UK · US · Europe

Ret[ai]nTalent

We place engineering, data, product and marketing professionals who help scale high growth AI businesses.

Start a search → See how we work

AI.

Where we go deep

90%

New business via referral

UK · US · Europe

Where we operate

What we do

A specialist search partner built around AI.

We focus on high growth AI, data and cloud businesses, so we understand the roles, the stage of company, and the people who thrive in them.

01

Executive & leadership

CTOs, CMOs, VPs of Engineering, Heads of Data, Product and Marketing leaders who build teams from scratch and scale them.

02

AI, data & engineering

The technical hires behind the product. ML, data platform, full stack and infrastructure talent who ship.

03

Marketing & go-to-market

Product marketing, growth and demand generation talent for businesses scaling their commercial engine.

04

Embedded talent

A retained model for companies scaling fast. We plug in as your talent function when you need speed.

Let's talk

Hiring, or open to the right move?

Whether you're building a team, or you're looking for a new opportunity and would like to have an open conversation about the market, let's start a conversation. Most of our best work starts with a 15 minute call.

Get in touch →

About

People first.
Always have been.

Retain Talent is a specialist search partner for high growth AI businesses. Boutique, senior, and referral led by design.

Eddy MetzgerFounder

The story

Why we exist

Retain Talent was founded on a simple belief: the companies building the future of AI deserve a hiring partner who understands the technology, knows the people, and only makes introductions that genuinely fit.

That partner brings over 17 years in recruitment, including 8 years in-house, which means we have sat on your side of the table. We know what a great hire does to a scaling team, and what a bad one costs you.

Over that time we have delivered for some of the world's most exciting AI businesses and leading names in global fintech and financial markets, the kind of companies where the calibre of hire is non-negotiable. That bar is the one we bring to every search.

Around 90% of new business comes via referrals and warm relationships rather than cold outreach. That is not an accident, it is the whole model. We work with high growth AI, data and cloud businesses across the UK, US and Europe. When we call about a role or a candidate, it is because we have thought hard about the match.

How we work

01

Specialist, not generalist

One sector, understood deeply. We know the roles, the stack, and the stage of company you're building.

02

Referral-led

The best people come through trusted introductions. We've built a network worth being part of.

03

Senior by default

You deal with founders, not a junior researcher. Straight talk, real judgement, no filler.

04

Quality over volume

We share a shortlist we would stake our name on. A small number of people who genuinely fit.

Clients & Candidates

One sector.
Both sides of the table.

We work with high growth AI businesses and the senior engineering, data, product and marketing talent that scales them.

For clients

Hiring for scale

Growth puts pressure on every hire you make. We find the leadership and technical talent who have built and scaled before, and know what the next stage demands.

Executive & leadership search CTO, CPO, CMO, CIO, VP Engineering, VP Product, VP Marketing, Head of AI, Head of Data, Director of Engineering
AI, data & engineering hires ML, platform, full stack
Marketing & go-to-market Product marketing, growth, demand generation and brand for businesses scaling their commercial engine
Embedded & retained talent We plug in as your talent function, working your roles exclusively with the focus of an in house team and the reach of a search firm
Market mapping & talent intelligence Know who is out there before you hire. Competitor mapping, salary benchmarking, and a clear picture of the talent landscape you are hiring into

Start a search →

For candidates

Your next move

We only introduce you to companies where the fit is real. Relevant conversations, handled discreetly, and no wasting your time.

Confidential representation Your search stays private
Roles at scaling AI businesses From early stage through to established growth
Honest, senior advice A straight read on the market, where you sit in it, and what your next move should be. We are here for your career, not a single placement

Introduce yourself →

Our focus

Where we work

Depth beats breadth. We concentrate on the roles high-growth AI companies actually hire for.

/ 01

Executive leadership

Founding and scaling technical leadership.

/ 02

AI & machine learning

The people building the core product.

/ 03

Data & platform

Pipelines, infrastructure, data at scale.

/ 04

Software engineering

Full-stack and product engineering.

/ 05

Marketing & go-to-market

Product marketing, growth and demand generation.

How it works

A simple, senior process

STEP 01

Brief

A proper conversation about the role, the team, and what good actually looks like.

STEP 02

Search

We work our network first, then map the market for the people who fit.

STEP 03

Shortlist

A small number of candidates we would stake our name on.

STEP 04

Close

Hands-on through process, offer and start. Relationships outlast the placement.

In their words

What clients and candidates say

The work speaks for itself, but it is better coming from the people we have worked with.

“

Eddy is a rare breed of recruiter. He has delivered several Data Engineer hires for us in a matter of weeks, when previous agencies have been working the same role for months. He truly has an elite network around him and I would confidently continue to use him for any additional hiring support.

Kishan PatelSenior Technical Recruiter

“

Everyone has been thoroughly impressed at Eddy's pace and quality of work. We received numerous high-quality profiles within a short timeframe, and ultimately hired a candidate sourced by Eddy on schedule. We have set a high bar for talent, and everyone is delighted with the hire made.

David ColborneGlobal Talent Lead

“

I would recommend Eddy without hesitation to anyone looking for an exceptional recruiter. He found a role that was perfectly aligned to my skills and experience, and it turned out to be one of the best roles of my career. Always responsive, always available.

Simon TomkinCISO

“

I worked with Eddy as a candidate and the experience was pretty unique. He valued fit over placement at any cost, and actually represented needs in both directions. This approach is critical to finding and retaining talent, and unusual in a largely transactional business.

Richard IrelandManaging Director

“

Eddy brought deep market knowledge, was incredibly approachable, and always responsive. He took the time to understand what I was looking for and consistently delivered quality results. I'd highly recommend Eddy to anyone looking for a recruiter who is both skilled and genuinely invested in finding the right match.

Yogesh MaanExecutive Director

“

Eddy is a data based relationship guy, he wants to make sure there is a personal connection that will make for a successful hire. That's the hard work that goes into understanding the market and decoding profiles to make the connections to find the right fit.

Matt FrancisManaging Director, Index Engineering

Community

More than
placements.

Success should give something back. That's why 1% of every placement fee goes to a cause close to us, supporting young people in our own community.

Our 1% pledge

1% of every placement, given back.

For every candidate we place, 1% of the fee goes to Forever Young People, a Hertfordshire youth mentoring charity that is a cause close to the founders. It's a commitment we start with on day one, and one we've pledged to grow as the business scales.

The logic is simple. The same belief that drives good recruitment, that the right support at the right moment changes someone's trajectory, is exactly what youth mentoring does. We're just backing it with more than words.

1% OF EVERY PLACEMENT TO FOREVER YOUNG PEOPLE

The cause

Forever Young People

A youth-mentoring charity based in Hertfordshire, working with young people across the county.

What they do

Forever Young People take a mental well-being approach to the issues facing young people today, from anxiety, truancy, anger and anti-social behaviour to deeper emotional struggles, through mentoring, support services and youth projects.

One-to-one mentoring The right adult in a young person's corner
Support services & youth projects Practical, local, consistent
Working with schools & local authorities Across Hertfordshire

Why it matters to us

Our whole model is about people and potential. Spotting it, backing it, and connecting it to the right opportunity. Forever Young People do that for young people who need it most, right on our doorstep.

Every placement we make helps fund that work. Grow with us, and the giving grows too.

Learn about FYP →

Contact

Let's start
a conversation.

Hiring, exploring a move, or just want to talk about the market? Feel free to drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you.

Details

Get in touch directly

Email

eddy@retaintalent.co.uk

Operating across

UK · US · Europe

Response time

Usually within a day