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Today marks (just over) nine years since Talentful signed our first client and what a journey it’s been, from executing fractional TA assignments in 2015, to now in 2024 running a global business with an exceptional client roster including some of the biggest names in technology across the US and Europe. 

Over the last nine years I’ve worn many different hats as a co-founder. From co-CEO running around London with Chris in lunch breaks to pitch new clients, and leading operations, to pivoting to running internal recruitment when demand went off the charts, then leading a 320-person global TA team, to setting up the HIGHER community and now as Group CMO working across our three brands.

The abiding theme to each of these roles has been that whatever Talentful needed, I went in to try and solve it, and largely, it’s been successful.

Today we’re announcing another one of these moves.

From January 2025, I’ll be moving in the Chair role for the Talentful Group, working closely with Chris to strengthen our group companies and continue our expansion into new product lines, locally within current operating markets and further afield into new geographies. 

Talentful has achieved innumerable great things without a board, any advisors or any investors, and that fluidity has been enabling for the company in lots of ways. However, Chris and I agree we have reached a pivotal point in our journey where it feels like the right time to ask the question “how do we enable the business to grow even faster and continue to push boundaries”. 

As many of you will have seen, we recently appointed Rob Keve to our first board advisor role and we’re planning to create further structure to the leadership group through a select group of advisors and board members to ensure we’re not only prepared to meet future challenges head on, but set our sights and ambitions even further than we have the ability to foresee. 

Talentful’s ambition is unbounded.

We believe that we have the optimal structure to facilitate the growth of the Talentful group. Chris will continue as CEO, fully taking the reins on the day to day running of the group as he has skillfully since 2021 when he took over as CEO.  Our talented executive team is largely unaffected by the change in structure meaning little to no disruption to the business and most importantly, to our customers.

We’re incredibly fortunate that we have a ready made succession plan, with Michelle Lind stepping up to lead our marketing team going forward. She’s already been a great foil to me in her current Group Head of Marketing role and I’ve every confidence that she will enhance our already stellar results across the group companies. 

My role as chair includes continuing to run the HIGHER Advisory Board and attending HIGHER Executive events around the world, as well as major Talentful internal events and board meetings. I remain a major shareholder in the group and will be right next to Chris and the rest of the Executive team as they navigate through the next period of incredible growth and success.

So why now?

Those of you who know me well will know that 2024 has been a hard year for my family, with my youngest in hospital for an extended period. He is thankfully recovered now but during that period, it became clear to me that life is fleeting and spending more time with my children before they start school is a privilege that you should take if you are able to.

I also have some other projects that I’m keen to pursue, outside of the talent space.

The next chapter

Moving into this next chapter, I’m incredibly proud of what we have built and the customers we have supported in pivotal growth periods. And most importantly, the Talentfolk we have hired, trained and championed over the last nine years. Talentful is more than just Chris and I, it is a sum of the hard work, dedication and determination of the hundreds of individuals who have contributed to its success over the years. I know that Talentful will continue to lead the RPO space in technology and that the RPO/embedded industry will continue to be an important part of the technology ecosystem. 

I feel proud of the legacy Talentful has created and will continue to create, with our focus on the hardest projects with the greatest companies, delivered by world-class recruiters. We’ve defined a category, and have the pieces in place to evolve that category past the expectations of our clients.

Our investment back into the talent community has been a resounding success, measured against all of our objectives, and our nascent investment in technology will change the game for our industry in the next 12 months. I, for one, cannot wait to see and continue to be part of the realization of all of the hard work.