Zany Anton-Smith - ZAS Search Ltd.
Zany is a graduate from Durham University and has been a headhunter for over 20 years in Financial Services. Initially she headed up the City Desk for Robert Walters before moving to a boutique search firm in Paris, now Odgers Berndtson. Here she spent many years moving Investment Banking and Asset Management professionals cross-border on a Pan European basis. Three years ago Zany set up her own search firm, ZAS Search Ltd, and today provides search and consulting services to clients looking to hire top talent in the UK and wider European market. She is also involved in the Non-Executive space and works closely with Tyzack Partners building effective boards for the Investment Trust world.
Aside from headhunting Zany is a mum to two teenagers and spends her time between Gloucestershire , London and Switzerland. In 2004 Zany and her husband set up a luxury chalet rental business in Villars in the Swiss Alps. Today Chalet Balthazar (villarsapartments.com) and Chalet Melchior (villarschalets.com) welcome guests from around the world who are looking for winter snow or summer fun in this impossibly beautiful resort.
A French speaker, keen runner, lover of nature and black labradors Zany thrives off connecting people using her strong European network.
Harriet Hewitson
Harriet Hewitson has spent her years running small businesses, selling brands, managing building projects, raising funds for charities, decluttering people’s houses, organising events, recruiting in London and NYC, eating and going on holiday. Harriet thrives on helping and organising others. One of her friends notoriously said “I don’t bother using Google - I just call Harriet!”
Alexa Ridley - SortYourHelp
After reading languages at Exeter, Alexa trained and practised as a lawyer at a leading City law firm, firstly as a litigator and later as a risk lawyer. During her time as a lawyer she had to juggle a busy life with 3 young children at home. Wanting a better work life balance and having struggled to find the right domestic help on numerous occasions, Alexa set up SortYourHelp - a bespoke domestic search agency – which advises on and helps families to find (and train up if necessary) the best available help for their particular needs. Since SortYourHelp’s inception in 2012, Alexa has helped source and find creative domestic solutions for many families, professionals and high-profile clients enabling them to follow their chosen paths. She is a firm believer that you can only really be successful and happy in your career if your domestic arrangements work for you.
Alongside her work commitments, Alexa is Co-Chair of the Electric Ball in aid of the NSPCC’s Childline, raising close to £250,000 over the last 5 years. She is also a friend of the Daisy Trust.
Alexa is proud to act as an Ambassador for BNW, as she feels it shares common goals and values with SortYourHelp.
Charlotte Strickland - Lawyer
I studied Politics & Philosophy at Durham University before taking the Legal Professional Qualification conversion course at Guildford Law School. After qualifying with Rowe & Maw, I worked as an in-house lawyer in Investment Banking and Emerging Markets at Sanwa International plc, Bankers Trust and Deutsche Bank in London for 11 years. After a career break to bring up children, following a move back to the North Yorkshire where I grew up, I decided to try my hand back in the law. There is no investment banking up north so I took the plunge and I ventured into general practice. I now work 3 to 4 days a week at Scotts Wright Limited in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales town of Leyburn and have swapped derivatives and structured bonds for providing legal support and advice in relation to wills, probate, property and company law and meet a wonderful range of local individuals and businesses. In a small firm you have to learn to turn your hand to a wide range of issues which has been challenging and fun if a little daunting sometimes. I know how scary it felt to go back into the work place but a bit of self-belief goes a long way.
I have also been a governor at Queen Marys School near Thirsk for the last 8 years in charge of their risk assessment and also more recently boarding and I have also been involved with the local branch of the British Heart Foundation for the last 12 years helping to organise charity walks, fashion shows and other events over the years.
My husband Ben and I have three teenage girls and three dogs which keep us busy and life is always a bit of a juggling act as we all know. I love walking, tennis, reading and spending time with friends and family.
Milly Wiggin - LuxxPR
Milly is a communications specialists with over 20 years marketing and PR experience. She has helped build brand awareness and growth for a number of global luxury lifestyle brands from Godiva chocolates to Jackson Family Wines and Lanson champagne, TAG Heuer and UGG Australia to Vespa and Piaggio scooter brands. Closer to home, she has represented award winning Bolney & Winston English wineries as well as The Grapevine digital network.
Following a degree in Business, Milly reached Board Director at a leading consumer PR agency before setting up her own agency in 2003. She sold this company 5 years later, but it wasn't long before she launched her next and current business, LuxxPR, (luxxpr.co.uk).
Milly thrives on creating strategies that will get brands noticed in a positive, alluring way by the target audiences that matter, but she is also a happy mother of 3, wife, friend, keen gardener and tennis player.
