Meet the Team
Christopher West
Founder & CEO
Christopher West, founder of Bespoke Private Service, is a diligent and experienced member of the Private Service community with an enduring passion for the work that he does. With experience in some of the most demanding positions in his field, Christopher has proven again and again that he has the unique combination of talent, intuition, and compassion that it takes to excel across a range of industries. He has experience working as a private chef, a majordomo of a large estate, operations manager for a family foundation, and as the Founder/CEO of BPS for the past 12 years.
Formerly, Christopher was the President and Chairman of the Board of the SF Bay Area chapter of the Domestic Estate Management Association.. Through his leadership position in this nationally recognized and trusted organization, Christopher is able to constantly hone his management skills, learn about new technologies and best practices, keep in touch with peers and partners in the industry, and guarantee the highest quality of service at BPS.
In March of 2000, Christopher entered into the private service working for a family foundation in Westchester, NY. He started in the kitchens as a line cook and over the next 7 years, he ascended to over see catering, foodservice, culinary education, and operations for the non-profit. He has built an impressive reputation as an organizer, manager, and hands-on project coordinator. After leaving the family foundation, Christopher traveled the world as a private chef before landing in Greenwich, CT where he took a role in helping a family create a permaculture homestead. He quickly proved his value and was rewarded with more responsibility. Within a year he took on the role of Estate Manager which he kept for the next three years. In 2014, Christopher moved to San Francisco, CA after losing a bet to his identical twin brother, Timothy, (ask him about it) and to start Bespoke Private Service.
Christopher has a timeless sense of service that spans across industries and shines through in all of the projects he has been involved in; his comprehensive service experience combined with his passion for helping others is the pillar of Bespoke Private Service.
Saaya Hu
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A California native, Saaya began her career in biotechnology, where she developed the project management discipline that would become the foundation of her work in private service. Drawing on those transferable skills, she transitioned to the family office environment, bringing the rigor of traditional corporate operations into household settings.
Having navigated a significant career change herself, she understands what it means to align one's skills with a new professional landscape, and brings that understanding to every candidate she works with. Helping people find the right roles and supporting their professional development is, for her, the most rewarding dimension of the work.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of California, Davis.
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Nicholas serves as the Operations Manager and Executive Assistant, where he oversees the candidate search process and the coordination of interviews with our CEO.
He brings a background in recruitment and talent operations, initially from his career as a recruiter before specializing in onboarding within the insurance industry and recruitment coordination within financial services. He subsequently joined Bespoke Private Service as an Executive Assistant and advanced into operations management. This experience across the full arc of the hiring process informs his understanding of both candidate and client priorities in every engagement.
Nicholas holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Far Eastern University. His work is defined by precision, discretion, and a commitment to ensuring that every candidate's experience reflects the standard the firm's clients expect.
Nicholas Solidum
Sunshine Akiapat
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Sunshine is a Sourcing Specialist, identifying, engaging, and qualifying top talent for exclusive private service and family office opportunities. She manages the full candidate pipeline , from multi-channel sourcing and outreach to interview coordination, ensuring a smooth, well-organized process from first contact to placement.
With a background spanning talent acquisition, recruitment, and administrative operations, Sunshine helps in building strong communication, and a proactive, relationship-driven approach to every search.