Stealth AI Startup

Quietly building next-gen hiring tools at the intersection of AI, behavioural science, and leadership performance.

⚡ In stealth. Launching soon.

Founder

Obsidian Black 

CEO & Founder — Obsidian
We build the exec teams behind some of techs most successful teams

Trusted by top VCs and scale-up CEOs to:
→ Find leaders who unlock growth
→ Fix what’s breaking before it costs millions
→ Build teams that go the distance

✅ 2000+ execs placed across CPTO, CPO, CTO, COO, CFO, CMO, CDO
✅ Specialists in team architecture, leadership transitions & hybrid scale

If your team’s scaling or breaking, we’re the call before the damage hits the boardroom or the valuation

Chief Executive Officer

Resource Partners

Director Global Executive Appointments and Partnerships

Career Architechs.com

Sold
To gain a wider breadth of knowledge from all sides of recruitment I decided to help create a new job board to fully understand the needs from a candidate perspective.
Bored of all the job boards not working so we developed something better, a job board that actually delivers as promised, relevant jobs to candidates and relevant candidates to the right jobs. 
Much more proactive approach than our competitors to connect the right people with the right jobs and quickly.

Focused on business development to attract and retain some superb market leaders on board advertising and a fantastic candidate response, delivering better results than our competitors who had been around forever.

Whilst performing Business development i also took care of high level executive placements, senior mandates and Branded Recruitment advertising campaigns for companies that wanted an exclusive, discrete solution for their critical hires.

Skills included but not limited to: 

Retained Head hunting
Executive search
Strategic Recruitment solutions
Contract, Permanent and Interim appointments
Senior mandates into Technology focused organisations
Branded recruitment advertising
Managed resourcing solutions

Business Development, Strategic Recruitment Advisor, Executive level mandates

I consult on a bi-monthly basis to help facilitate growth, acquisition, retention and strategic recruitment solutions for the brand.

My role is more of an advisory capacity now ensuring longevity of the brand and its solutions.

Skills include advising on: 

Retained Head hunting
Executive search
Strategic Recruitment solutions
Contract, Permanent and Interim appointments
Senior mandates into Technology focused organisations

Non Exec Director

Russell Winter

Sold
Owner of a Senior Level, discreet Head Hunting firm, Co-owner of contract consultancy and rec company specialising in building Global leading technology companies through strategic business placements. Proven history of building extremely successful teams within startups taking them to large profit, IPO, etc. Then of course your larger companies, Top 5 etc again hugely successful building UK and Ireland divisions, particularly large PS divisions within this field in a rapid time period.

I have contributed to many a now market leader and am looking to work with companies who want the best people, who have that something that makes the best of market stand up and listen, the exciting once in a lifetime opportunities that are so fun to build.

I am always interested in new ventures, new ideas (really new not "redone"), the insanely impossible that could just work always gets my attention ( but not always my investment :-) )

Skills include: 

Retained Head hunting
Executive search
Strategic Recruitment solutions
Contract, Permanent and Interim appointments
Senior mandates into Technology focused organisations

Owner

Computer Futures

Senior Technology Consultant

CEO Obsidian Black Building the most successful Leadership teams in tech | Board Advisor | TeamonyAI Co Founder | CoFounder Progress Coach

I'm the person CEOs call when they need the world's best talent and they need them fast

As founder of Obsidian, I understand the reality of hypergrowth companies: crazy tight deadlines, impossible SLAs, and the pressure to deliver breakthrough products that change entire industries.

These companies can't afford to wait months for the right hire - every week without the perfect CTO or CPO costs millions and risks missing market windows

Over 20 years, I've placed 2000+ executives who operate at the forefront of AI, neoclouds, and cutting-edge tech. My team and I have exclusive access to the leaders building tomorrow's technology - the ones others can't reach because our networks run deeper than anyone else's in the industry.

When speed and expertise matter:
-VCs need to know their portfolio companies have the leadership to execute at hyperspeed
-CEOs need executives who've done the impossible before and can do it again
-Companies need someone who can deliver rare talent in weeks, not months

What we deliver:
Executive search across CTO, CPO, CFO, COO, CMO, CDO, CEO, Board Advisory roles and more

Access to leaders at the absolute cutting edge of technology

Unmatched speed when every day matters

The Team Architect Newsletter - Sunday briefings for leaders scaling without losing their best people. Join 4,000+ executives and investors who read it weekly

Need the impossible hire delivered fast? Message me to discuss

9 Silent Signs You're Already a Leader. Even Without the Title

🚨 71% of real influence inside organisations
comes from people WITHOUT formal leadership titles

They lead without permission

They fix problems others avoid
They are the glue that holds teams together and very rarely get the credit

If that’s you?

