OUR TEAM

TINA ENGINEER-MCRAE

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

Tina Engineer-McRae (formerly Mughal), is the co-founder and President of M SEARCH and the practice area leader of the Human Resources, Accounting, Finance, & Tax, and Sales & Digital Marketing divisions. Her primary focus is to maintain the company’s unique culture by delivering a Concierge Approach that has forged long-term relationships with her clients and a huge network of human resource experts, who themselves often become clients.

Under Tina’s exceptional leadership, M SEARCH has strategically partnered with thousands of key corporate players, entrepreneurs, and business owners to build an extensive network of long-standing professional connections and legacy clients across the globe. Her exceptional eye for recognizing best in class talent has allowed her to engage dynamic leaders, who enable organizations to transform and rapidly scale.

Tina’s prior experience includes working in the UK for the world’s largest provider of HR solutions, where she received industry recognition and numerous awards. She later went on to spearhead the growth and acquisition of a leading South Florida based boutique recruitment firm.

Tina is multi-lingual, holds a BA (hons) in Business, Finance & Languages. Born and raised in Manchester, England to Indian born parents. Her father, Farokh Engineer, was an internationally acclaimed Test Cricketer. She is married and has a young daughter Zia, her greatest life achievement.

VALERIE DEROME

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, LEADERSHIP ADVISORY

A tech and talent guru with a track record in scaling hypergrowth digital businesses.

Valerie is an acknowledged leader in the transformation of global talent acquisition, management, and development. From Fortune 500 organizations to start-ups, she helps to deliver exponential growth through a unique blend of design thinking and a flair for talent leadership.

As head of M SEARCH’s leadership advisory services, Valerie delivers bespoke programs in talent organization effectiveness, people capital, and culture.Specific engagements include building talent capability; reorganizing structures from product-led to people-led; constructing talent acquisition teams, approach and process; acquiring the right technologies to support the people function; developing authentic leaders and embedding a culture of belonging.

Valerie honed her exceptional business and talent expertise with organizations providing life-enhancing products. Before joining M SEARCH, she was Senior VP of Talent and Leadership for REEF Technology, a hypergrowth unicorn venture, and Talent Development Lead for Apple in Latin America. She was previously Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at medical device company Medtronic; Recruitment and Programs Manager, EMEA for Apple; and Recruitment Manager for Lucent Technologies, now Alcatel Lucent.

A mechanical engineer, Valerie brings design thinking to the management of people. She holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées, Paris, France (ENSTA ParisTech). She started her career as an environmental consultant with Lloyds Register of Shipping, London in the UK. Valerie is bilingual in English and in French.

FERNANDO VEGA

VP Executive Search

A dynamic search professional with a background in finance and expertise in diversity recruitment. Fernando thrives on being the bridge between high-growth, tech & private equity-backed firms and disruptive executive leaders.

An active Certified Public Accountant, Fernando leads M SEARCH’s specialization in Finance, Accounting & Tax as well as all Executive level searches. He understands the nuances of technical and leadership capabilities, engaging high performers on behalf of clients and investors.

Fernando is committed to helping business leaders truly understand diversity, equity & inclusion and is a Certified Diversity & Inclusion Recruiter accredited by AIRS.

A digital native, Fernando speaks the language of finance disruptors leveraging data & analytics, AI, and machine learning to become strategic catalysts, providing innovative solutions for potential clients.

With a strategic approach, Fernando enables clients to achieve organizational objectives by leveraging his business expertise and knowledge of technical competencies to recruit agile, tech-savvy leaders. Extensive background in public and private accounting and advisor to HNW individuals. Eight years’ experience in delivering results to clients through executive search.

Versatile consultant supporting a range of talent and leadership needs, including employer branding, talent mapping, and retention strategies. Fernando holds a master’s degree (MSF) in finance.

Valerie Bleus

Strategic Marketing Leader

Throughout her career, she has held both C-level and Directorship appointments, working with a wide range of companies across various industries and sizes, from start-ups to multinationals and from tourism to health & beauty.

With over 4 years of experience as an International Marketing Executive at Norwegian Cruise Line and 3 years as an Executive Director Marketing at Dropship Tribe, Valerie is well-regarded for her strategic marketing counsel and has been instrumental in the successful growth of the businesses she has worked with. She has also built a strong reputation in the business world and has an extensive network of media contacts, allowing her to serve as a Public Relations Director and help companies boost their visibility and brand recognition. She has also served as a strategic partner and Public Relations and Communications Advisor for ORIGIN Metaverse.

In addition to her professional achievements, Valerie has a personal passion for clean living, nutrition, and aesthetics. This drive led her to start Stellar Cosmeceuticals, a company that developed and introduced a formula aimed at reducing the appearance of cellulite.

With a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Florida International University, Valerie brings a strong educational background to her work. Not content to rest on her laurels, she is dedicated to ongoing professional development and is proficient in both traditional marketing and digital/eCommerce methodologies. She is committed to delivering exceptional results for her clients and bringing a unique perspective to her work, combining her passions with her professional expertise.