Lesley Exley is a visionary business leader with excellent global brand marketing credentials,  working with people and businesses to ensure they maximise their potential.  Lesley is the Chief Executive of Exley Hervey Executive Search which she founded in 2003, finding first-class leaders for world class brands. They place CEOs, MDs, Board Directors and Senior Executives in Omnichannel Retail/Digital Companies, Global Luxury Brands and Arts & Culture Institutions.  

Located in Central London, Exley Hervey has an extensive search reach in the UK, Mainland Europe, USA and the Middle East. Lesley works with UK & International clients finding candidates with the right skillsets and exceptional leadership prowess who can add real value to an organisation and deliver success.

Exley Hervey develops enduring relationships with both Clients and Candidates by providing a personal service, embracing each Client as a Partner with whom Exley Hervey can share its expertise and outstanding network. Clients include Private and Public Companies, PE backed firms, SMEs and Private Investors.

Prior to founding Exley Hervey, Lesley honed her global marketing expertise over twenty-five years, focused on repositioning and profitably developing brands in the UK and internationally. She held Board-level marketing roles at Selfridges, Zales Jewellers, Laura Ashley and Tencel Fibres/Akzo Nobel. Her formative marketing experience was gained at L'Oréal, Courtaulds and The World Gold Council.

With a reputation for being exceptionally well connected at the highest level in global luxury brands and high-quality cultural institutions, she brings to organisations sound commercial acumen, and inspired leadership.

In her Non-Executive and Board Advisor capacity, she is a Trustee of the Retail Trust, the leading retail industry organisation supporting 3 million UK employees. She is a Freeman of the City of London in The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers and Chairs its Fundraising Committee. She is a Member of WACL - Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership, a former President of The Twenty Club (the Retail networking organisation) and a former UK President of The Fashion Group International.

Lesley has an Honours Degree in Politics, Modern History & French from Manchester University. She speaks English, French and Italian.