Empowering Careers
Elevating Teams

International executive search and recruitment, connecting exceptional talent with visionary organizations across six markets.

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Practitioner-vetted talent, matched to your organization's DNA through our international network.

Who We Are

Great teams are built one exceptional person at a time

Founded by Swagata Buck, elevarae brings a human-centered, values-driven approach to recruitment. Across our careers, we’ve crossed paths with people from every background, different cultures, different experiences, different ambitions. And even with the variety, one truth always feels universal: we all want to grow in our careers while actually living our lives. We want to do work that matters, and still be present with the people and moments which matter most.

30+

Years in Talent Acquisition

Markets We Recruit Across

Predictive Index

Certified Assessment

Domain Experts

Vetting Every Shortlist

What We Do

Recruitment Built Around Your Organization

Executive Search

Confidential Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and senior leadership search.

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Corporate Recruitment

Full-cycle hiring across functions, levels, and borders, with one accountable partner.

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Hiring Practice Support

Interview scorecards, evaluation frameworks, and selection practices your team can trust.

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Web & Digital SolutionsCareer pages and websites for startups and small businesses.

Resume & Career CoachingFor job seekers, in partnership with Jami Rossman.

Cross-Border OrientationCultural integration and onboarding for international teams.

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Map showing elevarae's international recruitment network

International Network

International Footprint, Local Insight

With established networks in the United States, Europe, India, the Philippines, and Mexico, we offer the reach of an international firm combined with the nuanced understanding of local talent markets. We bridge time zones and DNAs to find the perfect fit.

United States

India

United Kingdom

Philippines

Europe

Mexico

Evidence-based candidate assessment methodology

How We Evaluate

Evidence-Based Methodology

We go beyond the resume. By leveraging tools like thePredictive Index and artificial intelligence-driven sourcing, we assess behavioral drives and cognitive ability to ensure a precise, long-term fit that minimizes hiring risk.

Our Team

Driven by Purpose, United by Expertise

Swagata Buck

Talent Acquisition Strategy
& Solutions

Swagata is an international recruitment strategist with 30+ years of experience in Information Technology and cross-industry talent acquisition across the United States, India, Europe, and the Philippines. What sets her apart is not just her expertise in building strategic, end-to-end hiring solutions but the depth of trust she has cultivated over more than five decades.

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Her professional foundation is built on lifelong relationships spanning school, college, post-graduate studies, and decades of work. These enduring connections form a credible, personal referral ecosystem that strengthens every search. Instead of relying solely on traditional networking or sourcing channels, Swagata draws on trusted recommendations, firsthand insights, and long-standing professional goodwill resulting in talent that is both highly credible and carefully validated.

To further strengthen the quality of each search, Swagata works closely with a panel of reputed domain experts. These specialists provide functional and technical evaluation when organizations have concerns about domain depth, ensuring every candidate meets real-world expectations.

Her human resources and talent experience spans manufacturing (energy, pharmaceuticals, engineering), Information Technology, aviation operations, and technology. Over the course of her career, she has worked in international organizations such as PwC, Pfizer, and Smiths Interconnect, as well as in high-growth startups and small businesses.

With an international lens, multi-industry exposure, and a people-first philosophy, Swagata brings not just recruitment expertise but credibility, trust, and enduring human connections to every engagement.

Education & Certifications

Master’s in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations – Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
LinkedIn Recruiter: AI-Powered Talent Acquisition (LinkedIn)
Predictive Index Certification (Lever Talent)
Human Experience Management (SAP)
People Analytics and Evidence-Based Management (SAP)
Global Professional in Human Resources (HRCI)

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Paul Buck

Business Strategy
& Financial Management

Paul is an entrepreneur and educator who supports elevarae with business development, financial management, and strategic execution. With experience that blends business leadership and educational insight, he brings clarity, disciplined decision-making, and growth-focused structure to the firm.

