About Us | Blightwyn Citadel HR Solutions

Look, We're Not Gonna Pretend We've Got All The Answers

But after fifteen years of matching executives with companies that actually fit them – not just on paper, but culturally, strategically, and yeah, sometimes even personality-wise – we've learned a thing or two about what works and what's just corporate theater.

Our Mission

We're building what we call "fortresses of talent" – leadership teams that don't just weather storms but actually get stronger through challenges. It's not about filling seats with impressive resumes. It's about finding people who'll stick around when things get messy, who'll challenge bad ideas (even from the C-suite), and who genuinely give a damn about the work they're doing.

How We Got Here

A timeline that's less 'corporate highlight reel' and more 'here's what actually happened'

2010 - The Beginning

Started in a shared office space with three clients who took a chance on us. Our founder Sarah had just left a big agency where she was tired of treating candidates like commodities. First year revenue? Let's just say we all had side gigs.

1

2013 - First Major Win

Placed a CFO who turned around a struggling tech company. They're still there, by the way. That's when we realized our 'culture-first' approach wasn't just idealistic – it actually worked better than the traditional shotgun method.

2

2016 - Growing Pains

Expanded to a team of twelve. Nearly crashed and burned trying to scale too fast. Learned the hard way that you can't just hire warm bodies – even in HR. Lost some good people, kept the ones who really got what we were trying to build.

3

2019 - Leadership Development Launch

Started offering leadership coaching after clients kept asking "okay, now what?" after placements. Turns out finding great leaders is only half the battle – helping them actually lead is where the real work begins.

4

2021 - The Pandemic Pivot

Like everyone else, we scrambled. But also discovered that remote assessments and virtual coaching could work just as well as in-person. Who knew? (Okay, everyone was saying it, but we were skeptical until we tried it.)

5

2025 - Where We Are Now

Twenty-person team, offices in Toronto, working with companies across Canada and beyond. We've placed over 400 executives and developed leadership programs for dozens more. Still making mistakes, still learning, still refusing to treat people like line items on a spreadsheet.

6

The People Behind The Work

No corporate headshots, no perfect bios – just the folks who do the actual work

Sarah Mendoza

Founder & Principal

Started this thing in 2010 after getting fed up with how big agencies treated people. Still does candidate interviews personally because she says it keeps her grounded. Drinks way too much coffee and has strong opinions about psychometric testing.

Marcus Chen

Director of Executive Search

Joined us in 2014 from corporate recruiting where he was bored out of his mind. Specializes in tech and finance placements. Known for telling clients when they're being unrealistic about candidates. Surprisingly, they appreciate it.

Amira Patel

Leadership Development Lead

Came over from organizational psychology in 2018. Designs our coaching programs and personally works with executives who need real feedback, not corporate platitudes. Has a PhD but doesn't act like it, which everyone appreciates.

James O'Connor

Senior Recruiter

Former headhunter who got tired of the 'spray and pray' approach. With us since 2016. Somehow manages to stay friends with candidates even when they don't get the job. That's actually harder than it sounds.

Elena Kowalski

Culture & Strategy Consultant

Joined in 2020 after consulting for years with the big firms. Does the organizational culture work that most companies say they want but don't really commit to. Won't take on clients who aren't serious about change.

David Kim

Assessment & Analytics Specialist

Data guy who keeps us honest about what actually predicts success versus what just feels right. Runs all our psychometric testing and succession planning analytics. Makes dashboards that clients actually understand.

What We Actually Believe

Resume gaps aren't automatically red flags
Cultural fit matters more than most want to admit
Leadership can be learned, but not everyone wants to learn it
Sometimes the best candidate is the one who'll challenge you most
Fancy degrees are nice, but real-world results matter more
If we can't find you the right person, we'll tell you instead of settling

Ready To Work With People Who Get It?

Whether you're looking for your next executive or trying to build a stronger leadership team, let's talk. No sales pitch, just an honest conversation about what you need.

Let's Chat