Russell brings over 30 years of outstanding experience in the recruitment industry. He began his career in financial services recruitment, quickly establishing himself as a top biller. By the age of 27, he was appointed Director at Impellam, with responsibility for its professional brands.

Driven by an entrepreneurial mindset, Russell founded LMA in 2005. Over the next 15 years, he built the business into a market-leading professional services recruiter, with offices in London and Singapore. LMA became widely recognised for its exceptional culture, strong brand, and sustained growth. At its peak, the business achieved £15m in turnover, £6.5m NFI and £1m EBIT, employed 85 people, and won multiple industry awards — most notably ranking 2nd in the Sunday Times Best Small Companies to Work For at its first attempt.

Russell subsequently took on the role of Global Sector CEO at Empresaria, overseeing eight businesses across sectors including marketing, technology, digital, healthcare, rec-to-rec and construction. Collectively, these businesses generated £19m in NFI and £3m EBIT.

As passionate about recruitment today as he was when he entered the industry in 1996, Russell has been a long-standing advocate of APSCo. His involvement has included Chair of the Finance Sector Group, member of the Representative Committee, APSCo Embrace contributor, and judge for the APSCo Awards for Excellence. In 2026, he will step into the role of Chair of Judges.

Russell now works with businesses in an Advisory and Non-Executive Director capacity, supporting leadership teams as they navigate growth and change. His areas of expertise include:

Strategic and operational support

CEO support and mentoring

Identifying and securing investment

AI adoption and process improvement

C-suite and senior leadership coaching

Restructuring and change management initiatives

Developing both strategic and operational plans and roadmaps to scale businesses, and achieve the objective of a capital event and/or international expansion. I have a very strong track record of growing businesses and can assist CEO with their growth journey.

Helping businesses with cross-border expansion. Identifying the right markets and the right sectors. Strategic and operational support from start up to running an office remotely.
I have significant international experience to help support this.
I have experience of working with CEOs and SLTs helping them navigate the challenges of running a recruitment company. My naturally empathetic style and 30 years of experience in the industry helps support leaders with their development and dealing with difficult situations in what is a challenging industry.

Advising on how to grow your business to make it attractive to acquirers. Assisting with the due diligence required for an exit, what “good” looks like and how to achieve it.

Reference 1
'I worked with Russell during his time as CEO at LMA Recruitment, alongside his role as Regional Director / Group CEO and Board Member at Empresaria Group PLC. This exposure allowed me to see first-hand the value he brings at board level. Russell is commercially astute, strategically clear, and has a very practical understanding of how recruitment businesses truly operate across multiple models, engagement methods, and international markets.

On a personal level, what really stands out is how good Russell is with people. He builds trust quickly, is a natural networker, and is an excellent sounding board for both strategic and day-to-day recruitment discussions. At the same time, he is not intimidated by difficult conversations and is able to give clear, honest, and sometimes hard advice when it is needed most. He has personally influenced the trajectory of my career for the better, and I still use him today as a trusted sounding board.

He has a strong ability to cut through noise, focus leadership teams on what truly drives performance, and bring clarity and confidence to decision-making.

I have no doubt Russell will add significant value to recruitment owners and senior leaders as an Advisor, NED, or coach through AdvisorLink.'

Reference 2
'I have known and worked with Russell for over twenty years. For almost 10 of those years he worked with me at Empresaria where he was responsible for building a successful professional and financial services recruitment operation in both the UK and Asia. More recently, he has been advising one of the Benula Capital portfolio companies as a strategic advisor, demonstrating an ability to help define strategy and drive operational improvements. He is high in emotional intelligence and experience, low in ego, but also assertive/persuasive when he needs to be. I would highly recommend him as an advisor to APSCo members.'

Reference 3
'Russell Thompson is a highly personable and relatable advisor who brings both credibility and genuine support to SMT’s he works with. He is diligent, goes the extra mile, offering both constructive challenge and trusted guidance.

Alongside his sound board-level experience and strong commercial insight, Russell provides valuable coaching and professional support to leaders, helping them think clearly, build confidence, and make well-considered decisions. His extensive network and practical approach add further value, making him an effective and trusted Non-Executive Director who genuinely invests in the long-term success of the business and its leadership team.'

Reference 4
'I first worked with Russell many years ago as one of his employees, and more recently I’ve had the privilege of working with him again while stepping into my MD role. He’s been an outstanding sounding board, helping sharpen my communication style, deepen my C-suite understanding, and, importantly, bring real energy back into my work. Russell’s wisdom, combined with his ability to be a straight talker when it matters most, has been invaluable. I’m genuinely grateful for his support and guidance.'

Reference 5
“Russell led the Finance sector of Apsco brilliantly and I was humbled when he asked me to take it over. The breadth of his knowledge, network and insight to what professional recruitment really is, made him stand out and impossible to follow! Superb move into an advisory role and annoyingly he’s a lovely guy too!”