( Team )

Meet the Team

Mark Sherman

Chief Executive

Mark launched Praeva in November 2025, identifying a demand for an innovative, next-generation executive search firm. He partnered with and secured investment from Jigsaw, a family office focused on recruitment companies.

Before founding Praeva, Mark spent 15 years at a major private equity specialist firm, where he established the consumer and leisure practice and later served as CEO for three years.

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Daria Koren

Principal

A consumer sector expert, Daria joined Praeva in January 2026 after a career supporting high-growth, investor-backed businesses, with a focus on founder-led and consumer brands.

She previously worked at Founders Forum and The MBS Group and is fluent in five European languages.


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Michael Goodwin

Finance Director

Michael is the Finance Director at Praeva and a co-founder of Jigsaw, a specialist investor that backed Mark to launch the business.

An experienced M&A advisor, Michael started Jigsaw with his father to provide an alternative investment option to recruitment founders.



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Graham Goodwin

Chair

Graham joined Praeva as Chair, following Jigsaw’s investment in November 2025. Jigsaw is a family office that he co-founded with Michael, specialising in the recruitment sector.

He has been involved in a significant range of businesses throughout his career, most notably GatenbySanderson, which he exited in 2014 in an eight-figure sale to a private equity investor. Graham also launched Rally The Globe, a car rallying events organisation.

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John Toppin

Chief Operating Officer

John is COO at Praeva and an experienced consultant with over 40 years of experience, having played key roles in startups, turnarounds, and the sale of businesses.

Earlier, John was Finance Director and Chief Executive at Saatchi & Saatchi, Kroll Associates, and The Triangle Group. He later spent two decades advising owner-managed consultancies and agencies.

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Kelly Wakeman

Assessment Associate

With a long HR career, Kelly leads the Praeva Assessment process and helps clients gain deeper insights into potential candidates.

Kelly is also a certified performance coach and strategic board partner, working with individuals, teams, and businesses to accelerate progress and unlock potential.


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Louise Potter

Operations Associate

Louise is the backbone of Praeva and has more than 20 years of operational business experience.

She helps owner-managed businesses scale to the next level by streamlining operations, managing projects, and building the core infrastructure they need to do what they do best.



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Joanna Drake

PR and Marketing Director

Jo is responsible for marketing and PR at Praeva and has worked with Jigsaw since its inception.

A former journalist with more than 15 years' experience in PR and integrated campaigns, Joanna has led multi-disciplinary teams to run major PR and marketing campaigns.



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