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His background spans entrepreneurship, operational leadership, and academic roles, enabling him to combine analytical rigor with a people-centered approach to organizational development.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Georgetown University
Master of Science in Education – University of Pennsylvania

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Melanie Burke

Consulting Director
Organization Effectiveness & Health, Safety and Environment Strategy

Melanie is an accomplished business leader with more than 20 years of experience driving organizational excellence across employee health and safety, environmental management, security, operational effectiveness, and corporate leadership. Throughout her career, she has partnered with organizations to improve performance, strengthen compliance, enhance workplace culture, and implement sustainable business practices.

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As a Director with elevarae, Melanie brings a strategic perspective, a solutions-oriented mindset, and a passion for helping organizations achieve their goals. Her ability to balance big-picture thinking with practical execution enables clients to navigate challenges, optimize operations, and build stronger, more resilient teams.

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Joyce Palma

Talent Acquisition Consultant

Joyce is an experienced talent consultant with a deep understanding of recruitment operations, candidate engagement, and client partnership. She has worked closely with cross-functional teams across the United States and Asia, helping identify and place the right talent to meet business goals.

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Throughout her career, Joyce has contributed to talent initiatives at Accenture, Inc., iRely, and Applause Technology, Inc., gaining broad exposure to diverse industries and recruitment environments.

Known for her commitment to quality and relationship-building, Joyce brings empathy, focus, and professionalism to every search. At elevarae, she supports recruitment delivery and ensures that both clients and candidates experience a seamless and thoughtful process.

Education & Certifications

BS Travel and Tourism Management - Pamantasan Ng Lungsod Ng Maynila
AI-Powered Talent Acquisition (LinkedIn Recruiter)
Project Management Foundations (LinkedIn Recruiter)
Talent Management (LinkedIn Recruiter)

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Testimonials

What People Say

Client

I’ve had the privilege of working with Swagata at Harris Freeman and iRely over the past few years. She is an exceptional recruiter - highly professional, proactive, and results-driven. Swagata successfully closed several key positions for both organizations, in the U.S. and internationally.
What sets her apart is her ability to align candidate profiles not just with the technical requirements of a role, but also with the company’s culture and long-term vision. Her understanding of organizational dynamics and her commitment to quality make every search highly effective.
We were consistently impressed with her work, and she remains the first person I think of whenever a new hiring need arises. Truly one of the best in the business.

Meetesh Shah

Chief Operating Officer, Harris Freeman

Client

I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Swagata for the last 3–4 years during her time as our Corporate Recruiter at iRely, where she reported directly to me. I can say she is a strategic, thoughtful, and genuinely invested Talent Acquisition professional.
Swagata never treated hiring as a simple task of filling open roles. Instead, she made it a priority to understand our company’s DNA, structure, and culture at a deep level. Because of this alignment approach, she consistently presented candidates who weren’t just technically qualified - they were aligned with who we are as an organization.
Swagata has a unique ability to balance creativity with diligence. A great example of this was her collaborative work on several critical openings where, rather than launching a typical external search, she proposed a solution involving internal promotions and targeted backfilling. This approach strengthened internal career paths and saved us nearly a year of building new roles.
She brings a strong sense of urgency yet never compromises on quality or cultural fit. Her communication was always clear, proactive, and transparent. She listens, adapts, and ensures alignment throughout the entire process.
Most importantly, Swagata truly cares about getting it right. Her work has had a lasting impact on our team and our trajectory as a company. Any organization would be fortunate to have her leading their talent acquisition efforts, and I recommend her wholeheartedly.

Chris Tate

Chief Financial Officer, iRely

Endorsement

Swagata is a highly competent HR professional with a great deal of experience in attracting and retaining talents. She helped me through a recruitment project, and I have never had a smoother experience.
She made me feel comfortable throughout the whole process and beyond. Her competence and experience were key to the success of the initiative. She puts a lot of passion in all that she does, and her positive approach and energy are inspiring. Not only she is a great professional, but she is also a caring person and a true pleasure to work with.

Roberta Rebora

Endorsement

Although not working directly with Swagata, the talent acquisition she facilitated during her time at Smiths was appreciated by the sales and marketing team.
We were able to source and recruit some highly talented individuals with her support who continue to have a significant impact on the business. Swagata also moved the corporate conversation forwards during divisional calls with insightful and considered questioning. Would be happy to recommend her.

