Alex founded Raw Selection in 2017 and has been dedicated to growing the business and proving exceptional service for our clients ever since.  On the off chance Alex takes a day off, he’ll be spending it with his son, his dog Toby, or on DIY projects that (sometimes) get finished.  Ask Alex about: When his last day off was. Seriously. Nobody knows

<h6>Alex is the driving force behind the focus on excellence and mastery and the name behind Raw Selection.</h6>
<p data-start="65" data-end="575">Alex Rawlings is the Founder and Managing Partner of <strong data-start="118" data-end="135">Raw Selection</strong>, an executive search firm he launched in 2017 to provide Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies with a rigorous, process-driven approach to identifying and securing exceptional talent. With over a decade in executive search, Alex has built a reputation for <strong data-start="405" data-end="441">de-risking executive search</strong> by focusing on repeatable, high-impact search processes that consistently deliver the right leaders for investor-backed businesses.</p>
<p data-start="577" data-end="993">A true student of business and leadership, Alex is the <strong data-start="632" data-end="659">author of <em data-start="644" data-end="657">How to Hire</em></strong> and a firm believer in continuous self-development. His extensive personal library is filled with books on leadership, management, and performance, with <strong data-start="813" data-end="833">Patrick Lencioni</strong> ranking as his favourite author. Alex applies these insights daily, ensuring Raw Selection operates at the highest level of effectiveness and client service.</p>
<p data-start="995" data-end="1281">He also shares his expertise as the <strong data-start="1031" data-end="1071">host of <em data-start="1041" data-end="1069">The Private Equity Podcast</em></strong>, a leading industry podcast with over <strong data-start="1110" data-end="1126">100 episodes</strong>, where he interviews top Private Equity professionals and portfolio executives to extract actionable insights on leadership, hiring, and value creation.</p>
<p data-start="1283" data-end="1484">When he&rsquo;s not working&mdash;<strong data-start="1305" data-end="1322">which is rare</strong>&mdash;Alex can be found spending time with his wife Lucy, son Theodore, and dog Toby, or watching the rugby with a glass of spiced rum from his extensive collection.</p>
<p data-start="1486" data-end="1627" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="">If you&rsquo;re looking for a <strong data-start="1510" data-end="1572">highly effective, no-nonsense approach to executive search</strong>, Alex and the team at Raw Selection are ready to help.</p>
<h6>A testimonial from Paul Doyle Managing Partner at Blackford Capital post working with Alex.</h6>
<p><em>Over the years, I have worked with many recruiting and staffing agencies, and there are a few key qualities I consistently look for in professional partners. As you read my criteria, I want you to know that Alex Rawlings and the team at Raw Selection have exemplified all these qualities at an exceptional level.</em></p>
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<p><em><strong>True Partnership</strong>: I value recruiting partners who are genuinely invested in finding the best person to serve my organization&mdash;not just someone to fill a role. This means taking the time to deeply understand my company, its objectives, strategies, and, most importantly, its culture. Alex and his team have done this remarkably well.</em></p>
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<p><em><strong>Determination, Grit, and Follow-Through</strong>: I look for partners who are relentless in their mission to achieve results. It's not just about the hours they put in; it&rsquo;s about their unwavering focus on accomplishing the task. Raw Selection embodies this mindset.</em></p>
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<p><em><strong>Professional Competence</strong>: While essential, I rank this last among my criteria because I take it as a given. That said, Alex and his team excel in their market knowledge, their ability to identify top talent, and their rigorous screening process. They consistently present only the most qualified candidates, saving me an incredible amount of time and ensuring we meet our hiring goals.</em></p>
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<p><em>In summary, Alex Rawlings and Raw Selection are outstanding recruiting partners. I highly recommend them to anyone seeking to hire senior executives in the private equity space.</em><br><br><strong>Paul Doyle, Managing Partner, Blackford Capital</strong></p>

Alex Rawlings

Mo heads up our HVAC division, and has yet to meet a retainer he can't pitch. Mo says, "I interviewed at many firms before Raw Selection, but the moment I came into the building, met the team, and discussed the visions and growth plans Alex has for Raw Selection, it was a no-brainer. Everything aligned with my personal goals and development plans to build my knowledge and grow". Ask Mo about: Football! Manchester United specifically

<p data-start="53" data-end="481"><strong>Residential &amp; Commercial Services</strong><br><strong>CXO Executive Search for Private Equity Backed Portfolio Companies<br></strong><br>Mo leads the firm&rsquo;s Residential &amp; Commercial Services division, with a specialist focus on the HVAC services sector across the USA. With extensive knowledge of the industry, Mohammed partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to identify and secure top-tier leadership talent that drives operational excellence and business growth.</p>
<p data-start="483" data-end="861">His tailored, industry-specific approach ensures that every search is aligned with the unique challenges and opportunities in the sector. Whether it&rsquo;s placing key senior executives or building out entire leadership teams, Mohammed connects clients with proven industry leaders who can optimize operations, accelerate expansion, and create long-term value.</p>
<p data-start="863" data-end="1144" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="">If you&rsquo;re looking to hire top-performing executives in the Residential/Commercial services sector, or want insights into talent strategies for Private Equity-backed businesses, connect with Mohammed for market expertise and an unrivaled track record of successful placements.</p>
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<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Brjg2flS9fw" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Testimonials:</p>
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<p><em>"We reached a point where one of our businesses needed more leadership. Due to explosive growth we could no longer manage under the current organizational structure. <span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">We engaged Raw Selection who has sound experience in our space to find the right GM with the right Culture Index profile coupled with industry experience. Within just a couple of weeks, Raw identified the right talent, expedited the interview process with our team and soon after we had the right person in the right seat doing the work that really matters. For CHS this was a critical and timely hire and Raw delivered."</span></em></p>
<p><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Paul Adams, <em>CEO, Columbia Home Services</em></span></p>
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Mohammed Vali

