History & Philosophy
SEQEL Partners was founded in 2008 by Mark Ashcroft and Don Jaine. Their aim was to establish a top tier Leadership Advisory firm underpinned by their vision of delivering ‘Uncompromising Search’ to solve the leadership challenges facing ‘New Zealand Inc’ at Board and Executive team level.
Mark Ashcroft (1969 - 2025)
Mark Ashcroft spent 17 years successfully co-founding and building SEQEL and was widely known as a passionate, supportive, dedicated and deeply respected executive search professional. As a long-standing industry leader, he was instrumental in progressing the careers of many New Zealand executives and Directors. Mark cared deeply for his work and team, and leaves a legacy as an astute professional, confidant, and friend.
Don Jaine
Don Jaine is a well known Executive Search and Management Consultancy professional with more than 20 years experience in the sector. In October 2018 Don retired as a Partner, and continues his association with SEQEL Partners as a Board Member and Advisor. Prior to co-founding SEQEL he was a commercial law Partner with both Simpson Grierson and Chapman Tripp, and was originally a Partner of Patent Attorney firm Baldwins focusing on Information Technology, Intellectual Property, and Brand Marketing.
Today, SEQEL has established itself as one of New Zealand’s leading Executive Search and Advisory firms. A portrait of Sir Peter Blake, New Zealand’s renowned international sailor and leader, hangs proudly in SEQEL’s meeting rooms. It is a constant reminder of our philosophy of appointing leaders who ‘Make The Boat Go Faster’, a key consideration in our Executive and Board work.