Bruce Valentine

Endorsement

Swagata is consummate HR professional with expertise in Talent Acquisition. While working with Swagata at Smiths, Swagata identified critical gaps in our talent acquisition process and identified viable solutions to fill the gaps.
Swagata follows through on end to end solutions that add true value. Swagata is a team player able to work cross functionally and cross divisionally to deploy solutions that benefit the overall ambition of the company.

Anne Fuhrmann

Endorsement

Swagata Buck, GPHR, is a knowledgeable HR professional and volunteer. I had the pleasure of working with Swagata in a volunteer capacity in 2016.
As a GPHR credential holder, she demonstrates the highest level of professional competence by holding the gold standard in professional HR certifications. As a volunteer, she served with an elite group of HR professionals as a Subject Matter Expert in international human resources. She dedicated numerous hours of personal time and a high level of mental energy to her work. Her passion and understanding of the international HR field demonstrates her dedication to the ever evolving profession.

Inga Fong

Endorsement

I had the pleasure of being recruited by Swagata for the position of Operations Manager at Southern Tea in 2021. Throughout the entire process, from the first interviews to my onboarding, Swagata was incredibly supportive.
She is dynamic, approachable, empathetic, and genuinely altruistic. I always felt guided and encouraged at every step, thanks to her attentive and caring approach. Swagata’s energy and kindness make her an exceptional professional and an invaluable support for anyone lucky enough to work with her.

Maïssa Laadhari

Endorsement

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Swagata on several high visibility initiatives during her time with Smith's Interconnect. Her magnetic personality and drive to influence and impact the business beyond her role responsibility was inspiring and contagious.
I really enjoyed her personal care and engagement she put forth in everything she did. I'm convinced that her open mind and big picture view of the business needs would be valuable to a wide array of roles and businesses, but her particular human touch is what really sets her apart when strategizing, attracting and retaining talent.

Jedidiah Bentz

Endorsement

Wow, she is a person and a pleasure to work with! I was recruited by Swagata and gained employment with Air Products through her company Data Core as a contractor.
She is the upmost professional and a star at her job. She was always available to me when I needed her and she checked in with my from time to time. I would love to work with her again and I recommend her to all my colleges.

Eric Connelly

Endorsement

I have had the privilege of working with Swagata twice and in one instance I was actually recruited by her. Swagata has always been seen as an enthusiastic, committed and a mature professional.
She actually brought about a sea of change in the HR functions at PwC giving it the much required impetus as one of the key functions of an organization. Beyond work, Swagata is a friendly, warm, approachable and a humorous person. To sum it all.... An asset to any organization that she is in. I wish her success in life.

Subha Chatterjee

How We Work

Our Hiring Partnership Process

A structured approach that accelerates hiring through consultative discovery, strategic employer branding, targeted sourcing, and complete candidate assessment.

Discovery and Role Definition

We meet with stakeholders to clarify expectations and define success. The result: a clear role brief outlining skills, DNA fit, and measurable outcomes.

Employer Brand and Support

We refine your employer narrative, shape compelling role profiles, and guide hiring teams on interview design and candidate experience.

Sourcing and Outreach

We leverage our international network and tailored outreach to activate both passive and active talent pools.

Screening and Assessment

We conduct structured screens, competency-based interviews, and skills evaluations to identify candidates with the highest potential for success.

Interview and Selection

We streamline interview logistics, equip your team with interviewer guides, and consolidate feedback to enable fast, confident decisions.

Management of Offers

We support compensation strategy, manage candidate engagement, and guide negotiations to secure acceptance while maintaining internal equity.

Onboarding and Follow-Up

We help ensure a smooth transition into the role and check in post-hire to confirm alignment and continuously refine the hiring process.

Continuous Improvement

We analyze hiring metrics and feedback loops to constantly optimize your talent acquisition strategy for future growth.

Ready to Elevate Your Team?

Let's connect and explore how elevarae can transform your talent acquisition strategy today.

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Empowering Careers
Elevating Teams

Hire your next
CTO

Great teams are built one exceptional person at a time