Haleema joined us in 2020 as a law graduate with a Recruitment background. She may have been voted most likely to cry at work, but that doesn't stop her from showing up every day and being the hardest worker in the room in the search for excellence for her clients. Haleema heads up the Private Equity division, partnering with PE firms across the East Coast to fill their Investment teams. Ask Haleema about: Mindset, Self-development, and designer handbags.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">Haleema Hussain is part of the Senior Leadership Team at Raw Selection and manages both our Executive Search team and Delivery Team. She specialises in private equity-backed executive appointments across North America, supporting PE firms with Operating Partner hires, as well as C-suite and senior leadership appointments for their portfolio companies.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Haleema has built a reputation for delivering high-calibre talent that aligns with the specific needs of private equity firms and their portfolio companies. Holding a Law degree from BPP, The University of Law, she brings a sharp analytical mindset and meticulous attention to detail to executive search. Her understanding of due diligence, value creation priorities and the importance of elite leadership talent enables her to tailor searches with precision and support clients in securing executives who can accelerate growth and returns.</p>

Haleema Hussain

Krista joins Raw Selection as Vice President of Operations, playing a key role in strengthening and scaling the firm’s operational infrastructure.

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Krista</strong> joins Raw Selection as Vice President of Operations, playing a key role in strengthening and scaling the firm&rsquo;s operational infrastructure.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">She brings extensive experience in operational leadership, process improvement and service delivery, with a strong track record of building clear, scalable operating models. At Raw Selection, Krista focuses on driving operational efficiency, improving workflows and embedding robust systems that enables our teams to perform at their best and support continued growth.</p>

Krista Long 

Aaron seems to know the lyrics for every song we play in the office, and sings them, loudly. When he's not doing Karaoke, Aaron is responsible for sourcing executive appointments for Private Equity portfolio businesses globally. Don't let his stance playing pool put you off either. Ask Aaron about: The word ” llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch”  

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<p data-start="241" data-end="652">Aaron is a member of the Research team, bringing a strong academic foundation and a methodical approach to identifying and analysing executive talent. Holding a degree in Human Physiology from Leeds University, Aaron supports our executive search processes by conducting deep-dive market mapping, talent identification, data-driven research and assessment of executives.</p>
<p data-start="654" data-end="942">Aaron leverages strategic sourcing methods, built around the unique 17-step process at Raw Selection all with a focus on uncovering exceptional talent across niche and competitive sectors. His commitment to precision and quality ensures Raw Selection consistently delivers the leadership needed to drive performance and long-term success.</p>
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Aaron Griffin 

Kaj is an absolute powerhouse in our HVAC team, he gets one million leads a month! (Okay, maybe not exactly, but it’s a lot.)  Before making the move to the UK, Kaj lived in Hong Kong, and if that wasn’t cool enough, he also happens to have the cutest dog. If you’re a dog lover, you’ll get along with him instantly!  Ask Kaj about: How to pronounce his name and anything about climbing.

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<div><strong>Commercial &amp; Residential Services - HVAC Services<br>CXO Executive Search for Private Equity Backed Portfolio Companies</strong></div>
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<p>Kaj operates in the Commercial &amp; Residential Services team, specialising in working with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional talent. Holding a degree in International Business &amp; Finance from the University of Leeds.&nbsp;<br><br>Kaj has undertaken a considerable amount of work with Private Equity-backed HVAC businesses. With a focused and proactive approach, Kaj works closely with clients to identify candidates who can deliver operational excellence and drive growth.</p>
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Kaj Sawyer Coffey

Joseph is an Associate specializing in Raw Selection’s Consumer Sector practice, focused on Private Equity-backed portfolio companies.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ligatures: standardcontextual; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Joseph Warwick holds a first-class degree in International Relations from the University of Edinburgh. He specialises in our Consumer and Retail division, supporting PE-backed companies. He is passionate about private equity, a passion shaped by his father&rsquo;s entrepreneurial journey: building a business from scratch and ultimately selling it to private equity. Having seen first-hand the ambition, resilience and value creation involved in that journey, Joseph developed a strong interest in working with investors and leadership teams to help businesses scale and transform. He is also proficient in German.</span></p>

Joseph Warwick

Ben is an Associate within Raw Selection’s Manufacturing & Industrial division, partnering with Private Equity-backed portfolio companies. 