 You're not imagining it
👉 You’re already leading

Just not recognised, yet

I’ve coached and hired hundreds of senior leaders

Here’s what I see again and again:

The ones running the show?

They’re not always in charge, but they should be

If you recognise yourself in these, you’re already leading:

1️⃣ The Go-To Person

Colleagues call you first when things go sideways
→ Why do they trust you and how can you use that more intentionally?

2️⃣ The Problem Solver

You fix issues no one else owns
→ Are you documenting these as leadership value?

3️⃣ The Unofficial Mentor

People come to you for real talk and guidance
→ What if mentoring is already one of your superpowers?

4️⃣ The Meeting Magnet

You're invited for your thinking not your title.
→ Are you using your voice with clarity and presence?

5️⃣ The Conflict Calmer

You de-escalate tension and bring calm to chaos
→ What does next-level conflict leadership look like for you?

6️⃣ The Culture Keeper

You shape morale, trust, and tone, even when no one’s watching
→ Are you nurturing that influence intentionally?

7️⃣ The Trusted Delegate

You’re handed stretch work and sensitive tasks
→ Are you using those moments to grow visibly?

8️⃣ The Connector

You link people, ideas, and teams across silos
→ How can you amplify that quiet influence?

9️⃣ The Visionary Change Agent

You see what’s coming and help others adjust
→ Are you sharing those insights in ways that stick?

🧠 Here’s the truth:

🚫 Your manager might not see it
🚫 The org might not reward it
🚫 Your work doesn’t always speak for itself

⚠️ And let’s be honest some of the loudest voices in the room are doing the least

But you already know
 
You’re doing the hard part

And it deserves to be seen!

♻️ Repost this if it resonates or someone else needs to hear it
 👥 Follow me Emma J E. for sharp, real-world insights on leadership that actually works.
 📬 Join 4,000+ ambitious leaders getting my weekly leadership strategy email.
 Link in bio.

Emma J Eyre

CEO, Obsidian Black | Building Leadership teams for cutting-edge AI & tech | 2000+ VP/C-suite placements | Global Speaker

9 Signs you are already a leader Emma J Eyre

9 Silent Signals Someone in Your Team Is Planning to Leave
67% of employees who consider quitting would stay..

If the conditions they value improved

But once they’ve mentally checked out?
You’ve got 90 days at most

And the scariest part?

You won’t hear “I’m thinking of leaving.”

You’ll see it if you choose to notice…

In missed micro-signals
In silent exits
In fading energy from your best people

I’ve interviewed and coached 10,000+ top performers
The quiet high-achievers?

They rarely rage quit.
They just… slip away.

If you lead a team, read this twice

Here are 9 warning signs someone on your team is already halfway out the door:

🌫️ The Vision Gets Blurry

Your best leaders are fueled by clarity. When the future gets foggy, so does their motivation

🚪 Strategy Becomes Survival

If every conversation is about today’s fires not tomorrow’s dreams, leaders feel like they’re treading water—not building a legacy

🤐 The Room Falls Silent

 When bold ideas and pushback vanish, it’s not peace, it’s resignation

🧱 Values Get Compromised

Nothing crushes a leader’s spirit faster than watching the company abandon the values they once fought for

🥀 Recognition Dries Up

When their hard work goes unnoticed, even the most loyal leaders start to ask “Why am I still here?”

⏳ Decision-Making Slows to a Crawl

When every decision needs ten approvals, the sharpest leaders feel their drive suffocate

🔥 Burnout Becomes the Norm

Leaders leave when the workload becomes soul-crushing and no one seems to care. You can’t pour from an empty cup, even if you’re the boss

📉 Their Voice Goes Unheard

 If leaders feel like they’re shouting into the void, they’ll take their vision, fire, and talent somewhere they matter

🚧 Ego Replaces Curiosity

When the top is clogged with ‘yes men’ and real conversations die, your best leaders will leave to find a culture that challenges them

📢 The truth?

 They’re not leaving for money
 They’re leaving because they feel invisible

They want:
 – Purpose
 – Recognition
 – A chance to build something real

♻️ Repost if you’ve seen this happen
🔔 Follow Emma J E. if you want to be the best leader you can be
🔥 Join like minded people on the same mission link in bio

The exit interview is too late Emma J Eyre

🔥12 Micro-Habits That ActuallyGet You Promoted
How many do you actually do??

The most capable people don't always get promoted
The most visible ones do..

