial life from coaching leaders and teams as a management consultant to heading emerging technology ventures for News Corp, to driving digital transformation and operational excellence at the AFL.

Michael is currently a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, shareholder and advisor to Enex Carbon, Chair of the Michael Long Foundation, and Director of the Darwin International Essington School. Past governance and directorships include Executive Director of News Digital Media, CEO and Director of Learning Seat, Director of Moshtix, Director of Recruit Advantage, Chairman and Director of Getprice, and Chairman and Director of Sporting Pulse.

Executive Chair, DVX Partners

Mark Chote

Executive Chair, DVX Partners

With 30 years in the recruitment industry founding, leading, scaling and creating exits for companies Mark plays a non-executive role for our companies and is an investor. Mark is an expert in building great companies through co-investment and collaboration. As Managing Director his previous successful builds from start up to exits include Sapphire Technologies and Ninetwenty. Mark is Founder and Chairman of DVX Partners.

MD Novon Consulting and DVX Board

Dominic Dufaur

MD Novon Consulting and DVX Board

Dominic brings over 20 years’ experience and knowledge of scaled recruitment operations and consulting on technology sector searches for executive appointments. Dom has helped build executive teams across enterprise and ventures both locally and internationally.

A career underpinned in financial services, Dominic started his career in share trading and commodities, transitioning to recruitment and consulting at the age of 24. Dominic founded Technology People in 2011, Novon Consulting in 2013 and now oversees the Group as Managing Director.

He is married with two beautiful girls and, as a fanatical football fan, spends most weekends following English EPL team Tottenham Hotspur.

Director SWR Group NZ and DVX Board

Tony Walsh

Director SWR Group NZ and DVX Board

An experienced executive search consultant, Tony has a wealth of experience working with boards, CEOs and senior leadership teams to identify leadership talent across many different organisations. With a background in Sales, Marketing and Management in national and international blue chip organisations, Tony has extensive networks across a wide variety of markets, commercial and governmental.

Head of People and Culture DVX Partners

Emma Dwyer

Head of People and Culture DVX Partners

Emma Dwyer has over 10 years experience working with some of Australia’s largest corporations, specialising in the supply of the key competencies responsible for driving strategy & innovation. Initially a founding team member at Technology People Group, Emma now supports our group of companies in achieving business goals and growth aspirations, and ultimately drives the internal people and culture agenda. Emma has worked with clients across our businesses, which gives her unique insights in this leadership role.

Director Technology People Group

Joanne Maggs

Director Technology People Group

Joanne Maggs joined the Technology People team in 2014 and she has spent over 20 years in the IT industry supporting organisations through change and enabling their technology journey by providing high-performing teams and talent services.

The Icebreaker with Joanne – her passion is fitness and well-being in and outside of the workplace, in particular, gymnastics, power-lifting and running. Her time outside of work is focused on her daughter.

Here at Technology People Joanne specialises in Sales and Solutions, responsible for the development and management of key clients within the Technology People Group portfolio, overseeing executive relationships and managing C Suite Technology appointments.

Director Technology People Group and DVX Board

Steve Scanlan

Director Technology People Group and DVX Board

Steve Scanlan has built a stellar career in professional sport and business. His proudest achievement is his family of 5 who as all fathers can appreciate, he is dedicated to.

From a business perspective, Steve is notable for his stewardship of Recon Solutions’ meteoric growth, reflected in a slew of industry awards for growth and entrepreneurship crowned by his victory of “Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2017”. Steve has made an indelible mark on the Recruitment industry with his attitude toward hiring and talent management. The Recruitment Industry recognised this in 2018 by awarding Steve the coveted “Leadership Award” at the annual ITCRA gala dinner in Sydney.

Steve’s vision was to create a company that cared about families and not just the financials. His philosophy is that companies need to hire the best talent and this is exactly what he has done. The team is considered family, and all interactions are based on a level of trust and camaraderie, rarely seen in most corporate enterprises today.

“The reason I joined the business is the people. I have worked with a fair few of the team already and we share the same values and the same vision. I want to be able to come in and grow this business and be proud that I have been able to help my friends not only make build brand equity but to have more fun than they may have if I hadn’t got involved.“

Steve’s achievements have been considerable across many disciplines.

