Praeva Partners, the executive search firm founded by former DRAX chief executive Mark Sherman, has announced a new partner as it begins an expansion into the life sciences market.
Josh Guest, also formerly of DRAX, will lead the firm’s life sciences practice, working with both privately-owned and equity-backed organisations in the sector. His appointment comes as Praeva marks its first anniversary.
Since its launch in November 2025, Praeva has built its reputation supporting private businesses with senior leadership hiring across sectors including consumer, tech and property. Alongside the addition of Josh’s life sciences practice, the firm is expanding more generally into private equity, working with both the funds themselves, and their portfolio companies to find the board and C Suite talent that will propel them towards success – from pre-deal and value-creation phases through to exit readiness.
“Praeva has had an incredible first year, performing well above expectations and delivering projects for some of the most exciting private businesses in the UK and Europe,” said Mark Sherman, founder and chief executive of Praeva Partners. “It’s fitting that, as we mark our first birthday, we’re also announcing our own ambitions for growth – both expanding into the life sciences sector under Josh’s leadership, and making a strategic step into working with private equity firms and the businesses they nurture.
“Our first year has reinforced my view that the search market needs to operate differently,” Sherman continued. “There is huge unclaimed value in working with a partner where the model is integrated. This means we can build deep expertise, but also work cross-team to get the right expertise on each project, with a sole focus on quality delivery and client experience. The evolution from working solely with privately-owned businesses into the private equity market is a natural continuity. Many of our customers are in their first years of growth and are ready to seek a new investment partner to ramp up that growth. We have a wealth of experience on both sides of the deal, which I believe massively increases our relevance in the private equity market.”
As lead for the new life sciences practice, Josh Guest will be responsible for building the company’s profile among specialty pharma, pharma outsourcing – across clinical research organisations, contract development and manufacturing organisations, and advisory bodies – and medical technologies clients.
Josh said: “Life sciences companies within the private equity ecosystem operate at a specific intersection, balancing innovation, regulation and commercial urgency. As a result, leadership decisions in this market are nuanced and require knowledge-led advice.
“I’m really excited to be joining Praeva, a firm that has focused first and foremost on building a collaborative team and equipping them with the tools and technology to give more time back to their clients, where it is most needed. Praeva offers the search model that these companies, and the investors backing them, need. I can’t wait to get started.”
Mark added: “Josh brings a wealth of experience in the life sciences sector, working with privately owned and equity-backed organisations alike to partner them with the right leadership to drive success. His experience and reputation speak for themselves and having worked closely with him previously I know that he will be the right cultural fit for Praeva and for our clients. He’s a real asset to the business and I have every confidence that he’ll develop a thriving life sciences practice at Praeva.”
Also joining Praeva is Heather Napier, who has been appointed senior consultant and will support Praeva’s senior team in search delivery. With a background in two global search firms and strong experience in the industrial sector, operations and project management within acquisitive listed businesses, Heather is a strong fit for Praeva.
Praeva launched in November 2025 with backing from boutique specialist sector investor Jigsaw Equity. Its model is built around a collaborative internal culture, leveraging AI and tech to help practitioners spend time where it impacts the most, and transparent feedback cycles so that quality remains at the highest level.
Its organisational set-up is purposefully designed to promote collaboration, measurement and flexibility to clients so that search projects deliver the best result for the client’s business, quickly and seamlessly.
Michael Goodwin, co-founder of Jigsaw Equity, added: “Praeva Partners has had an exceptional first year and its move into private equity is a natural next step. Under Mark’s leadership, the business has been carefully designed to meet the needs of both founder and investor, delivering a premium, seamless service that helps ambitious and growing businesses turn their growth visions into reality.”