For highly complex leadership hires

Modern search provided by real talent experts

Finding leaders surviving shaping the future

As the world of work becomes more complex, so does hiring great leaders. Companies are now asking a harder question — are they 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.

That's what we’re experts in. The more complex the brief, the better.

Between us, we've led talent and executive search at companies like Dyson, the BBC and Aston Martin Formula One — hiring some of the most complex, high-stakes leadership roles 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 search partner we never had, delivering complex searches cross-functionally and globally - in a way that suits modern clients.

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  • Cross-Functional Leadership

    • C-Suite, Executive

    • VP & Director

    • Functional Directors & Heads

    Business Area Expertise

    • Corporate Functions

    • Design & Engineering

    • Research & Science

    • Supply Chain & Manufacturing

    • Robotics & Software

    • Digital, Data & AI

    • Sales & Marketing

    • Academia

    Best Practice Advisory included

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We’re real talent experts

We have decades of first-hand experience hiring world-class talent in over 75 countries across a variety of sectors from Retail, Technology & Media to Research and Formula One.

Our careers have been defined by our ability to deliver niche, complex leadership hires for some of the most successful executive teams and founders. Unlocking real commercial success, innovation and growth through the leadership teams we built.

After years of working in-house ourselves, 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 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