APSCo Advisor Connect Live: Free advice from our expert Advisors & NEDs

Alison is an award winning NED and strategic advisor. Working with recruitment business owners to help them achieve their objectives profitably, intentionally and with individuality.

She has nearly 40 years of experience in the recruitment sector working as a Managing Director and director of sales, operations and training for some of the most successful, listed businesses in the industry and their client organisations (Hays, Robert Half, Barkers Norman Broadbent, Penna Plc).

She established a specialised consultancy in 2013 , working with businesses across the recruitment spectrum to help them maximise performance, achieve competitive advantage and optimise cultures. Also an experienced executive coach, conference speaker, columnist and author:
“The seven behaviours of successful recruitment leaders”. (Amazon 5*)

She is also a host of the Recruitment Leadership podcast, won awards including Best International Recruitment Agency, Best Achievement through L&D,  and Recruiter Best Recruitment Company transformation, awarded Honorary Fellowship of the REC for services to the industry, one of only 25 people worldwide to hold this honorific.

Jo is a serial entrepreneur and advisor who works with business leaders of all sizes to help them achieve their personal, organisational, and business objectives. 

He founded one of the UK’s best and most profitable independent recruitment businesses, before exiting after selling to an international conglomerate.

He specialises in building high-performing teams who’re equipped and empowered to build deep relationships with clients and candidates, creating loyalty and resilience as well as business growth. 

Throughout his career as a MD and founder Jo stayed hands-on, talking to clients, candidates, partners, as well as employees of all seniorities.

He maintains this approach today and it gives him a very broad and deep understanding of the business landscape – and the challenges - that APSCo members face.

Kai specialises in guiding business leaders and their teams to play a bigger game, increasing profits and equity value whilst reducing the stress of growing a successful and sustainable business

Kai is a highly accomplished professional with a diverse background in business leadership and strategic advisory. Kai has made significant contributions to businesses through her expertise as a Non-executive Director and Business Advisor. She has a wealth of experience scaling businesses, having previously grown a multi-channel recruitment firm in the UK.

Kai spent over 10 years as Managing Director of Search Consultancy, becoming part of the management buy-in/buy-out team in February 2000. Whilst firmly establishing Search as the leading independent player in Scotland, the successful footprint was rolled out south of the border, opening locations in Manchester, London, Leicester, Leeds, and Birmingham whilst increasing staff numbers from 170 to over 650. As a result, Search was recognised as one of the UK’s 100 fastest growing private companies in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ ‘Profit Track 100’ and Kai was acknowledged as Businesswomen of the Year. The company turnover on exit was over £120m and NFI had grown at 20% year on year for the previous 5 years.

Kai's ability to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and drive sustainable growth has made her a sought-after advisor for businesses seeking to navigate complex challenges and achieve their strategic objectives.

Tara is a highly experienced recruitment professional with over 20 years’ experience in the sector. She has a proven track record in leading and growing successful teams, developing strategy and driving new business lines and markets. Tara is now working as an NED and strategic advisor, mentor and coach to several companies in the UK market.

She was included in the 2015 Global Power 100 Women in Staffing list.

Tara’s specialisms include:

• Growth Management & Business Planning - Developing both strategic and operational plans and roadmaps - to scale businesses, achieve the objective of a capital event and/or international expansion.
• Organisational Design & Development - Extensive experience in the SME sector, both as a recruitment business leader and subsequently as an NED and board advisor.  
• Merger, Acquisition & Exit - Advising on the due diligence required for an exit, what “good” looks like and how to achieve it, strong portfolio of legal and corporate finance experts.
• Executive Coaching - Practitioner diploma via the Academy of Executive Coaching.  Utilising my business experience and coaching academics to support the development of business leaders.

A seasoned expert with over 25 years of experience, Stuart specialises in Solution Consultancy, Project Solutions, SOW, and Professional Service transformation. A sought-after speaker, he regularly addresses topics such as consultancy workforce development, the future of work, solution selling, and contractor success.

