About Moxie
Moxie evolved from Numeric, a specialist search business that worked two parallel tracks: recruiting senior advisors for professional services firms and family offices, and supporting commercial businesses with specialist and executive finance appointments.
Over more than a decade, this dual focus gave us insight into how private business owners made critical decisions—from both sides. We recruited the advisors who guided them, and the leaders they needed to execute.
Private businesses naturally gravitated to us because we understood the advisory perspective. We could see the people implications of growth, transition, or capability gaps the way their advisors did.
Over time, we built deeper capability across operations and commercial leadership, not just finance. As Ben's executive search background combined with our advisory depth, our focus narrowed to exclusively leadership and executive appointments for private business.
We rebranded to Moxie to reflect that shift. We now work exclusively with private and founder-led businesses on executive and operational leadership search where getting it right carries real weight.
We still partner closely with the advisory industry. But our core focus is executive search for private business, informed by nearly two decades at the intersection of advisory and ownership.
ABOUT MOXIE
Our standard
Every search comes down to one question: did we find the best person for this seat, in this business, at this moment?
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That requires genuine market engagement, not a network trawl. It requires understanding what the role must deliver, not just what the last person in it looked like. And it requires the judgement to know the difference between a candidate who looks right on paper and one who will actually perform in the specific context of a private business.
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We're not obsessed with process. We're obsessed with the outcome at the end of it: a decision the owner or board can make with confidence, knowing they didn't settle.
Ben Kershaw
Ben founded what became Moxie in 2007. His early career spanned executive search and talent advisory across the UK, Australia, Asia Pacific, and New Zealand, giving him an unusually broad perspective on how leadership markets differ and what genuinely strong candidates look like across geographies.
Over nearly two decades, his focus narrowed to where the work felt most consequential: private and founder-led businesses making leadership appointments that carry real weight. He has led CEO, CFO, COO, and Partner searches across food and agribusiness, distribution, manufacturing, professional services, financial services, energy and construction.
Ben works with owners and boards when progress has stalled, growth has outpaced the team, or a leadership appointment needs to be right, not just filled.
Carleen Thomson
Carleen leads executive and leadership search at Moxie, working with owners and boards across New Zealand on appointments where getting it right carries real consequence.
With more than 18 years of search experience across finance, accounting, and commercial leadership, she has placed CFOs, Finance Managers, Heads of Commercial, National Sales Managers, accounting firm Partners, and C-suite leaders including CEOs, COOs, and Country Directors. These are seats where financial discipline, commercial judgement, and accountability matter most.
Before search, Carleen spent six years at New Zealand Lotteries in territory management, regional leadership, and head of sales roles. That background gives her a grounded understanding of how commercial roles actually work in practice, not just what they look like on paper.
Based in Cambridge, working nationally.
Lauren Thompson
Lauren leads operational leadership search at Moxie, working with owners and boards across New Zealand on the appointments where execution, accountability, and delivery actually live.
Her placements span Head of Operations, Engineering Manager, GM Business Operations, Operations Manager, Global Sales Manager, Supply Chain leaders, Health and Safety and Compliance leaders, Senior Project Managers, and Financial Controllers. These are the seats where growth stalls when the wrong person is in them, and accelerates when the right one is.
Before search, Lauren spent nearly six years in HR and Health and Safety in the energy sector. That background gives her a grounded understanding of how operational roles actually function under pressure, not just what they require on paper.
Based in New Plymouth, working nationally.
Sheree Kershaw
Sheree has more than 20 years of experience in executive support and operations. She manages the systems, processes, and marketing that keep Moxie running to a high standard.
Holly Stockwell
Holly supports executive search and advisory across all Moxie engagements, from research and candidate coordination to market intelligence and project operations. Based in New Plymouth, working across New Zealand.
Julia Stockman
Julia works with Moxie as an independent associate, bringing 25 years of experience across HR and People and Culture. She works alongside leaders and teams to understand what's genuinely going on and find practical ways forward. Based in Taranaki, working nationally.
Behind the name
Moxie means determination, courage, and grit.
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It also means doing hard things with care: thinking before acting and making decisions that stick.
Our valued clients include:
