Alexander Mann Names CEO
November 14, 2019 – Alexander Mann Solutions, a London-based talent acquisition and management services firm, has appointed David Leigh as its new CEO. He succeeds founder Rosaleen Blair who becomes chair of the company’s board.
Founded by Ms. Blair in 1996, Alexander Mann has grown to more than 4,500 employees operating in more than 100 countries globally. Acquired by OMERS, the defined benefit pension plan for municipal employees in Ontario, Canada, in 2018, the business is positioned for further growth by delivering a broad range of talent acquisition and management services.
“Rosaleen has been an inspirational and visionary leader for Alexander Mann Solutions and is widely recognized for pioneering the industry in which it operates,” said Jonathan Mussellwhite, European head of OMERS Private Equity. “Rosaleen’s appointment as chair is at an exciting stage in the evolution of the company and we are looking forward to continuing to partner with her in her new role and as a significant shareholder and investor in the business. I am delighted to welcome David to Alexander Mann Solutions. His appointment as CEO brings not just a great successor to Rosaleen, but someone with expertise in leveraging technology and data to drive company performance.”
“I have worked closely with our board over the last 12 months to identify the right individual to lead our business for the next stage of our evolution, and I am delighted to welcome David Leigh to the Alexander Mann Solutions family as our next CEO,” said Ms. Blair. “I have great confidence in both David and the phenomenal talent that exists throughout the company. I’m looking forward to supporting him, the board and the entire organization in the years ahead.”
“My passion for, and commitment to Alexander Mann Solutions remains as strong now as it has ever been, and I am so proud of everything we have achieved to date,” she said. “I believe the world of work is going to see seismic change as a result of technological, demographic and cultural shifts. Our role – partnering with our clients to design and maintain dynamic workforces that are true strategic assets in a digitally optimized world – requires us to continue to innovate, embracing new technologies to be an agile partner to our clients.”
Mr. Leigh was most recently chair and, prior to that, CEO of Study Group, an international education provider. Before that, he was CEO of talent assessment and analytics specialist SHL.
“I am delighted to be joining Alexander Mann Solutions, and to be partnering with Rosaleen and with OMERS,” Mr. Leigh said. “Alexander Mann Solutions is at the forefront of helping clients attract, engage and retain the talent they need, and I am excited to be joining an organization with the opportunity to continue leading the market in the next wave of talent innovation.”
Alexander Mann Launches Talent Collective
Alexander Mann Solutions has introduced its new consulting group, Talent Collective. While the leadership provider has offered a strong and comprehensive consulting segment as part of its talent solutions service platform within Alexander Mann Solutions, the differentiation of a dedicated consulting brand will formally enable it to provide greater end-to-end talent solutions.
“Alexander Mann Solutions has an unsurpassed ability to support clients in delivering strategic and agile workforce solutions, and I believe strongly this will be ever more in demand as the world of work continues to go through exponential change,” he said. “The values-based culture of Alexander Mann Solutions and the undoubtable breadth and depth of its talented individuals is a strong foundation on which to build, and I am thrilled to be joining such a great team.”
Growing Private Equity-Backed Company
Alexander Mann Solutions has industry expertise in a number of sectors, specifically retail and financial services; investment banking and professional services; technology and media; defense, engineering and business services; energy; and healthcare and life sciences. Over 4,000 of the firm’s talent acquisition and management experts partner with more than 100 clients, operating in 40 languages and over 90 countries.
In August. Alexander Mann expanded with the acquisition of HR technology company, Karen HR Inc., bringing new talent to its North American leadership team. The acquisition is a strategic move which will accelerate the launch of new digital products, said Alexander Mann Solutions. The purchase also extends the firm’s global engineering capabilities with teams now based in both Canada and Poland, and further supports its aggressive growth plans and commitment to extending its footprint in the Americas.
On the leadership team front, Alexander Mann Solutions appointed David Swanz and Susan Cooksey as heads of sales (Americas) and Mike Drolet as head of Americas contingent workforce solutions and Americas Global Client Service Center. The appointments reinforce the firm’s ambition to continue on its strong growth trajectory in the region that now generates in excess of 30 percent of global revenues.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
