Jonathan Durnford-Smith

Portfolio Partner

2021 - Current

Working across our entire DeepTech and BioTech portfolio (40 companies) to ensure our portfolio companies are hiring and developing their most important asset, their people. Work at board level to influence hiring planning, compensation and leadership development. My role varies from working with Portfolio companies in an interim CPO capacity through to coaching founders, working with Heads of Talent/People and leading workshops and training sessions. Regularly mentor pre-seed and seed stage founders within our First Cheque Fund and Springboard Programme.

Recruiting Lead - Engineering, Product & Applied

2018 - 2021

Led the team responsible for growth efforts across research engineering, software engineering, product and the applied team. The team hired approximately 300 people in that time across US, UK & Canada. Led the efforts on reviewing and improving interview processes across all engineering roles.

Global Head of Recruiting

2016 - 2018

Grew the organisation from 35 to 300 in the space of 3 years. Set up recruiting function across UK & US leading the team. Recruited and trained further team members in Australia, India and Brazil. We established QuantumBlack to reimagine how organisations could continuously improve and outlearn their rivals. Today, we’re still fascinated by how the smallest edge or marginal gain can have a major impact. We look to help foster a culture of elite performance by eliciting the right input and enabling the right decision from the right data delivered in the right way.

Managing Consultant

2014 - 2016

Senior Consultant

2012 - 2014