Since becoming an independent advisor in 2019, Stuart has helped businesses achieve over £250m in high-margin revenue growth through consulting, solutions, and SOW services. His leadership background includes steering large-scale consulting functions for HP, Getronics, Pomeroy, and CACI across Europe, as well as establishing and leading similar operations for Experis and Adecco, managing teams of 250+ consultants.

Having advised over 100 organisations globally, he excels in driving transformation through strategies like readiness assessments, GTM roadmaps, organizational mentoring, and operational excellence. His passion lies in helping businesses across sectors thrive and secure sustainable revenue.

Sean Moran is a recruitment strategist who brings over a nearly two decades of expertise to talent acquisition challenges. As Managing Director of The ORARA Group, he specialises in designing bespoke solutions for recruitment organisations ranging from ambitious start-ups to established enterprises. with particular depth of knowledge in the life sciences sector.

A recognised authority on corporate governance within the contractor/freelancer market, Sean's expertise spans the UK, EU, Americas and APAC regions, enabling clients to navigate complex regulatory environments with confidence and compliance.

His policy influence extends to governmental level, having provided guidance to the UK Government and the Department for Business & Trade during the development of the new Employment Rights Bill, a testament to his comprehensive understanding of workforce legislation.

Known for his analytical approach, Sean combines meticulous market analysis with innovative methodologies to create talent strategies that deliver measurable advantages. His work has produced documented efficiencies of 15-20% through outcome-based models and expanded global talent pools across European and Asian markets.

Sean serves on APSCo's public policy board, contributing his expert knowledge of worker classification regulations and governance frameworks to industry-wide discussions. A frequent speaker at sector events, he advocates for recruitment practices built upon robust governance, compliance, and ethical foundations.

While enthusiastic about technological advancement, particularly AI-enhanced analytics, Sean remains committed to solutions that augment rather than replace human expertise. His mission is to elevate recruitment's standing as a trusted professional service through rigorous standards and strategic partnership.

With 30 years of recruitment industry experience, at Board level with Global and SME companies, as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, I have worked in the UK, USA, Australia and Germany.

Since 2008, I have focused on working with start-up, Small and medium sized clients in the UK and USA – advising on scaling and developing their businesses, process improvement and technology selection, pre-sale and sale process. These roles were as Board Advisor and Fractional CFO, COO, CCO and Chair of the Board.

For Larger Clients – Board advisor and Fractional CFO, COO for performance, scaling to world-wide operations, advising on pre sales and sales process.

I pride myself on being a contributor to businesses, working closely with owners and senior management team.

My interest in scaling, managing change and the adoption of AI into recruitment is a real focus, while maximising performance, cash management and funding, utilising data driven decision making to deliver exceptional results.

Specialisms

• Operational Excellence – Ensuring efficiency across front and back office to maximise performance, utilising technology and performance frameworks as a board Advisor and Fractional CFO
• Scaling – Developing high growth and defensive strategies as business grow, entering new markets and service offerings as Board Advisor or Fractional C Level
• Financial Excellence -  Funding, cost -efficiency and exceptional cash management to deliver profitably as Board Advisor or Fractional CFO
• Pre sales and Sales Ready – Managing the pre sales and sales process for those wishing to exit ensuring the owners and management team can concentrate on their business
• Technology - I have strong experience in AI, Automation and systems selection to support business of all sixes

Ian has had an impressive career to date, spanning over 35 years in recruitment, talent acquisition, solution sales, and training. His track record of establishing, growing, and revitalising failing recruitment businesses across the UK and Europe in a myriad of sectors, including IT/Technology, Engineering, Telecoms, and Public Sector/Not-for-Profit, gives him a wealth of personal experience to draw upon.

Having worked as a UK Sales Director for Hays Specialist Recruitment for 11 years, Ian understands the complexities of corporate resourcing and constructing high-return client relationships. He has led the sale and delivery of Managed Services contracts with values of up to £20M per annum and delivered numerous long-term, high-value partnerships and business-critical high-profile projects.

