ABOUT US

Built on one belief. Every hire has a consequence.

We are built for the moments where the right hire changes the trajectory of the business.

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10 years as a specialist search

Who you're working with

Ben portrait

The Talent Vault is led by Ben Leighton, a specialist search partner for executive, AI, cyber security, go-to-market, engineering and product hiring.

Ben has delivered 400+ placements across startups, scaleups, technology vendors, ASX-listed enterprises and APAC growth companies - with a 98% retention rate at 12 months. Every engagement is led personally, from search strategy to shortlist, close and outcome.

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PLACEMENTS SECURED

400+

Retention After 12 Months

98%

Placement success rate

95%

HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD

How We Think

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Context before candidates

We start with the business outcome, not the job title.

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Judgement over volume

We take on fewer searches so we can search deeper and protect the quality of every shortlist.

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Sequence matters

For market entry and scale-up hiring, who you hire first can define the next 12-18 months.

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Ownership beyond the offer

We stay close through process, close, resignation, counter-offer risk and onboarding.

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Operator-informed search

For complex roles, we pressure-test the brief with people who understand what success looks like in the function.

HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD

How an engagement runs

Every search starts with context and ends with accountability. We do not simply introduce candidates - we run a disciplined engagement designed to protect the quality of the hiring decision.

01

Business Context & Hiring Architecture

We understand the company, market, stage, team structure, hiring risk and what success looks like 6-12 months after the hire.

02

Market Mapping & Search Strategy

We define target companies, talent pools, competitor hiring patterns, compensation reality and likely search challenges.

03

Targeted Outreach & Qualification

We approach a carefully selected market, not a volume list. Every candidate is assessed for capability, motivation, timing, stage fit and operating style.

04

Shortlist, Process & Decision Support

We present a tight shortlist with clear reasoning, then support interviews, feedback, candidate management, compensation and offer strategy.

05

Close, Transition & Post-Offer Support

We stay close through resignation, counter-offer risk, onboarding and early-stage success.

Ben has played a critical role in building Cresta's GTM team here in APAC. From the beginning, he has been tenacious and dedicated, taking the time to deeply understand our business, our stage of growth, and the calibre of people we demand to build a high performing team.
He is a level apart from others I've worked with in the past: he pushes back when it matters, brings real market insight, and consistently puts forward candidates who are genuinely right for what we're building, across the org - sales, marketing, FDE, and solutions roles.
He's been professional and hands on throughout, from first conversation through to offer and beyond. A good part of our regional success comes down to the team he's helped build, and I cannot recommend Ben more highly for companies looking to identify and close the very best talent.

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Andrew Cannington

GM APAC
Cresta AI

When a business-critical candidate situation became difficult through no fault of his own, Ben told me he would find one candidate I would genuinely love and hire within 24 hours. I will be honest - I did not fully believe him. But he delivered.
What stood out most was not just the speed or quality of the shortlist, but the ownership. Ben followed up every month for six months after placement, even while on holiday, to make sure the hire was working out and that we were fully supported.

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James Taylor

Chief Product Officer,
Mosh (x-Afterpay, Xero, Tyro)

I was introduced to Ben when AC3 was scaling our DevOps, Cloud Engineering and Solutions Architecture teams.
From the beginning, Ben was providing quality candidates we had not been able to find ourselves. In fact, he delivered so many strong people that we had more options than available roles.
Even when negotiations became complex, Ben remained calm, professional and focused on achieving a result that worked for everyone. He is a strong operator who understands technical talent markets and knows how to deliver under pressure.

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Greg Cockburn

Head of Cloud & AWS Ambassador
AC3, Bulletproof

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Ben provided excellent support and service throughout the entire recruitment process.
He took the time to fully understand our business, our goals and the type of candidate we needed to join our team. He brought all the attributes you would want in a recruitment partner - strong organisation, clear communication, efficiency, patience and a thoughtful approach as we worked through the process.
I would happily recommend Ben to any organisation looking for a trusted recruitment partner who takes the time to understand the brief and deliver the right result.

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Robert How

Country Director, ANZ
The Executive Centre

I worked with Ben on a number of DevOps and Cloud roles in Sydney, and his professionalism, demeanour and response times were exceptional.
From our first interaction, Ben acted in our best interests and consistently went above and beyond to find outstanding candidates who strengthened the team while protecting the culture we had worked hard to build.
It has been a pleasure working with Ben, and I would not hesitate to recommend his services to candidates looking for their next opportunity or companies looking to hire high-quality talent.

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Ghassan Zalaf

Head of FinOps
Cloudec, AC3

Ben is a detailed, customer-focused recruitment executive with a genuine passion for creating partnerships that deliver value for all parties.
He takes the time upfront to understand organisational context, culture, role nuances and success metrics, which ensures he is focused on placing the right people - not just filling roles.
The team led by Ben proactively manages the end-to-end recruitment process, providing timely, relevant updates and ensuring the experience is professional, efficient and aligned to business outcomes.

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Ben McMullen

Head of Architecture
Ramsay Health Care

I have worked with Ben on both sides of recruitment - as a candidate and as a hiring leader.
Ben placed me in my current role and has also sourced candidates for my teams. Across both experiences, he has been highly professional, relationship-led and consistently focused on delivering quality outcomes.
I can highly recommend Ben for his ability to build trust, manage relationships and source high-quality candidates in competitive technology markets.

David Mercieca

Head of Engineering
Versent, AC3

From the first conversation through to the final call celebrating my executive appointment, Ben was a genuine pleasure to work with.
He was thorough in explaining the role, the business context and the expectations, while also bringing a human touch to every interaction. Throughout the process, he provided clear guidance, represented my interests and helped me navigate the opportunity with confidence.
Ben is a strong partner for senior candidates and hiring leaders alike.

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Sebastian Roman

Chief Product Officer
RISE / Megaport

Ben supported me through the process of moving into a new leadership role and provided invaluable organisational context ahead of my interviews.
The insight he shared about the business, team and role proved to be accurate once I commenced in the position, which gave me real confidence in the process.

During the recruitment process, I also experienced a health scare, and Ben handled the situation with genuine care, empathy and professionalism while still keeping everything on track.

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Nigel Willis

Head of DevOps
Ramsay Health Care / HSBC

Throughout the process, Ben’s communication, honesty and integrity really set him apart. He represented the company, leadership team and culture with authenticity, giving me a clear and balanced view that helped me make a confident and informed decision.

From interviews through to negotiation, offer and onboarding, I always felt supported and never in the dark. I would highly recommend Ben to any senior candidate or hiring leader.

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Rafael Vasconcelos Silva

Head of Data & Analytics, Mosh
Formerly Sonder

If it matters,
it's worth getting right.