Representing England in Professional Rugby League, and occupying senior corporate roles that eventually culminated in starting a HR / Recruitment Consultancy that achieved the fastest growth enterprise in Queensland for 2017 and 12th fastest in Australia according to the BRW – this sets Steve apart from most of the competition.

Steve is on the QLD Advisory Board for Starlight Children’s Foundation, is the chairman of the newly formed New York Rugby League team which has been accepted into the English competition, a Harvard Business School Graduate and is a regular speaker at Industry breakfasts and various events focused on Entrepreneurship and Leadership principles that work in today’s business arena. Publicly, Steve is known for giving Boxer Jeff Horn financial support to take up his dream as a world-class Boxer without the impact of holding down a job at the same time.

Director Technology People Group

Mike Roddy

Director Technology People Group

Mike Roddy is our Managing Director for Brisbane. He is reputed for his novel and reformative success in the IT, Executive and Specialist Recruitment sector, Business Consultancy, Strategic Sales and Operations fields.

Whether through a storied career, the foundation of charitable Organisation or the rigid discipline of competitive marathon running, Mike is driven by a desire to forge connections between people and purpose focused on delivering positive outcomes for all.

Mike has consistently led large corporate and small to medium enterprises to both profit and the actualisation of their vision. This has been documented in a series of various internal awards and industry accolades including leading a team as Finalist for the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Business Awards, Growth Company of the Year (while Managing Director) by Recruitment International and Finalist in the annual Financial Review Aspire awards.

Mike is also the co-founder of a charitable organisation that gives to community members battling with life challenges and terminal illness, aptly titled, Adventures with Purpose.

Director Technology People and Novon Consulting

Richard Talbot

Director Technology People and Novon Consulting

Richard has been in the Technology Sector for 25 years helping many of Australia’s largest customers drive change in their businesses. Over that period, he’s worked with most organisations in the ASX top 50 and has relationships across the IT sector, at all levels, across Australia.

Key Areas of Expertise

– Sourcing technology talent at all levels across Europe, Asia and Australasia

– Digital Sales and Marketing, engaging customers on multiple levels

– Putting together project teams for companies small and large

Key Functions in the Novon Business

– Group Director helping clients achieve their goals

– People manager, working without key team to deliver projects

– Head of Marketing for the Novon business looking after brand and digital customer engagement

– Internal head of Technology, keeping the internal tech up with our customers

Passion and Focus

Richard is a true nerd, having studied IT he spends much of his spare time building websites for friends with small business and managing over a dozen email platforms. He will often be found messing around with his home network / server or playing with the latest techy gadgets (incessantly getting the latest toys). This genuine passion for Technology means Richard likes nothing more than to ‘get involved’ deeply on the Technology side of any project, turning a passion into a career.

DVX Partner

Tim Rosenberg

DVX Partner

With a background in the property and finance industries, Tim is well known in the Auckland and property markets as a senior executive search professional with a remarkable talent for helping leading organisations to locate talent for top-tier and specialist roles. Supporting national and international clients in their quest to source talent across a wide range of management and leadership roles across public and private sectors, Tim has an extensive network and experience in matching client needs with outstanding professionals.Email Tim

Director SWR Group NZ

Graeme Sandri

Director SWR Group NZ

With a reputation for successful CEO, C suite and GM appointments, including several specialist and technical roles, Graeme’s Human Resources background includes senior roles for one of NZ’s largest banks. Prior to setting up SandriWalsh and now SWR, Graeme held various senior consultant and then general management roles within the Momentum Group over a period of 12 years. Graeme brings significant experience recruiting CEOs and senior level roles across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. He has developed strong relationships across our client and candidate base nationally.

Director Novon Consulting

Nick Cavanagh

Director Novon Consulting

Leading the client solution’s division of Novon Nick has over 5 years’ experience managing large accounts across numerous industry sectors. A multi-skilled, multilingual IT account management specialist with experience in Executive Search, Customer Relationship Management, Business Development, Professional Services and IT Consulting Solutions. Having previously been solely responsible for managing the ‘big four’ banks he has had exposure to a vast array of IT challenges and solutions.

Outside the office Nick loves using his language skills to travel the world as well as being fond rugby player and supporter.