As a strategic partner to many blue-chip organisations, Ian has worked at the board/cabinet level to assist strategic decision-making in skills availability within regions, sectors and countries. The organisations Ian has helped with his innovative solutions-focused approach include Barclays Bank, Clerical Medical, NHS Connecting-for-Health, DWP, MoneySupermarket, AXA-Direct and Leicestershire County Council.

Current Since establishing his own business nine years ago, Ian has worked closely with some of the UK's most successful recruitment businesses and entrepreneurs and leading names in the recruitment/talent industry to support the transformation of their businesses, their teams and their lives.

Specialisms

Principally Ian focuses his expertise in four areas:

• Growth management & business planning: Ian has a proven track record, stretching back many years, growing clients' businesses and delivering typically between 30-300% year-on-year growth in (GVA/Margin/Turnover).RPO/MSP: Building on his personal experiences, Ian supports many businesses with bespoke RPO/MSP sales strategies and equips their sales people with the skills and behaviours required to sell MSP/RPO solutions to large public-sector/corporate/global businesses. Ian has run numerous recruiter programmes that have delivered several multi-million pounds worth of new accounts.
• Mentoring and Leadership Support: Supporting his clients in creating, developing and delivering their personal and business growth plans is key to Ian’s approach. This comes from his passionate belief that to deliver real, sustainable success, his mentoring and leadership support must be truly aligned to your personal/corporate vision. Through this, his impact is truly transformational.
• Executive Coaching: From MDs/Owners of niche SME Recruiters seeking to achieve high-performance-growth, to C-Suites executives in some of the leading recruitment and talent businesses in the UK, EMEA, Asia-Pac and the Americas, Ian has supported many executives on their personal transformational journeys in the following:

• Achieving Strategic Goals
• Becoming an effective leader
• Developing Talent
• Improving Team Performance
• Managing Personal Challenges
• Developing Leaders.

Employing Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and management psychology, Ian is able to support, coach/mentor and teach leadership, emotional intelligence and solution sales relationship skills to his executives, delegates and cohorts that takes others years to learn.

As well as being the founder of Talence, Ian is also a global influencer sighted by Onalytica in the Top Ten Social Media influencers in the world on the #Future-of-Work/Future-of-Talent/Recruitment, working with leading brands such as IBM, Cisco, Sage and Salesforce.

John is best known for working as a business sales agent who helps owners sell their recruitment businesses. More recently he has been advising buyers on their buy and build strategies and works as an ongoing board advisor or as a non-executive director. He also takes on ad hoc assignments if a buyer has identified a target and needs help with a valuation and the acquisition process.

You probably know me as a business sales agent who helps owners sell their recruitment businesses. I’ve been very successful at that, having sold around 350 businesses and valued around 2,000 since 1991. I do still sell businesses, but these days I’m increasingly working with buyers to advise them on their buy and build strategies. Ideally, I work as an ongoing advisor to the board or a non-executive director, so that they can really benefit from my strategic planning and execution skills, but I will also take on ad hoc assignments if a buyer has identified a target and needs help with a valuation and the acquisition process.

I started in recruitment in 1977 and joined Nestor Healthcare plc in 1979. I rose to become a Director and Group Secretary. As a key member of the Group’s acquisition team, I learned how to buy recruitment businesses effectively and safely. We completed 45 acquisitions and opened over 150 offices in the UK, Europe and the USA over a ten-year period. Nestor eventually became a fully listed, international mixed recruitment and healthcare residential care provider. On the healthcare side alone, we placed over 10 million hours of temporary work a year, and that put us third in the UK, behind Adecco and Manpower.

In 1991, I left Nestor and founded Linsey Bissell Associates, initially as a specialist consultancy advising recruitment business owners on exit planning and businesses sales. Although my core business is in the UK, I also have considerable experience in the Middle East recruitment market, where I have advised companies such as Gulf Capital and The Emirates Group on recruitment acquisitions. I am recognised as a leading specialist in the valuation of recruitment businesses across the world and have regularly acted as an expert witness in court and tribunal hearings.

