Sarah King
London,UK
Summary
Founder of The Willow Project, a consultancy specializing in People, Leadership, and Wellbeing for high-growth technology and fintech firms. Over 15 years of experience in corporate, start-up, and advisory roles, with a focus on fintech and technology sectors. Expertise includes M&A support, investor communications, strategic partnerships, and executive operating support. Proven track record in enhancing execution, developing scalable leadership frameworks, and implementing people and culture strategies for sustainable growth.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Fractional Chief of Staff
Durantic
09.2025 - Current
- Act as strategic operating partner to the CEO and leadership team at an early-stage infrastructure technology company.
- Support execution across GTM, fundraising readiness, investor messaging, and cross-functional delivery.
- Establish leadership operating rhythm, priorities, and internal cadence.
- Partner closely with founders to translate vision into structured execution.
Founder & Fractional Chief of Staff
The Willow Project
11.2018 - Current
- Founded and lead a consultancy supporting high-growth tech and fintech businesses across People, Leadership, and Wellbeing.
- Act as Fractional Chief of Staff and Strategic Advisor to founders and executive teams, supporting scale-up journeys from early start-up through to hyper-growth.
- Partner with CEOs and C-suite to sharpen execution, establish operating cadence, and translate strategy into delivery.
- Advise on leadership design, organisational structure, and talent strategy during periods of growth, change, and M&A.
- Support investor communications, board-level priorities, and cross-functional alignment.
- Design and deliver wellbeing and resilience frameworks, alongside wellness-focused events, to support sustainable high performance and burnout prevention.
- Provide hands-on hiring and advisory support across senior leadership, GTM, product, and technical roles.
- Core pillars: People - Culture design, talent strategy, hands-on hiring; Leadership - Fractional Chief of Staff support and C-suite advisory; Wellbeing - Resilience frameworks and wellness-led performance initiatives.
Chief People Officer
damex.io
03.2023 - 08.2024
- Established the global People function from the ground up for a regulated fintech and digital asset business.
- Recruited and scaled high-performing teams across the UK, EU, and US.
- Implemented HRIS and ATS systems to support operational scale.
- Played a key strategic role in Damex's acquisition of Ziglu's retail arm, supporting integration planning and people strategy.
- Partnered with leadership on organisational design, culture, and regulatory-aligned growth.
Chief People Officer
Ziglu
London
05.2020 - 04.2023
- Joined as employee number 18 and built the People function during a period of rapid growth.
- Scaled teams across Technology, Product, Marketing, Operations, and Executive leadership, supporting growth to over 100 employees.
- Implemented HRIS and ATS systems, enabling hybrid and remote scaling.
- Led internal communications, ran All Hands meetings, and championed inclusive culture initiatives.
- Reduced talent acquisition costs by approximately 50% through strategic vendor negotiation and process optimisation.
- Supported strategic positioning during Robinhood's potential acquisition discussions.
People & Talent Lead - Shell Digital Ventures
Shell
London
10.2018 - 05.2020
- Led talent strategy within Shell's digital innovation hub.
- Deployed a new ATS and recruited over 70 contractors across Technology, Product, Design, and Operations.
- Improved agency performance and reduced hiring costs through targeted vendor selection.
- Designed onboarding, feedback, and recognition frameworks that improved retention and engagement.
- Played a pivotal role in shaping culture within a fast-moving corporate transformation environment.
Head of Strategic Sales & Business Development
Nakama Global
Greater Sydney Area
10.2016 - 10.2018
- Progressed from Principal Consultant to Head of Strategic Sales & Business Development.
- Built and scaled strategic sales and business development models across APAC.
- Led and mentored senior and junior consultants, driving commercial performance and delivery quality.
- Partnered with clients on leadership hiring, team build-outs, and growth strategy.
- Delivered retained search, client acquisition strategy, and leadership development.
- Global Digital Recruitment & Consulting Firm
Skills
Partnered with founders and CEOs who are building and scaling regulated fintech and infrastructure technology businesses
- Mark Hipperson — Co-Founder & former CTO of Starling Bank; Founder & CEO of Ziglu Supported executive leadership, people strategy, and organisational scale within high-growth, FCA-regulated fintech environments
- Jovi Overo — CEO of Oneio, a regulated fintech and infrastructure platform Acting as Fractional Chief of Staff, supporting execution, leadership cadence, and investor narrative
- Ivan Diachenko — Founder & CEO of Durantic; ex-Meta with experience in high-performance trading and research environments, including Hudson River Trading Supporting founder execution, GTM readiness, and investor communications in capital-intensive, deep-tech environments
Client Testimonials
thewillowproject.co.uk/testimonials
Timeline
Fractional Chief of Staff
Durantic
09.2025 - Current
Chief People Officer
damex.io
03.2023 - 08.2024
Chief People Officer
Ziglu
05.2020 - 04.2023
Founder & Fractional Chief of Staff
The Willow Project
11.2018 - Current
People & Talent Lead - Shell Digital Ventures
Shell
10.2018 - 05.2020
Head of Strategic Sales & Business Development
Nakama Global
10.2016 - 10.2018