Director Novon Consulting

Chris Spring

Director Novon Consulting

Chris has 35 years of experience in the IT industry that spans infrastructure, business applications, information and data integration. For the past 22 years Chris has focused exclusively on SOA, Data and Integration solutions, providing implementation services, program management and consulting services for a variety of Australia’s largest corporate clients. Chris has 9 years of domain expertise in the Financial Markets sector and 20 years of domain expertise in the ERP sector.

Search Partner, Mitchellake Group Australia

Matt Smith

Search Partner, Mitchellake Group Australia

Matt loves connecting great people and companies with a purpose to make things better through technology and innovation. He works in MitchelLake’s Melbourne office and leads the MLG Growth vision for ANZ, working with an awesome team who source talent for leadership hiring and scaling teams across emerging technology, experience and service design, product, digital marketing, growth, data science and analytics.

Matt’s domain expertise leans towards hiring senior roles in experience and design and he enjoys the balance of working with fast growth, early stage organisations and larger scale companies going through digital transformation and the unique challenges they both bring.

Lead Partner, Mitchellake Europe

Jamie Gripton

Lead Partner, Mitchellake Europe

With over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, human capital and leadership, Jamie Gripton is a Partner in Singapore. Jamie specialises in providing Retained Executive Search solutions to businesses looking to attract top talent in the Asian market within the digital, innovation, growth ventures and technology arena.

He previously launched and sold multiple businesses including Rochfort Executive Search, LMA Recruitment Singapore, Risk Management Intelligence, Pure Energy Nation and Nakd Artesian Water. His specialisations include Digital Transformation in Banking, Financial & Professional Services; Sales Leadership in Tech, and FinTech, InsurTech, Proptech, VC & PE Funded Growth Tech, Data Analytics & Cyber Security.

Search Partner Mitchellake Group Australia

Illona Vak

Search Partner Mitchellake Group Australia

Illona Vak is a Partner with MitchelLake, Melbourne and brings over 16 years’ experience recruiting across Digital, Marketing and Product from both local and international markets.

She joins after successfully running a boutique executive recruitment firm where she partnered with global and local businesses to deliver exceptional talent solutions. Illona is passionate about digital innovation within corporates and advising growth businesses on how to build successful teams. Illona has invested her time developing deep networks, and the culmination of her experience ensures recruitment strategy is always perfectly aligned to the client’s overall business strategy.

Partner Mitchellake Group Europe

Sophie Cohen

Partner Mitchellake Group Europe

Sophie Cohen is the Senior Associate of MitchelLake’s UK office and boasts 20 years of experience, managing executive search, market intelligence, succession planning, salary surveys, talent mapping and pipeline projects across EMEA, North America, Russia, Asia Pacific (Australia, China, India, Philippines), UAE and LATAM. She possesses broad sectorial experience in digital, advertising, marketing, media, pharmaceutical, and industrial.

Passionate about digital and technology start-ups, Sophie works with her clients to acquire the best talent for a healthy international growth or digital transformation.Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her children, exploring the world of nature, and being a climate change fighter.

Partner Mitchellake Group Singapore

Veenu Anand

Partner Mitchellake Group Singapore

In her role as Senior Associate, Veenu Anand brings 13 years of research experience in executive search industry, working in both India and Singapore. Veenu is passionate about matching her clients’ requirements with top-notch talent.

Prior to joining MitchelLake, she worked for Egon Zehnder and Spencer Stuart in Singapore. In addition to her previous roles, she was member of the CFO core team which was instrumental in developing CFO practice for SEA. Veenu has also worked on various research projects across verticals and sectors ranging from telecom, industrial, financial services and life science across APAC.

Partner Mitchellake Group Australia

Meghna Shahani

Partner Mitchellake Group Australia

With a strong predilection towards marketing and social media, Meghna is driven to change dynamics in the technology world, a challenge she plans to take on after completing her Master’s in Marketing, Project Management and Big Data. Meghna is thrilled to be a part of the ‘Mitchellake Team’ and is looking forward to learning and growing with the business.

Client Director Technology People Group

Lara Satchell

Client Director Technology People Group

Lara Satchell joined Technology People in March 2021 with over 7 years’ experience working across IT Technical Recruiting and Account Management / Business Development across NSW Government, Telco, and BFSI domains in Sydney.

