Meet the team.
We’re a growing team of experienced recruitment and talent leaders who’ve worked in — and alongside — the industries we now support.
Before launching Bakar Smith, our team have spent many years leading high performing internal and RPO recruitment & development teams for some of the world’s most recognisable life sciences and healthcare organisations. We’ve built teams from the ground up, delivered executive and high-volume hiring programs, and developed strategies for succession, diversity, and sustainable workforce growth.
Today, we bring that experience to every partnership. We’re hands-on, strategic, and genuinely passionate about helping businesses grow — and people thrive.
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Sharmia Bakar
Co-Founder, Director | Sales, Marketing & Medical Hiring | Outsourcing Solutions
Sharmia brings over 15 years of experience leading regional recruitment teams across Australia and Asia. She has built and scaled commercial, medical, and marketing teams for some of the most well-known names in healthcare and life sciences.
With deep RPO and project delivery experience, Sharmia is known for her practical, people-first approach and her ability to deliver in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
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Rob Smith
Co-Founder, Director | Executive & Leadership Search | Outsourcing Solutions
Rob leads our executive and senior leadership recruitment across the pharmaceutical, biotech, and aged care sectors. With a background in in-house executive search, building and leading in-house recruitment and development functions for global life sciences organisations, Rob brings strategic insight and deep market knowledge to every engagement.
He’s passionate about partnering with mission-driven organisations to help shape leadership teams that make a lasting impact.
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Hanli Harding
Principal Consultant | Legal, Regulatory, Quality & Compliance
Hanli brings a unique blend of expertise in legal, regulatory, and executive recruitment across healthcare, pharma, medtech, and consumer industries. With over 10 years of RPO experience in Australia and internationally — including New Zealand and the UAE — she’s led complex hiring programs and supported clients across multiple geographies and functions.
Originally starting her career in legal recruitment, Hanli combines strong commercial instincts with a calm, thoughtful approach. She brings a rare ability to engage with technical and executive audiences alike — and loves helping businesses grow by hiring well.
Scalable Solutions.
In addition to our core team, we work with a trusted network of experienced consultants who bring specialist expertise in recruitment, HR, coaching and workforce projects. This allows us to flex and scale our support for on-demand initiatives — whether it’s a time-sensitive executive search, short-term project, or additional delivery capacity during high-volume campaigns.
Our extended partners share our values, work ethic, and commitment to client outcomes, ensuring seamless integration and consistent quality across every engagement.
Join the team
If our story resonates and you are interested in joining us, we’d love to talk. Schedule an intro below.