These 12 habits quietly make sure you're seen, trusted, and promoted👇

You've proven you can lead
You've delivered results 

Now it's about showing up in ways that make you undeniable

One of the biggest mistakes? 
Assuming your work speaks for itself
It doesn't

The right people can't reward what they can't see.

Start practicing these 12 micro-habits now and take control of your next leap

1. Frame work updates around business impact 
Show how your work saves time, drives revenue, or reduces risk

2. Schedule regular career check-ins with your boss
Ask what's changed, what's needed, and what 'ready' looks like. 
Confirm in writing

3. Say no with purpose 
Say no strategically to protect your time for high impact work
Leaders earn trust by making the right decisions -not by pleasing everyone

4. Share what worked, what didn't, and what's next 
Reflect after each project
Show growth not just delivery

5. Build relationships beyond your team 
Ask for introductions
Expand your influence intentionally

6. Seek feedback aligned with your next role 
Get input that sharpens your edge, not just affirms your status quo

7. Volunteer for stretch work that matters 
Say yes to work that builds visibility toward your NEXT step not just more work

8. Speak up with questions and insights 
Don't wait for permission 
Leaders shape direction with curiosity and courage

9. Track your impact consistently 
Keep an "impact log" of wins, challenges, and lessons
Don't rely on memory to make your case, use this

10. Make your value visible in your own way 
Visibility doesn't mean being the loudest. 
It means being known for your value, consistently and clearly

11. Clarify promotion criteria early 
Ask: "If I do X, will I be considered for Y?" 
Get clear and get it in writing

12. Spot and suggest improvements 
Propose smarter ways forward. 
Leaders don't just maintain they evolve things

Bonus info: 
Proximity bias is a real thing
Those who are seen more by the person deciding on who to promote are often seen as the better fit, its a mind trick. 
Don't let that happen to you - make sure you book those regular check-ins

You don't need a new title to act like a leader

But you do need habits that make your leadership visible, trusted, and promotable

Don't assume you will be seen, make sure you are.

📩 Want more leadership strategies like this? 
Join like minded leaders Newsletter- link in bio! 

Follow Emma J E.

🔁 Repost if you know a leader who just mind need this

12 Micro-habits that get you promoted Emma J  Eyre

9 Career-Killing Mistakes New Leaders Make in Their First 90 Days

The promotion you fought so hard for? 
It may be the most dangerous moment in your career

After supporting over 2000 newly promoted leaders, I’ve seen the same landmines destroy even the most promising trajectories, often silently

🚫 It’s not a lack of skills
🚫 It’s not about working harder

It’s about avoiding the traps that quietly sabotage your leadership journey from day one!

Here’s what they look like:

1️⃣ The Peer Trap

Managing former colleagues creates awkward dynamics and erodes authority.
 → Solution: Reset expectations clearly and compassionately

2️⃣ The Burnout Trap
 Doing your old job and your new one leads straight to exhaustion
 → Solution: Delegate ruthlessly. Protect time for strategic leadership

3️⃣ The Fog Trap
 Unclear goals lead to anxiety, reactive decisions, and a lack of focus
→ Solution: Document objectives. Get explicit sign-off from above

4️⃣ The Control Trap
 Micromanaging undermines trust and stifles team growth.
→ Solution: Coach more, direct less. Create space for ownership

5️⃣ The Output Trap
 Focusing solely on deliverables means neglecting team dynamics and culture
→ Solution: Invest at least 30% of your time in relationships and team health

6️⃣ The Doubt Trap
 Imposter syndrome delays action and weakens leadership presence
→ Solution: Normalise the feeling. Build a personal board of advisors

7️⃣ The Skills Gap Trap
 Technical excellence doesn’t translate to people leadership
→ Solution: Seek targeted leadership training and ongoing mentorship

8️⃣ The Fizzle Trap
 Initial excitement fades quickly without structure and sustainable habits
→ Solution: Establish weekly and monthly rituals to maintain energy and focus

9️⃣ The Spotlight Trap
 Increased visibility amplifies pressure, anxiety, and politics.
→ Solution: Build a trusted network of allies, mentors, and sponsors

🚨 What’s at stake?
Your credibility
Your team’s trust
Your long-term impact as a leader


The leaders who thrive make one critical mindset shift:
They stop trying to prove themselves and start building systems that do the proving for them!

