Talent infrastructure for GTM and AI teams building the next decade.
A category-of-one search partner for founders scaling revenue engines and AI development teams — from first commercial hire to post-IPO leadership. Operator-led. Method-driven. Built to compound.
Tom Pugh-Jones
A decade compounding inside the recruitment trenches — the last several years building GTM teams and AI development teams for the best software and era-defining tech companies on Earth. Seed-stage CEOs, second-time founders, post-IPO leaders. He's wired their orgs.
A search process built like an operating system.
Legacy search is a résumé pipeline. We run a four-stage protocol that treats every mandate as a commercial thesis — measured, mapped, and closed with the same rigour your board expects of any capital allocation.
Mandate
We diagnose the role against the commercial thesis — not the JD. Success profile, comp band, and the two or three hires that actually move the number.
Map
A deep read on the market before outreach. Every credible operator, ranked. You see the graph — including the people your competitors will call next.
Engage
Positioned outreach from the founder, not a template. We sell the opportunity the way you'd sell a Series B round.
Close
Structured references, comp negotiation, and onboarding runway. Placements land — and stay past the guarantee.
The stack.
Contingent Search
Source-coded GTM operators and AI builders. Reps, leaders, engineers. Shipped fast, vetted against the mandate — not a keyword.
Retained Search
Dedicated bandwidth for the hires that decide the next 24 months. CRO, VP Sales, Head of AI, founding engineers. Done right, done once.
Market Mapping
A full read on the talent graph across revenue and AI. Comp benchmarks, org charts, who's quietly listening — before you go to market.
Talent Advisory
Org design for GTM and AI development teams. Comp architecture, employer brand, hiring operating model, HR-tech stack.
Referenceable, on the record.
"Top-tier candidates, delivered on time, no compromise. Tom is the real deal for executive search."
"Sets clear expectations, ships insights, follows through. He's a top choice — full stop."
"One of the best headhunters I've ever worked with. Accurate, swift, and genuinely a good human."
"My go-to for SaaS leadership hires. UK, US, anywhere. Quality is consistently elite."
"Sourced a real A-player CRO for our growth-stage tech company. Wouldn't hire without him."
"Professional, organized, and the work spoke for itself. Highly recommend."
Your next hire is a capital decision.
Start with the brief, not the calendar. Send the role and the thesis — we'll return a written mandate read within 48 hours: market map preview, comp band, and the shortlist shape. If it's a fit, we book the working session from there.
Refuse to lose.