Leadership. Integrity. Regional Expertise.

Co-Founder & Director

Middle East & Asia Freight Forwarding & Shipping Executive Search Specialist

Samantha Ekins is widely recognised as one of the most accomplished and regionally connected logistics recruitment experts in the Middle East. 

Her background is uniquely hybrid — blending hands-on operational experience, in-house regional HR leadership, and two decades of high-level executive search expertise.

Samantha began her career in the United Kingdom before relocating to the Gulf, where she spent seven years at a top-ten global freight forwarder headquartered in JAFZA Freezone, Dubai. There, she led Talent Management and White-Collar Recruitment across the Middle East, Subcontinent, and Africa markets. Her remit spanned commercial, operational, and strategic leadership roles, giving her unparalleled insight into the DNA of top-performing logistics teams.

What distinguishes Samantha is her real-world operational grounding — having sold logistics services, managed sales teams, shrink-wrapped pallets during peak season, staffed front desks at Christmas, joined drivers on client collections, and represented major forwarders at global events. Combined with years of external executive search experience, this gives her a level of authenticity and market understanding rarely found in the recruitment sector.

Samantha is deeply integrated into the regional logistics community, having partnered with nearly every major MNC forwarder and attended all key GCC industry events. She is known for hearing market news early, understanding competitive structures, and advising clients with a commercial lens that directly impacts revenue, profit, and long-term capability.

Co-Founder & Director

Leadership Talent Specialist | GCC & Asia Logistics Markets

Amy Lawrence brings strong commercial intuition, sharp judgement, and an exceptional ability to connect with leaders across the freight forwarding and maritime sectors. 

Hand-picked and mentored by Samantha during her tenure at Oceanic Resources, Amy quickly emerged as a standout industry advisor — respected for her insight, honesty, and ability to identify high-value leadership talent.

Prior to entering the logistics talent world, Amy successfully ran her own businesses, giving her a commercially minded perspective and a natural instinct for assessing potential, value, and strategic fit. Her ability to “see through the noise and spot the diamond in the rough” has led to multiple high-impact leadership placements and a strong reputation built on results, integrity, and delivery.

Amy supported Samantha at global events, client engagements, and senior-level discussions, gaining deep exposure to GCC and Asia market dynamics. Today, she steps into a co-leadership role at Trident, shaping a firm that operates very differently from traditional recruitment companies — building genuine relationships, spending significant time on the ground in the Gulf, and acting as long-term advisors to both clients and leadership candidates.

Amy is a core driving force behind Trident’s commitment to career management, leadership development advisory, and a selective, relationship-first approach to executive search.