💬 Which of these traps have you seen play out or fallen into yourself?
 Share your story, someone else might be on the edge of the same mistake

🔁 Repost this to help a rising leader avoid these landmines
🔔 Follow Emma J E. for weekly insights that the most successful use
📩 Join the newsletter for deeper dives and frameworks to succeed - link in bio

Career Killing mistakes leaders make Emma J Eyre

🚨 7 Signs Your Team Is Lying to You 
(And Why It's Destroying Everything)

You think communication is solid

Meanwhile:

– Your star performer is secretly job hunting
– Critical projects are failing behind the scenes
– The real decisions happen in Slack DMs after you leave

They’re not lying to hurt you

They’re lying because you trained them to

Here’s the brutal reality:

Every time someone told you the truth, you made them regret it

I’ve seen this dynamic in nearly every company that struggles with trust

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

👇 Here are 7 signs your team has given up on honesty and what it’s really costing you:

1️⃣ The Fake Smile Syndrome

Everyone says “great meeting!” but you see the eye rolls afterward
→ Your team has learned enthusiasm is required. Honesty is risky

2️⃣ The Problem Parade

Issues explode without warning—nobody saw it coming (except everyone did)
→ People stopped warning you because you blamed them for bringing bad news

3️⃣ The Innovation Void

 New ideas come from consultants, not your own people
→ Your team has brilliant ideas they just share them with each other, not you

4️⃣ The Meeting Theater

 Perfect attendance. Zero pushback. Fake engagement
→ They’ve learned your meetings aren’t for thinking they’re for performing

5️⃣ The Resignation Shock

 Your “happy” employees quit without warning
→ They tried to tell you months ago you just weren’t listening

6️⃣ The Filter Effect

 Everything reaches you pre-sanitised and sugar coated
→ Your team has designated someone else to deliver bad news (and it’s never you)

7️⃣ The Compliment Trap

 They only tell you what you want to hear
→ You’ve accidentally trained them that criticism equals career suicide

 I worked with a leader who couldn’t understand why his team seemed disengaged

Turns out they'd been trying to warn him about a major client issue for weeks, but every time they brought it up, he’d say:

“Let’s focus on solutions, not problems.”

 So they just stopped trying
 The client was gone within a month

🔥 Bonus Move: 

Get the Truth Without the Drama
Bring in a third party to collect anonymous feedback
People will say things to a neutral expert they’d never say to you

What you get is clarity
What your team gets is safety
That’s how trust starts to rebuild
Your team has truths they’re not telling you
Start hearing them

📬 Join 4000+ other leaders working on be the best leaders they can be
-Link in bio
🔔 for more post like this follow Emma J E.

7 Signs your team is lying to you Emma J Eyre

9 Brutal Reasons You Can’t Land the Leader You Need 
(Hint: The talent exists, your process is broken)

If you’ve got an interim in a permanent seat, it’s rarely because great leaders don’t exist

It’s because you’re still hiring for 2019 leadership in a 2025 world:

2019: Potential, chemistry, cultural fit

2025: Impact in 90 days, crisis handling, AI strategy, investor management

Most boards haven’t updated the process and it’s costing them strategy, teams, and investor confidence

Here’s what I see again and again:

1️⃣ No One “Ready Now”
 When an exec leaves, the succession pipeline is empty
 → How many years has it been since you updated yours?

2️⃣ Paralysis at the Top
 Searches stall not because talent isn’t there — but because decision-makers can’t agree
 → How many hires have you lost in the debate?

3️⃣ Hired for Potential, No Time to Prove It
 Leaders chosen for “future promise” are judged on results in 90 days.
→ Are you testing for today’s demands?

4️⃣ The Zoom Webinar Problem
 You can’t see leadership under pressure in a one-way presentation.
→ If you’re not testing candidates in real team dynamics, 
you’re gambling a £1M hire on small talk and slides

5️⃣ Gut Instinct Over Process
 Chemistry has its place but it’s not a hiring strategy
→ Are you still making modern hires with old rules?

6️⃣ The Perfect Interview Paradox
They aced the questions — but couldn’t deliver in reality
→ Can you judge leadership by conversation alone?

7️⃣ Delayed Strategy Cycles
 Every month without the right leader means missed targets.
 → How long can you afford to wait?

8️⃣ Team Instability
Top performers leave mid-search rather than work under “acting” leadership.
→ Who will be left to execute when the hire finally arrives?

9️⃣ The 60% Problem
 When 60% of senior hires fail in 12–18 months, it’s not bad luck — it’s a broken process
→ When will you fix yours?

🧠 Here’s the truth:

🚫 “More time to find the right person” often hides deeper problems
🚫 Outdated hiring methods can’t assess 2025 leadership skills
🚫 The cost isn’t just the failed hire it’s delayed strategy and lost talent

💡 The fix: Start with a leadership assessment workshop

We replicate the real dynamics they’ll face so you know exactly how they’ll lead before you hire

📢 Contact me if you want to de-risk your next hire.

 👥 Follow me Emma J E. for what actually works

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