About Us
Paragon Talent is an independent, founder-led executive search firm specialising in the global Flavour, Fragrance and Ingredients industries.
Founded in the UK by Jamie Pickup in January 2025, Paragon works with businesses across Europe and the United States, recruiting senior and specialist talent across commercial, technical, operations, supply chain and executive leadership.
Our sector expertise spans flavours and fragrance, food and beverage ingredients, health and nutrition, pharmaceutical ingredients, animal nutrition, fine fragrance, cosmetics and personal care.
Paragon was founded to offer a more specialist, transparent and accountable approach to executive search. Jamie brought more than a decade of recruitment experience in these markets to the business, alongside principles shaped during his earlier career serving with the Blues & Royals, Household Cavalry: preparation, precision, accountability and consistency.
Today, our team combines deep market knowledge with extensive international networks built through years of search work, industry relationships, site visits and regular attendance at major exhibitions across Europe and the US.
We support searches ranging from CEOs, COOs and Commercial VPs through to Sales Directors, Sales Managers, Flavourists, Perfumers, Technical leaders, Plant Managers, Supply Chain Directors, etc.
And while making a placement matters, we believe the better measure is what happens afterwards. Across our wider search track record since 2018, 98% of placements have remained with their employer after 12 months and 96% after 24 months.
Our approach remains straightforward: understand the brief properly, know the market, represent the opportunity accurately and deliver the right people for the roles that matter.
If you're looking to strengthen your leadership, commercial, technical, operations or supply chain team within the Flavour, Fragrance or Ingredients markets, we'd be happy to have a confidential conversation.
The Principles Behind Paragon
Paragon means a model of excellence. We chose the name deliberately, not because we claim to be perfect, but because it represents the standard we continually aim for in the work we do, the people we represent and the service we provide.
We take time to understand the role, business and market before going to search. Rigorous qualification means clients spend their time meeting people we genuinely believe are worth considering.
Clients should know what is happening with their search. We are open about our process, progress, fees and market feedback throughout an assignment.
Senior searches are rarely straightforward. We keep working the market, adapting the search and having the conversations required to reach the right outcome.
We want to understand more than the vacancy in front of us. Building long-term relationships allows us to understand a client's business, culture and ambitions and represent them more effectively in the market.
Meet the Team
The Paragon Talent team specialises in executive search across the global Flavour, Fragrance and Ingredients markets.
Our consultants bring complementary expertise across commercial, technical, operations, manufacturing, supply chain and senior leadership appointments, supporting clients throughout Europe and the United States.
