Millie Gartland

I have always been fascinated by people – how they communicate, what motivates them, and how their decisions shape organisations and cultures. That curiosity is what led me to study Linguistics, and it has quietly underpinned every step of my career since.

I began my professional life in a boutique recruitment firm in the north of England, working with graduates entering investment management. Much of my role involved helping people find confidence – preparing for interviews, articulating what they could offer, and taking their first steps into professional life. Over time, I moved into more senior recruitment and management roles, becoming a trusted adviser to clients and candidates alike. It was there that I learned the importance of judgement, consistency and follow-through – and how trust is built over time, not transactions.

Relocating to Sydney was a reset. Everything felt unfamiliar: the market, the industries, the corporate culture. My time at Bluefin Resources gave me my first exposure to the Australian landscape and reinforced the importance of learning quickly, listening carefully, and adapting without losing your core principles.

In 2015, I joined Heidrick & Struggles, which marked a pivotal shift in my career. Moving into the consumer sector felt instinctively right. I was drawn to industries where leadership decisions are felt not just internally, but by customers, employees and the broader market. Over the next decade, I worked with boards and executive teams across Consumer, Retail and Media on assignments that were often complex, sensitive and highly visible. Alongside this, I developed a deep respect for People Officer roles – where leadership, culture and performance converge in very real, human ways.

What I value most about executive search is its dual responsibility: to organisations shaping their future, and to individuals making defining career decisions. The work demands rigour and discretion, but also empathy and perspective. The most successful outcomes, in my experience, are those where leadership capability and organisational values are genuinely aligned.

Joining Dohnt & Co represents the next chapter of that work. It is an opportunity to lead and grow practices that sit at the intersection of brand, culture and people – and to do so within a firm that values thoughtfulness, collaboration and long-term impact. Exceptional together resonates with me because it reflects how meaningful work is actually done: through partnership, shared standards, and mutual respect.

My path has not been linear, but it has been consistent in one respect. At every stage, I have been motivated by the same thing: understanding people, advising leaders with care, and helping organisations find those who will shape what comes next.