PHILADELPHIA, PA – July 9, 2026 – True, the premier global executive talent platform powered by data, AI, and deep sector expertise, today announced the appointment of Charles Buxton and James Peskett as Partners, and Bella Wade and Georgia Patten as Principals, within its Global Consumer Practice. The appointments come at a pivotal moment for consumer, retail, and luxury markets, where mounting pressure to transform is driving unprecedented demand for leadership capable of delivering growth through disruption, operational change, and shifting global demographics.
“Our global Consumer Practice continues to scale in response to a clear rise in cross-border leadership mandates,” said Todd Zangrillo, Managing Director, Head of CEO, Board and Consumer Practices at True. “We are seeing an increasing number of searches that span the US and Europe from inception, where clients need leaders capable of operating across multiple markets and consumer segments. Charles, James, Bella and Georgia each strengthen that capability, bringing significant expertise across board, operational, and commercial leadership at a time when consumer businesses are being built, led, and transformed on a truly international basis.”
“We’ve been deliberate about building a Consumer Practice that brings together board leadership, commercial growth, digital transformation, and operational expertise,” said Shella Abe, Managing Director, Head of the Consumer Practice. “Charles and James bring complementary strengths across senior leadership hiring in the consumer sector, from CEOs and boards through to operational and supply chain leaders driving performance behind the scenes. Bella and Georgia further strengthen our London presence and deepen our ability to support clients across luxury, retail, consumer products, and digital commerce.”
Charles Buxton
Charles specializes in placing board directors, CEOs, and senior commercial, marketing, and general management executives across the consumer landscape, with particular expertise in CPG, beauty and personal care, food and beverage, and retail and commerce.
As consumer businesses face increasing pressure to redefine their commercial models and leadership structures, Charles brings the cross-functional expertise and client relationships to help them do exactly that. He is known for a thoughtful, relationship-driven approach and close partnerships with clients navigating strategic inflection points, market expansion, and organizational change.
He brings a global perspective shaped by an international career advising companies across North America, Europe, and beyond. Prior to joining True, Charles led the North American business of a boutique consumer search firm. He began his career within the consumer practices at Korn Ferry and Heidrick & Struggles, where he spent more than a decade advising organizations on senior executive hiring and succession.
“The traditional boundaries between large corporations, founder-led businesses, and investor-backed companies are becoming increasingly blurred, creating a more fluid leadership landscape across consumer,” said Charles Buxton. “True is uniquely positioned to help clients navigate that evolution through its globally connected platform, sector expertise and innovative technology. I’m excited to be part of the team.”
James Peskett
James has spent more than 20 years advising the world’s most recognized consumer and FMCG brands on C-suite and senior leadership, with particular depth across supply chain, procurement, and operations, the functions under greatest pressure as consumer businesses navigate cost volatility, geopolitical disruption, and the push for sustainable growth. His reputation is built on a precise understanding of what operational and supply chain leadership actually requires at the highest level, and a track record of finding executives who can deliver it across diverse markets and business models.
Prior to joining True, James served as Global Managing Director of the Consumer and Retail Practice at Norman Broadbent Group. Earlier in his career he held senior roles at Korn Ferry, Miramar Executive Search, and Proco Global, advising organizations on C-suite and senior executive hiring across EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas.
“Joining True Search felt like a natural next step in my career,” said James Peskett. “The quality of the team and the calibre of clients they partner with made it clear this was the right platform to do the best work of my career, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.”
Bella Wade and Georgia Patten
True also added Bella Wade and Georgia Patten as Principals in its London office, bringing dedicated expertise across luxury, retail, digital, and commercial leadership to True’s European clients.
Bella brings more than 15 years of executive search experience in apparel, luxury, beauty, and retail. She has advised leading apparel, luxury & beauty brands on senior leadership appointments through periods of growth, brand evolution, and international expansion, drawing on experience gained at Egon Zehnder and The MBS Group. She specializes in CEO, C-suite, and board-level mandates across private equity-backed, founder-led, and listed businesses, with an instinctive understanding of the creative and cultural forces that define leadership in luxury and apparel.
Georgia specializes in C-suite and senior leadership searches across consumer, commercial, digital, and go-to-market functions. She partners with established brands and consumer-facing organizations as they scale, enter new markets, and evolve their leadership teams, bringing experience from her time at Modern Executive Solutions, where her work focused on how leadership assessment and executive insight can strengthen senior hiring decisions.
ABOUT TRUE
True is the most trusted executive talent management platform powered by unmatched data, technology, and global expertise. Products and services include True Search for executive recruiting with TrueBridge for fractional and interim placements; and True Talent Labs to strengthen leadership teams through coaching and assessment. Thrive, a modern Talent CRM, while SearchEssentials brings tech-enabled precision to hiring.
Jillian Ruggieri / Senior Lead, Communications
jillian.ruggieri@trueplatform.com