About

Independent by design. Focused by purpose.

Thalvern Advisory was established to give organizations an alternative to volume-driven search: an independent firm where senior attention, research depth, and discretion are the standard rather than the exception.

Azeez Babatunde Rafiu

Founder & Principal

azeezbrafiu@thalvernadvisory.com

Founder & Principal

Azeez Babatunde Rafiu

Azeez Babatunde Rafiu is the founder of Thalvern Advisory, an independent executive search and talent advisory practice focused on leadership research, talent intelligence, and professional positioning.

His approach is built around understanding people beyond their job titles. By examining professional experience, leadership capabilities, career progression, and market requirements, he seeks to identify where an individual's strengths may align with an organization's needs or an emerging career opportunity.

Through Thalvern Advisory, Azeez is developing a research-led approach to executive search and talent advisory that prioritizes individual assessment, thoughtful engagement, discretion, and long-term professional relationships.

His philosophy is straightforward: effective talent decisions begin with research, a clear understanding of the objective, and an honest assessment of the alignment between experience and opportunity.

Email Azeez Request a Confidential Consultation

Founder philosophy

Leadership decisions shape organizations.

“I believe trust begins with being clear about what is known, what is possible, and what still needs to be established.”

Research

Effective talent decisions begin with research and a clear understanding of the objective.

Judgment

Experience is assessed in the context of an organization’s needs and the opportunity.

Discretion

Thoughtful professional engagement respects the individual and the conversation.

Honest communication

Trust begins with clarity about what is known, what is possible, and what still needs to be established.

Long-term professional relationships

Every professional has a distinct background; neither people nor organizations should be treated as a generic transaction.

A Note from the Founder

On research, judgment, and professional opportunity.

I founded Thalvern Advisory around a simple belief: good talent decisions require more than matching a résumé to a job description.

For organizations, the right leadership decision begins with understanding the business, the challenges ahead, and the capabilities required to move forward. That takes research, careful assessment, and a clear understanding of the market.

For professionals, the process is equally important. Experience alone does not always communicate a person's full value. How that experience is presented, where it is relevant, and how it aligns with the right opportunity can make a meaningful difference.

This is why I believe in a considered approach to executive search and talent advisory. Every professional has a distinct background, and every organization has its own requirements. Neither should be treated as a generic transaction.

At Thalvern Advisory, my aim is to build a practice grounded in research, discretion, honest communication, and thoughtful professional engagement.

I believe trust begins with being clear about what is known, what is possible, and what still needs to be established.

That is the standard I intend to bring to the work.

Azeez Babatunde Rafiu

Founder & Principal, Thalvern Advisory

Email Azeez

Philosophy

The Thalvern Advisory difference.

An independent model is a deliberate choice. It removes off-limits constraints, layered handoffs, and the incentive to prioritize volume over fit.

Senior-level involvement

The person you meet is the person who leads the search.

Agility

An independent model moves at the pace the mandate requires.

Discretion

Confidentiality is a working practice, not a policy statement.

Research depth

Coverage is built through research rather than existing lists.

Personalized engagement

Every executive approach is written and made individually.

Long-term relationships

We measure success in tenure and outcomes, not placements.

Market intelligence

Clients leave every engagement knowing their market better.

The firm in four words

What Thalvern Advisory is.

Independent

Senior-led by design, with no institutional off-limits constraints.

Global

Cross-border leadership research across every major market.

Focused

Board, C-suite, and enterprise leadership appointments.

Research-led

Market mapping before outreach, on every mandate.

Our People

Experienced professionals. One considered approach.

Thalvern Advisory brings together executive search, research, and specialist expertise to support leadership decisions and professional opportunities. Our approach combines clear accountability, targeted research, and collaboration where each engagement requires it.

Engagement Leadership

Azeez Babatunde Rafiu, Founder & Principal, provides leadership and oversight across the firm's engagements. He guides the search strategy, ensures alignment with client requirements, and maintains a consistent standard of communication and discretion throughout the process.

Research & Talent Intelligence

Our research capabilities support talent identification, market mapping, and the assessment of relevant professional experience. Research support is aligned with the needs of each engagement, with appropriate attention to confidentiality and information handling.

Sector & Functional Expertise

Where an engagement requires specialist sector or functional knowledge, Thalvern Advisory draws on relevant expertise to support the process. The scope of each person's involvement is established according to the requirements of the engagement.

A Growing Team

Thalvern Advisory continues to develop its network of professionals and specialist expertise. As the team grows, we aim to introduce our people with clarity about their roles, experience, and contributions to the practice.

Our team

The people who lead the work.

