About Shalina Poulter

I founded Loyal Oak Partners to do executive search differently. After years working in and around high-growth businesses, I saw too many senior hires fail — not because of a lack of skill, but because of poor fit, rushed processes, or a fundamental misunderstanding of what the role actually required.

My background spans commercial roles in scaling businesses, talent leadership, and executive search. I've sat on both sides of the table, which gives me a practical understanding of what it takes to make a senior hire work — and what happens when it doesn't.

I specialise in Sales and Marketing leadership because these are the roles I know best. I understand the nuances of commercial functions, the different flavours of leadership they require, and the specific challenges of finding people who can both execute and inspire.

Loyal Oak Partners is deliberately small. I work personally on every search, building relationships rather than running transactions. This means I can only take on a limited number of clients, but for those I do work with, I'm fully committed.

Outside of work, I'm a mother and an enthusiast of most sports that involve early mornings and questionable weather. I believe in the value of showing up consistently, whether that's on a pitch, in a client relationship, or for my family.

If you're thinking about a senior hire and want to have an honest conversation about your options, I'd be glad to hear from you.