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3:00pm - 5:00pm, 7 May 2026
(Europe/London)
(Europe/London)
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Request a callback using the form below.
Event Details
Business Diversification Forum
Thursday 7th May
Registrations and refreshments: 2:30pm-3:00pm
Meeting: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Venue: Trowers & Hamlins, 3 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8YZ
Networking drinks from 5:00pm
Kindly sponsored by
Key Takeaways
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Clarity on why diversification matters now and how it can strengthen resilience, competitiveness and long term growth.
- A practical framework for deciding when diversification is right for your business—based on market signals, organisational readiness and client demand.
- Insight into the range of diversification options, including new geographies, sectors and service models, and how to evaluate their strategic fit.
- Guidance on using data and market intelligence to shape decisions, reduce risk and prioritise the most viable opportunities.
- Real world examples from peers and leaders, highlighting what works, what doesn’t and what to expect on the journey.
Meeting Agenda
Welcome, introduction and APSCo update
Samantha Hurley, MD, APSCo UK
Mapping out your business diversification journey
Tara Ricks, Founder & Director, Consulting Eve
In this session Tara will draw on her extensive experience supporting recruitment businesses to explore and implement effective diversification strategies. She will break down the key decision‑making steps leaders must take when considering if and when diversification is right for their organisation, and outline the practical options available. Tara will also highlight the importance of continually innovating your service offering, and show how using the right data and insight can guide informed, confident decisions about expanding into new revenue streams.
Operational Diversity: from value add to strategic priority
Nigel Gausden, Chief Commercial Officer, Shirley Parsons
In this practical follow on session Nigel will move from theory of diversification to the how to. What are the critical steps recruitment businesses must take when expanding from assessing market viability to building the right operational, commercial, and compliance foundations. In a rapidly evolving market, this goes beyond conventional recruitment. As the sector shifts toward digital employment ecosystems and AI-powered operations, Nigel will outline how businesses can future-proof and de-risk expansion, how to transform into agile, intelligent systems that learn, predicts, adapt, and scale with precision.
Leader Exchange
Maximise your time at this meeting with our Leader Exchange session - this is designed to deliver tangible outcomes. Guided by experienced business professionals, this discussion will ensure you gain real value from your attendance. You’ll collaborate with sector peers to tackle key challenges and leave with clear, actionable strategies you can implement immediately. This session isn’t just a conversation, it’s designed to be a catalyst for measurable business impact.
Facilitated by:
Russell Thompson, Founder and CEO, Ascentia Advisory
Nigel Gausden, Chief Commercial Officer, Shirley Parsons
Tara Ricks, Founder & Director, Consulting Eve
Joe McLeod, Account Director, Atlas Cloud
Speakers
Tara Ricks
Consulting Eve, Founder & Director
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.
Nigel Gausden
HRJ Solutions, NED
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