James Isong

Director of Candidate Advisory & Search

James Isong serves as Director of Candidate Advisory & Search at Thalvern Advisory, with a particular focus on board-level talent and the identification of professionals suited to non-executive director, independent director and other board appointment opportunities. His area of focus centres on understanding the experience, leadership capabilities and professional perspectives that candidates can bring to a board. This includes considering how a candidate's background may align with board responsibilities involving governance, strategic oversight, risk management, financial accountability and organisational leadership. Through his candidate advisory and search responsibilities, James role supports the process of identifying relevant board talent and aligning candidates' professional experience with the requirements of leadership and governance appointments. This reflects Thalvern Advisory's focus on connecting organisations with professionals whose capabilities and experience are relevant to their board and executive leadership needs.

Board Candidate Search
Board Talent Identification
Non-Executive Director Appointments
Independent Director Search
Candidate Advisory
Board Experience and Role Alignment
Corporate Governance Talent

Kelvin Aniekan

Job Placement Specialist

Kelvin Aniekan serves as a Job Placement Specialist at Thalvern Advisory, with a role focused on supporting the alignment between candidates' professional backgrounds and relevant employment opportunities. His area of focus involves understanding job requirements, reviewing candidate profiles against role expectations, and helping identify opportunities that correspond with an individual's skills, experience and career direction. Effective job placement requires consideration of more than a job title; it also involves assessing the responsibilities of a position, the qualifications sought by an employer and the value a candidate may bring to an organisation. Within Thalvern Advisory's recruitment work, his role supports the process of connecting suitable candidates with relevant opportunities while helping maintain alignment between employer requirements and candidate capabilities. This contributes to a more considered approach to recruitment, with attention to the requirements of each position and the professional suitability of potential candidates.

Job Placement
Candidate-Role Alignment
Employment Opportunity Matching
Candidate Profile Review
Recruitment Support
Job Requirement Analysis
Career Opportunity Identification

Abdullateef Ibrahim

Career Opportunity Consultant

Abdullateef Ibrahim serves as a Career Opportunity Consultant at Thalvern Advisory, with a role focused on helping professionals identify and evaluate employment opportunities that align with their experience, capabilities and career aspirations. Understanding the relationship between an individual's professional background and the requirements of a potential role is an important part of making informed career decisions. His area of focus centres on considering role expectations, transferable skills, relevant experience and opportunities for professional development when assessing potential career paths. Within Thalvern Advisory's recruitment and talent advisory work, his role supports a considered approach to career opportunity alignment, helping candidates explore relevant possibilities while taking into account the needs of employers and the requirements of individual positions. This contributes to a more focused approach to navigating the employment market and identifying opportunities that reflect a candidate's professional direction.

Career Opportunity Identification
Career Path Alignment
Professional Role Assessment
Transferable Skills Alignment
Employment Market Opportunities
Candidate Opportunity Advisory
Professional Development Opportunities

Benjamin Akinyemi

Career Branding Specialist

Benjamin Akinyemi serves as a Career Branding Specialist at Thalvern Advisory, with a role focused on how professionals communicate their experience, capabilities and value in the employment market. Effective career branding involves more than presenting a list of responsibilities or qualifications. It requires a clear and consistent professional narrative that helps employers understand an individual's strengths, relevant achievements and potential contribution. This includes aligning career documents and professional messaging with the expectations of the roles a candidate wishes to pursue. Within Thalvern Advisory's talent advisory work, his role centres on supporting a clear and credible presentation of professional experience, helping candidates communicate their backgrounds in ways that are relevant to their career objectives and prospective opportunities. The emphasis is on clarity, consistency and evidence-based representation, ensuring that a candidate's professional story reflects their actual experience and capabilities.

Career Branding
Professional Positioning
Career Narrative Development
Professional Value Proposition
Resume Presentation and Positioning
LinkedIn Profile Positioning
Achievement Communication

Ibrahim Toyyib

Executive Career & Job Search Specialist

Ibrahim Toyyib serves as an Executive Career & Job Search Specialist at Thalvern Advisory, with a role focused on executive-level career opportunities and the process of navigating senior professional transitions. At the executive level, an effective job search requires a clear understanding of leadership responsibilities, organisational needs and the experience required to contribute at a senior level. It also involves identifying relevant opportunities, evaluating role expectations and ensuring that a professional's background aligns with the position being considered. Within Thalvern Advisory's recruitment and talent advisory work, Ibrahim's role centres on supporting a more focused approach to executive career exploration and job search. His area of focus reflects the importance of connecting senior professionals with opportunities that correspond to their leadership experience, professional capabilities and longer-term career objectives.

Executive Career Opportunities
Executive Job Search
Senior-Level Role Alignment
Executive Career Transitions
Leadership Opportunity Identification
Executive Candidate-Role Matching
Career Direction and Opportunity Assessment

Media

Media and speaking inquiries.

Requests for commentary on leadership markets, succession, and executive compensation are welcome.

Direct contact

Azeez Babatunde Rafiu

Founder & Principal, Thalvern Advisory

azeezbrafiu@thalvernadvisory.com

Email Azeez

Next step

Let's discuss the leadership challenge.

Every conversation with Thalvern Advisory is confidential and without obligation.

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