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Our vision is to be the most respected consultancy to the recruitment sector, as measured by our Members, supporting them in their growth and exit plans.
- Ambitious – for Elite and all of our Members
- Industry proud and passionate – we are steeped in the industry and care hugely about its reputation and success
- Collaborative – our Principals, Experts and Members share and support each other
- Loyal – we create long term relationships with our Members and Partners
- Experts – we have all done the job, grown businesses and succeeded. We mix with the right people
John, Jeff, Midge, Tara and Sid have 130 years’ experience in our industry and are there to call on as part of your membership.
CHAIRMAN & OWNER, ELITE LEADER GROUPS
As Chairman of Elite and Principal of Elite XL, John is now NED and strategic adviser to several carefully selected companies in the recruitment sector.
John specialises in achieving rapid and sustainable growth, both organic and by acquisition, in people related businesses, thereby maximising shareholder value.
Mergers and acquisitions, fund raising, IPO, Corporate governance, Fast-track growth strategies, corporate finance, exit strategy, IPO, leadership development, training, recruitment, executive search, staffing, NED, non executive director, NXD, APSCo, entrepreneur, human resources.
Sid Barnes
CO-CHAIRMAN & OWNER, ELITE LEADERS GROUPS
An industry award winning Executive and NED with 23 years Professional Staffing experience, spanning S3, Adecco, Cordant, Mastermind Consulting. He is an APSCo Affiliate Member and was Managing Director of Adecco’s IT, Engineering and Telecommunications Professional Staffing business spanning UK and Europe, growing to 400 Staff, £280m Revenue, £45m NFI and £20m Profit.
Whilst Managing Director of Professional Staffing at Cordant Group he led their acquisition and integration strategy. Sid sold his first business in 2002 and has since grown, bought and sold businesses. As CEO of Mastermind Consulting, he currently advises 18 SME Professional Staffing businesses on Strategy, Operational Excellence, Leadership, Wealth Creation. Sid has a degree in Psychology and is an NLP Master Practitioner.
Sid’s specialities include:
Strategy, Target Operating Models, Leadership, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Cultural Re-engineering, Sales Excellence, NED, Options and Exit Strategies.
Jeff Brooks
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Jeff has been working in the private and public sectors since 1970. After 14 years in the IT industry, he entered the recruitment sector in 1984. He built two recruitment agencies from scratch – Gresham Computer Personnel and Amdahl Resources International, with one taken to a stock market listing and the other disposed of in a planned trade sale.
Since 2006 Jeff has helped over 150 recruitment owners develop their businesses through advice and strategic development in a very hands-on way. In the last five years he has run a Financial Services Agency as interim MD and an Automotive Engineering Agency as interim Head of Recruitment, maintaining his own expertise through day to day leadership.
In 2012 Jeff was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the REC for services to the Recruitment industry.
Jeff’s areas of expertise include:
Sales performance management and improvement, business planning, M and A strategies, MSP/RPO, Managing Proposals and tenders and presentation techniques.
Permanent, Interim, Contract and Temporary markets; RPO/MSP; Master Vend; Strategic Leadership; Change; Staffing; Professionals.
Midge Bennett
PRINCIPAL | ELITE LEADERS
Career summary
I have over 28 years of experience in the recruitment and staffing sector, with board level experience in large corporates, SMEs and start-ups. I have launched companies and brands, managed sales operations of up to 100 staff and been involved in an IPO and the raising of finance to support an acquisition strategy.
For the last four years I have been a Principal with Elite Leaders, working with our Members as an Advisor and NED.
I have served on a number of not for profit boards, including five years on the council of the REC, helping set and deliver the organisation’s strategy, as well as being one of their small business advisors.
My specialisms:
- Helping my clients develop a robust business strategy that outlines the route to success, spanning services, financials, sales and marketing, clients, staffing and operational support
- Providing ongoing Advisory and NED support to the executive team to deliver the plan; identifying risk and opportunity; financial health checks; chairing effective board meetings; and coaching and mentoring the board
- Helping build stand out brands and cultures that will win loyalty with staff and clients
- Developing effective new service propositions, for permanent or temporary staffing, giving longer term assured revenues, increased profits and enterprise value
- Building effective sales and marketing strategies to win and retain quality clients that increase productivity per person
- Developing great leaders who will succeed
Sue began her career working for an American bank in the City providing extensive management and support to the various directors and departments.
Sue has worked across a number of sectors ranging from medical, finance, construction and recruitment with companies such as BOC Group, CoreStates Bank, Alfred McAlpine plc and Recruitment Training Productions.
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