Maddy Cross

Overview

Based in London, Maddy Cross joined Riviera Partners as Partner in its EMEA Practice in August 2025. She brings more than 15 years of experience across executive search and venture capital, with a proven track record of advising boards, investors, and founders on C-suite and board-level hiring, helping scale leadership teams for high-growth companies from early stage through IPO.

Education

Cross holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Bristol (2002-2005) and an MBA from London Business School (2014-2016).

Career History

• Partner at Erevena (prior to Riviera), advising investors, boards, and founders on C-suite and board-level hiring for fastest-growing companies from early stage through IPO
• Head of Talent and Talent Director at Notion Capital, partnering with portfolio companies to scale their executive teams
• Head of Display Marketing at TotallyMoney (April 2009-2010), a UK fintech helping people improve credit scores
• Marketing Services Director at Dapper Limited (2010-2013)
• Marketing Director at Moonfruit (April 2013-2014), one of the most popular website builders in the UK at that time

Notable Achievements & Recognition

Cross published The Unicorn Trajectory, a comprehensive report on how unicorns hire talent. She was a speaker at SaaStack19 (2019) and SaaStr Europa 2019. At Notion Capital, Maddy conducted extensive research into how Unicorns form their leadership teams, bringing these insights to help founders understand talent strategy.

What Maddy Cross Could Bring to Partner, EMEA Practice at Riviera Partners

Cross's combination of venture capital background and executive search expertise positions her to strengthen Riviera Partners' EMEA practice in recruiting technology leadership for VC-backed and growth-stage companies. Her deep research into unicorn hiring practices and hands-on experience advising portfolio companies across Europe aligns with Riviera's focus on building leadership teams for high-growth tech firms. Her transition from marketing and operations roles into talent strategy demonstrates an ability to bridge business strategy with recruitment—a valuable capability for helping boards and founders navigate critical C-suite appointments during scaling phases.