Damien Fishley
London,Stratford
Summary
Senior Talent Acquisition Leader with 10+ years’ experience driving high-impact hiring strategies across UK & EMEA. Proven track record in scaling teams, reducing cost per hire, and delivering critical hires across Tech, Product, and Commercial functions. Known for combining data-driven recruitment strategies with strong stakeholder influence at leadership level, improving hiring efficiency, candidate quality, and employer brand. Experienced in leading TA transformation initiatives, optimizing vendor performance, and leveraging technology to enhance recruitment outcomes in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, UK & EMEA
YouGov
04.2021 - 12.2025
- Delivered 74 hires across UK & EMEA in 2025 across multiple functions and seniority levels
- Directly sourced C-suite hire (Head of Commercial Sales, US), saving £30K+ in agency fees
- Top-performing Talent Partner for 4 consecutive years
- Reduced agency dependency through direct sourcing strategies
- Delivered senior and executive hires in competitive markets
- Managed hiring across UK & EMEA
- Led and mentored TA Partners and Coordinators
- Strong business partnering with key business leaders across all sectors, HR and HR Business partners.
- Improved recruitment processes and delivery
- Leveraged TA technology to enhance efficiency
- Delivered end-to-end recruitment including executive hiring
- Managed supplier performance and PSL optimization
- Implemented employer branding initiatives
- Advised leadership on hiring trends
- Led diversity hiring initiatives
- YouGov are a global research data and analytics technology group.
Lead Talent Partner (Contract)
Asto Digital – Santander Group
07.2019 - 01.2020
- Delivered 20+ niche tech hires across Product, Engineering and Tech
- Reduced cost-per-hire through direct sourcing
- Built scalable recruitment processes from scratch
- Delivered hires to tight deadlines
- Led recruitment strategy and delivery
- Designed recruitment processes
- Developed hiring plans for hard-to-fill roles
- Partnered with marketing on employer branding
- Managed supplier performance
- Advised hiring managers
- Produced recruitment reports
- Fintech start-up backed by Santander.
Senior Recruitment Partner (FTC)
Ladbrokes Coral (GVC Group)
08.2018 - 03.2019
- Delivered recruitment through Ladbrokes Coral acquisition
- Maintained performance in a complex transformation environment
- Delivered full-cycle recruitment
- Partnered with stakeholders to improve processes
- Managed multiple roles across verticals
- Conducted interviews and screening
- Built pipelines for niche roles
- FTSE 100 multinational gaming group.
Managing Consultant
Brand Recruit Ltd
02.2017 - 07.2018
- Advised CEOs and HR leaders on hiring strategy
- Delivered hires across tech, product and commercial roles
- Managed business development and client relationships
- Delivered contract and permanent roles
- Founded recruitment consultancy across digital & tech.
Recruitment Consultant
Pentasia
02.2015 - 01.2017
- Specialised in tech recruitment (DevOps, QA, BI, Developers, Infrastructure)
- Generated 10+ new clients
- Built strong industry relationships
- Exceeded monthly and annual targets
- Delivered hires under tight deadlines
- Specialist digital recruitment agency.
Recruiter
PG Global
02.2012 - 02.2015
- Top Newcomer in first year
- Generated €100K+ billing in first 12 months
- Delivered high-volume and niche recruitment
- Screened and assessed candidates
- Conducted business development
- Worked with hiring managers
- Produced reports and KPI tracking
- Global energy recruitment firm.
Sales Consultant & OPC Executive
Azure Malta
01.2006 - 01.2012
- Exceeded targets in commission-only environment
- Led team across multiple sales outlets
- Delivered tailored sales solutions
- Designed marketing initiatives
- Luxury timeshare resort.
Education
A Level - Media & Communication
BTEC - Information Technology Level 2
Diploma - Web Design (HTML, CSS & JavaScript)
Websites, Portfolios and Profiles
[LinkedIn]
Timeline
Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, UK & EMEA
YouGov
04.2021 - 12.2025
Lead Talent Partner (Contract)
Asto Digital – Santander Group
07.2019 - 01.2020
Senior Recruitment Partner (FTC)
Ladbrokes Coral (GVC Group)
08.2018 - 03.2019
Managing Consultant
Brand Recruit Ltd
02.2017 - 07.2018
Recruitment Consultant
Pentasia
02.2015 - 01.2017
Recruiter
PG Global
02.2012 - 02.2015
Sales Consultant & OPC Executive
Azure Malta
01.2006 - 01.2012