I am a chartered secretary qualified by examination, was formerly a governor of the Institute of Recruitment Consultants and a founding director of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. I have spoken widely at conferences and seminars around the world and have had a long-running column in the Recruitment International magazine.

I can offer my services both to buyers and sellers. Where buying is concerned, the economic downturn presents unprecedented opportunities for those owners who are financially sound, to expand their businesses through a structured buy and build strategy in the coming months and years. My unique experience of buying and selling businesses in the UK and overseas for over 40 years ideally positions me to help owners who have the drive and resources to grow during these difficult times. I tailor my services to suit the client’s requirements and budgets, so contact me and let’s discuss how I can help you.

If you are looking to sell, there are still lots of buyers out there. I may have a buyer for you already, but if not I will look to find you one. Contact me in complete confidence using the form below.

Specialisms

• Growth Management & Business Planning - Having bought or sold over 350 recruitment businesses and opened over 200 recruitment branches, I am ideally placed to advise owners on buy and build strategies.
• Merger, Acquisition & Exit - I am the longest established M&A specialist in the UK recruitment industry. I have helped hundreds of owners to plan and execute their exit and acquisition strategies.
• International Expansion - I have considerable experience in the Middle East and Gulf recruitment markets.
• Financing & Funding Growth - Through my work in M&A, I have built an unrivalled understanding of the principles of financing growth.

I'm Cameron Taylor, a highly accomplished executive and serial entrepreneur with a proven track record of building, scaling, and successfully exiting high-growth businesses. My career is defined by transforming ambitious visions into measurable results, underscored by a deep understanding of operational excellence and strategic financial management.

As co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Advance Global Recruitment (AGR), I spearheaded the company’s rapid expansion from a startup to a market leader. This journey culminated in generating over £53 million in annual revenue before navigating a strategic and successful exit, a testament to my entrepreneurial drive that earned me recognition as a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award. My two decades of specialised experience extends globally, including successfully opening international offices in the Middle East and North America. This provides a unique depth of understanding crucial for scaling and optimising operations, whether your focus is local, national, or international. Since exiting AGR, I've continued to fuel growth as a strategic investor in multiple ventures, actively assisting businesses across diverse sectors in unlocking new market share and achieving ambitious expansion.

My expertise lies in driving rapid business expansion, securing multi-million pound contracts, and steering companies to sustainable market leadership. At AGR, I consistently delivered significant revenue growth amidst volatile markets and navigated the complexities of a global pandemic, demonstrating robust strategic thinking and leadership. My approach is rooted in data-driven insights and clear strategic execution, implementing proven methodologies like OGSMs (Objectives, Goals, Strategies, Measures) to translate vision into clear, measurable, and tangible results. I provide in-depth analysis of financial statements, identifying cost-saving opportunities and optimising fiscal health for enhanced profitability. I've built high-performing teams, fostering a culture of collaboration that empowers leaders to drive decisive action. My guidance also encompasses the complexities of cross-border growth, from establishing international operations to ensuring seamless compliance, leveraging a vast network of international advisors in legal, accounting, and tax.

I offer more than just advice; I deliver tailored growth strategies. My process begins with a comprehensive strategic review of your unique landscape. This understanding, combined with practical experience, allows me to deliver measurable growth for truly ambitious businesses. My services include a full business review and strategic planning session to identify key growth areas and develop a clear roadmap, along with ongoing consultancy services for continuous support and expert guidance on critical decision-making, particularly during business expansion and operational improvements. I am available to serve as a Non-Executive Director or advisor, offering strategic global guidance and oversight to both established and new businesses across all sectors. I'm also committed to supporting aspiring entrepreneurs and growing businesses with global ambitions through angel investments, providing not only capital but also mentorship and assistance in developing and executing successful global exit strategies, including guiding businesses through mergers, acquisitions, and strategic exits to maximise value. I partner closely with executive teams to unlock opportunities, overcome challenges, and build sustainable success, drawing on my extensive experience in navigating diverse markets and complex business landscapes.