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Ben</strong> is an Associate within Raw Selection&rsquo;s Manufacturing &amp; Industrial division, partnering with Private Equity-backed portfolio companies. He holds a First Class degree in Business Management from the University of Manchester. Ben has an entrepreneurial background, having built an Amazon FBA business from scratch.</p>

Ben Powell

Florence is an Analyst on Raw Selection's Graduate Programme, supporting executive search projects while developing her expertise in Private Equity and PE-backed recruitment.

<p>Florence joined Raw Selection as an Analyst on our Graduate Programme. She supports our executive search team with market research, candidate identification and project delivery, gaining hands-on experience across Private Equity and PE-backed executive search. As part of our structured graduate development programme, Florence is building the foundations for a successful career in executive search through continuous learning, coaching and practical experience.</p>

Florence Stevens

<p>Siva is Raw Selection's Internal Talent Partner, responsible for attracting, engaging and recruiting exceptional people to join our growing team.<br>She manages our candidate experience from initial application through to interview coordination, ensuring every candidate receives a professional, timely and positive experience.</p>
<p><br>Working closely with the leadership team, Siva plays a key role in building the talent pipeline that will support Raw Selection's continued growth.</p>

Siva Sankari

<p><strong>Helen Levesley</strong> is a <strong>Video Content Specialist</strong> at Raw Selection, responsible for producing and editing high-impact video across social, podcast, and long-form platforms.</p>
<p>A <strong>Film Technology graduate from the University of York</strong>, she combines strong technical skills with sharp visual storytelling to turn ideas into engaging, audience-driven content.</p>

Helen Levesley

Ravi is the head of the research and data team gathering data for the team.  He combines data-driven insights with a deep understanding of the market to map out the right leaders for every search.  What Ravi enjoys most about Private Equity is how fast-paced and data-rich the industry is, using data not just to track talent but to spot patterns and trends that help build stronger leadership teams.

<p><strong>Administration &amp; Data</strong><br><br>Ravi has worked at Raw Selection since its founding in 2017, based out in India. Ravi has been instrumental in the building of our proprietary data set. <br><br>We only trust our own data, and we have built this manually every quarter. Ravi and his team map out the Private Equity industry and their portfolio companies within our specialisms, so we have the most accurate data for our sales teams and already know the talent to approach for our searches.&nbsp;<br><br>Ravi manages a data set of 70,000+, and his data collection is instrumental in the production of our industry-leading market reports and data, more accurate than the leading data aggregators in the industry.&nbsp;</p>

Ravi Kumar

Lucia is Podcast & Multimedia Specialist at Raw Selection, responsible for producing and managing The Private Equity Podcast and supporting the creation of high-quality multimedia content across the business. Working closely with the leadership team, she helps transform ideas into engaging audio, video and digital content that strengthens Raw Selection's brand, showcases industry expertise and enhances our presence within the Private Equity market.

<p><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Lucia is Podcast &amp; Multimedia Specialist at Raw Selection, responsible for producing and managing The Private Equity Podcast and supporting the creation of high-quality multimedia content across the business. Working closely with the leadership team, she helps transform ideas into engaging audio, video and digital content that strengthens Raw Selection's brand, showcases industry expertise and enhances our presence within the Private Equity market.</span></p>

Lucia del Rio

Bhavya is a Researcher at our executive search firm, supporting Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies by identifying and mapping senior talent.   She focuses on gathering market intelligence and uncovering key insights to build strong leadership pipelines.  What Bhavya finds most exciting about Private Equity is how insight-rich the space is — using research to spot talent trends and help connect exceptional leaders with high-impact roles.

<p><strong>Administration &amp; Data</strong><br><br>Bhavya is also located in India. Bhavya has been instrumental in the building of our proprietary data set.&nbsp;<br><br>We only trust our own data, and we have built this manually every quarter. Bhavya maps out the Private Equity industry and their portfolio companies within our specialisms, so we have the most accurate data for our sales teams and already know the talent to approach for our searches.&nbsp;<br><br>The data &amp; admin team manages a data set of 70,000+, and his data collection is instrumental in the production of our industry-leading market reports and data, more accurate than the leading data aggregators in the industry.&nbsp;</p>

Bhavya Kumar

Jerrimae (Jerri) is Marketing Executive at Raw Selection, supporting the development of our brand across content, digital marketing and candidate attraction. She works closely with the team to create engaging marketing campaigns, executive search content, Talent Engagement Packs and social media assets that strengthen Raw Selection's position within the Private Equity market. Her work plays an important role in helping us attract exceptional candidates, engage clients and support the continued growth of the business.

<p><span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">Jerrimae (Jerri) is Marketing Executive at Raw Selection, supporting the development of our brand across content, digital marketing and candidate attraction. She works closely with the team to create engaging marketing campaigns, executive search content, Talent Engagement Packs and social media assets that strengthen Raw Selection's position within the Private Equity market. Her work plays an important role in helping us attract exceptional candidates, engage clients and support the continued growth of the business.</span></p>

Meet The Team