About Us

SWR Group’s origins began more than 15 years ago when Graeme Sandri, Tony Walsh, Mark Chote and Tim Rosenberg first started working together. With a long and trusted working relationship that brings a total of 63 years of experience to the table, the opportunity arose in 2017 to merge the operations of Auckland-based Rosenberg Executive Search with the SandriWalsh team in Wellington.  

SWR’s growing team now numbers six people in Auckland and Wellington. 

Together we are stronger

Today we are a boutique executive and specialist search firm focused on excellence in sourcing leadership talent, specialised and hard-to-fill roles. We cover all organisational, people and subject matter leadership roles, from the C-Suite down – whether permanent or contract.

Better connections, better outcomes

With offices in Auckland and Wellington, SWR Group offers powerful representation in both cities and nationwide, able to engage personally with clients and candidates and to achieve the best results for you through our blended skills, new levels of technology and extraordinary research capabilities. And because we take the brief and then do the work through to completion, you can be sure we will get a better result for you.

The Team

Mike
Wills

ASSOCIATE PARTNER

Suzannah
Moller

RESEARCH CONSULTANT

Sandra
Valentine

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

M: +44 (0) 7711 863702
E: sandrav@artichokepartners.com

Mark
Chote

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Our Services

DIRECTORS

The quality of a company's board is an important evaluation factor for success.

Balancing short-term pressures and longer-term considerations, stakeholder interests and a company’s own requirements is no easy task. Our clients are looking for directors with entrepreneurial drive, balanced with a prudent perspective to monitor progress and manage risks.

We need directors to provide leadership, strategy and direction to some of New Zealand’s most dynamic businesses. Talk to us about what’s right for you.

EXECUTIVE SEARCH

Leadership be it C-Suite or below, is about inspiring the team to achieve more than they could as individuals.

Finding those leaders is what we do.  The leaders who dream big and deliver results.  Leaders with a track record for success built on hard work and team effort.  They’re busy getting on with what they do, not necessarily looking for their next move.  That’s where we come in – we find them, we inspire them and get them excited about you.

Talk to us about finding (and developing) your next top leaders.

SPECIALIST SEARCH

Help where you need it most.

We recruit across a range of specialist industry sectors, often sourcing candidates with very ‘difficult to find’ and extremely ‘high demand’ skill sets.   Whilst some will not specifically be a leadership role, they will require specialist technical and/or niche skills and that is where we come in – proactively unearthing them for you.

If you are having difficulty identifying talent for your hard to fill roles, we will be able to identify and secure them for you

EXECUTIVE LEASING

Help where you need it most.

We can help you deploy interim management leadership or consulting specialists to effect your most critical change and transformation business initiatives.  Our point of difference in this critical area is that we know our interim management stars having professionally validated their expertise and track record over several years.

Our clients are provided with confidence immediately given our in-depth knowledge of our interim management pool.

We often find our clients use this staffing strategy for high impact and flexibility.

Graeme Sandri

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.

Tony Walsh

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.

Tim Rosenberg

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.

Mike Wills

Mike in his role as a company director has been involved in corporate governance, cross border negotiations of joint venture agreements, shareholder agreements, memoranda of understandings and asset sales and acquisitions.
Mike has also undertaken numerous consulting roles assisting company owners and CEO’s in organisational restructures, exit strategies and “trouble shooting” assignments.
He brings this experience to SWR in assisting clients in their Executive and Specialist Recruitment needs as well as being able to aid clients with their short or medium term requirements for skilled contract personnel.

Suzannah Moller

Suzannah provides The SWR team with accurate research around candidates and the business environment. A key output Suzannah provides is the ability to add further depth to our ability to provide reliable advice to clients with market insights and recommendations. Suzannah has over 12 years of experience in the recruitment industry backed up by time within the hospitality, accounting and legal industries. She has a wealth of knowledge in best practice recruitment, particularly in the areas of talent acquisition, candidate relationship management, and candidate sourcing and screening.

Sandra Valentine

Having been involved in the executive search market since 1987, Sandra brings a wealth of experience spanning multiple industries, functions and countries from the perspective of both a Researcher and Consultant.

Based in the UK, Sandra’s sole focus is now the New Zealand marketplace where she supports SWR Group in their local and international searches.  She has recruited for a diverse range of highly specialised to C-suite roles for New Zealand-based corporates. She has a deep love and knowledge of New Zealand, a country she regularly spends substantial time in each year both for business and pleasure

Mark Chote

With 30 years in the recruitment industry founding, leading, scaling and creating exits for companies, Mark plays a non-executive role for SWR and is an investor. As the founder – and non-executive director – of many successful Technology focussed Recruitment businesses, Mark is an expert in building great companies through co-investment and/or collaboration. With experience including non-exec roles with The Mitchellake Group, Novon Consulting and Technology People Group he continues to invest in start up and growth opportunities. Mark is Founder and Chairman of XG, a human capital ventures group for inspiring growth and innovation through the collaboration of founders in the executive search and recruitment space.

Peter de Boer

With a background in General Management in the recruitment industry and latterly in Digital Marketing, Peter has gained significant people and business leadership experience. He now runs his own Consultancy focused on delivering Leadership and Management Coaching and Business Advisory work. We are delighted to engage with Peter as an Associate, providing our clients and candidates with access to a considered, practical and down-to-earth Coach/Advisor.