Experts in complex hiring

Executive Search delivered by talent professionals

We find talent surviving shaping the future

Companies must now answer harder questions — are their leaders truly ready for what's coming? The pace of change, the impact of AI, the pressure to build teams that don't just perform today but transform tomorrow?

Answering these questions is what we’re experts in.

Between us, we've led talent and executive search at companies like Dyson, the BBC and Aston Martin Formula One — hiring for some of the most complex, high-stakes leadership positions in the world. We know what future-ready looks like because we've spent our careers finding, assessing and building teams around it.

We created Barker Owen to be the external partner we never had as in-house leaders ourselves. Delivering complex searches and scaling projects cross-functionally and globally - to the standard in-house teams expect.

The more complex the hiring, the better.

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  • Leadership Levels

    • C-Suite, Executive

    • VP & Director

    • Functional Directors & Heads

    Cross-Functional

    • Corporate Functions

    • Design & Engineering

    • Research & Science

    • Supply Chain & Manufacturing

    • Robotics & Software

    • Digital, Data & AI

    • Sales & Marketing

    • Academia

    Strategic advisory support across Talent (also included in our ES offering)

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End-to end ownership from real talent experts

We have decades of first-hand experience hiring leaders and hyper-niche talent in over 50 countries across a variety of sectors from Chemicals, Retail, Technology & Media to Research and Formula One.

Our careers have been defined by our ability to deliver complex hires by doing the basics perfectly and building deep, trusted relationships with clients and candidates.

After years of working in-house, we have a deep appreciation for the internal complexity, ambiguity and pressure to continually deliver results at pace with tightening budgets.

When you work with us, you have us operating as a trusted and dedicated extension of you, deeply invested in your goals and challenges.

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Sam Barker (MCIPD) | Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Led Talent and Executive Search at Dyson, Aston Martin F1, BBC Studios,  Fortescue-WAE, Colt Technologies and Danone.

Sam has delivered hundreds of highly confidential, high profile Executive and Board placements partnering some of the most innovative business leaders worldwide. 

Most recently Sam modernised Talent Acquisition at Aston Martin F1 including hyper-niche hiring such as Aerodynamics.

Superpower: Gets straight to the heart of the issue — pinpointing the real performance drivers, stakeholder dynamics and outcomes that matter.

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Dave Owen | Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Executive Search Partner by trade turned Global Head of Talent Acquisition and future of work enthusiast and startup advisor.

Dave has been a Talent Strategy Advisor to the BBC and innovative HR/AI tech startups and is a former VC-backed Founder himself.

Over the last few years Dave has been delivering hyper-niche hiring as well as advising enterprise clients on their HR technology, AI use and operating model.

Superpower: Creatively leveraging technology to deliver deep research, often for roles that have never existed before.

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Get in touch

Interested in working with us? You can connect on LinkedIn or at info@barkerowen.com