She prides herself on the relationships that she builds (both on the client and candidate side) and loves taking on new challenges to ensure that excellent Customer Service is provided throughout the end-to-end process.

Icebreaker: Lara is an extrovert who loves socialising with friends and travelling all over the world. Her passion is sitting on the beach with a cold cider, salsa dancing, and learning new languages. Her current hobby is mixing House music – she is due to start a DJ course in the next couple of weeks.

CEO Technology People Group Australia

Matthew Cossens

CEO Technology People Group Australia 

I am an energetic Recruitment/Sales Leader with over 14 years’ experience working for both large and boutique recruitment firms. I am a strong leader who has successfully led teams (increasing revenue, margin and market share) and built a recruitment/consulting brand from scratch with full Profit & Loss responsibility and significant growth year on year.

My success to date is due to my ability to lead from the front and engage, influence and mentor my team towards a shared vision, purpose and goals through a collaborative approach and open communication style.

My clients see me as a trusted advisor and expert with exceptional market knowledge, a valued network of consultants, and the ability to deliver both Recruitment and Professional Services solutions on key and difficult to fill requirements. This is evidenced by my ability to develop new business opportunities as well as grow and maintain key clients (both through a team and personally) on a state and national basis.

This has led to the Aurec Group winning Recruitment International’s Specialist Recruitment Company of the Year in 2018 and personal awards including Seek SARA (Finalist) Recruitment Leader of the Year in 2018 and winning Recruitment International’s Recruiter of the Year for 2017.

Additionally, I am engaged to provide specialist knowledge across Talent Management Initiatives including retained executive search, strategic market advice, market mapping, talent pooling and contractor transition services.

My experience is complimented by a Bachelors of Business, (Major – HR/Management, Minor – Accounting) ITCRA/APSCO Certified Recruitment Professional (from 2007) and a range of training courses across leadership, sales and account management.

Want to know more? Check out the my articles and connect and let’s start a conversation!

MD Technology People Group Victoria

Stathi Paleologos

MD Technology People Group Victoria 

Stathi Paleologos joined Technology People in 2022 as the Managing Director – Victoria and has brought with him over 7 years’ experience recruiting within the IT industry.

Stathi is a Technical Recruiter, specialising in Software Engineering recruitment. During his career, he has assisted numerous tech companies in building entire software teams or making this strategic hire that took their product to the next level. Stathi uses his Software Engineering background to work exclusively with both clients and candidates and assist them in finding that career elevating role or critical hire that will transform their team.

After finishing his Bachelor of Software Engineering, Stathi started his career as a Software Engineer. Quickly, he realised that his passion was IT Recruitment and moved into this field 7 years ago. His experience as a Software Engineer and being part of IT teams has given him a unique insight into what an IT organisation requires, how important a cultural fit is and what an IT professional needs in order to create that “perfect match” for his clients and candidates.

As a leader, Stathi loves helping people achieve their true potential! His approach is simple, show them with actions of what they are capable of achieving and unlock their full potential once and for all.

For his clients, Stathi is able to fill any role upon commitment from their side in less than 5 working days and having a shortlist of Melbourne’s top Software Engineers presented to them in less than 4 working hours after being assigned the job. As for his candidates, Stathi can offer exclusive access to Melbourne’s top companies with roles that have never hit a job board, as well as market insight and career advice that will help them achieve their long-term career goals, one job at a time.

Icebreaker – Stathi loves big goals, structure, real estate and vehicles! He is the sort of person that is always blissfully dissatisfied and is constantly trying to push himself to reach the next level. When he is not doing recruitment (which is uncommon), you will find him looking at properties, riding his bicycle, driving his 4×4 in the mountains, or trying to master the art of making coffee (he is also trying to become a professional barista). However, his main motivator in life is family & friends and spending quality time with them. So most weekends you will find him socialising.

Search Partner Mitchellake

Michael Datta

Search Partner Mitchellake 

Michael Datta is a Partner with MitchelLake who has strong expertise in building ventures, brands, and activating multinational organisations across multiple industries and geographies, with a driving passion for technology, agriculture, food & beverage, sport, and consumer goods.

Operating as a ML’s Lead in Queensland, Michael will stimulate both the outbound and inbound US venture market while building into the company’s sport, entertainment and entrepreneur network!