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Ontalent | Connecting people & purpose

9 Year Anniversary: Deborah Wilson and Deborah Saunders

Deborah Wilson & Deborah Saunders

Nine years. Two Debs. One shared starting point that sparked very different but equally impactful journeys. From OnTalent’s early days to where we are now, Deb Saunders and Deb Wilson reflect on growth, challenge and what it really means to build meaningful careers while evolving alongside the organisation.

Deb Saunders – Client Partner

1. What do you remember most clearly about that first week, and how has the organisation surprised you since?

The From small beginnings to deep impact

  • Joined a tight-knit team of eight, brand new to recruitment.
  • Came in with plenty of preconceived ideas about recruiters.
  • Biggest surprise was the depth of insight, care and integrity in the work.
  • Saw first-hand how much thought goes into getting the right fit for people and organisations.
  • The human focus has stayed strong as the business has grown.
2. Nine years is a long time in any business. What’s one skill or capability you’ve developed at OnTalent that you never expected to?

Agility under pressure

  • Built strong flexibility and adaptability in fast-moving environments.
  • Learnt to stay calm and effective when the unexpected hits.
  • Early days in a small CLC team meant responding quickly to clients and participants.
  • Developed the ability to juggle competing priorities without losing quality or care.
  • Thrives in fast-paced work that still delivers great outcomes.
3. What’s a project or engagement that pushed you out of your comfort zone but shaped how you work today?

Managing complexity at scale

  • Large redundancy projects with high emotional and operational stakes.
  • Significant project management demands behind the scenes.
  • Required precision, empathy and absolute professionalism.
  • Every project delivered seamlessly.
  • Built trusted, long-term client relationships that continue today.
4. You started together but have taken your own paths. How do you think your journey reflects the way OnTalent supports growth and flexibility in careers?

Growing into what you love

  • Career has evolved to focus deeply on careers and people.
  • Supported by strong teams managing the operational backbone.
  • Created space to invest more time in meaningful relationships.
  • Allowed to shape a role around strengths and passion.
  • Feels trusted to do work that genuinely matters.
5. Looking ahead, what excites you most about the next chapter for leadership development at OnTalent?

Building what’s next

  • Seeing the team grow on strong foundations already in place.
  • Pride in the impact we have across people’s career journeys.
  • Excited by the momentum in leadership development capability.
  • Focused on continuing to support participants at every stage of their careers.

Deb Wilson – Head of Strategy and Performance

1. What do you remember most clearly about that first week, and how has the organisation surprised you since?

The pace versus the patience

  • First week felt fast, entrepreneurial and very much “work it out as you go.”
  • Surprised by how much discipline, structure and rigour has been added over time.
  • Even more surprising was that the heart of the organisation never got lost.
  • As structure increased, effectiveness did too.
2. Nine years is a long time in any business. What’s one skill or capability you’ve developed at OnTalent that you never expected to?

Holding complexity and influence without authority

  • Learnt to sit comfortably in ambiguity, tension and competing needs.
  • Especially valuable in executive, board and leadership work.
  • Developed the ability to hold complexity without rushing to resolution.
  • Built strong influence without being the decision-maker.
  • A critical capability across recruitment, coaching and advisory work.
3. What’s a project or engagement that pushed you out of your comfort zone but shaped how you work today?

From expert to partner

  • Worked on a project where the client needed thinking, not answers.
  • Shifted from delivering expertise to co-creating solutions.
  • Changed how I show up with clients.
4. You started together but have taken your own paths. How do you think your journey reflects the way OnTalent supports growth and flexibility in careers?

Non-linear, human and trust-based

  • Careers at OnTalent don’t have to follow a straight line.
  • Growth is encouraged, not questioned.
  • It’s not about titles, it’s about capability, impact and trust.
  • An adult-to-adult culture that gives permission to evolve.
5. Looking ahead, what excites you most about the next chapter for leadership development at OnTalent?

Deeper and braver leadership work

  • Moving beyond capability into identity, judgement and ethics.
  • Supporting leaders to think better, not just do more.
  • Scaling reach while maintaining the depth OnTalent is known for.
  • A clear progression from doing the work, to shaping the work, to helping others do it better.

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