Hudson RPO Acquires Dubai-Based Striver
April 17, 2024 – Hudson RPO, a global total talent solutions company owned by Old Greenwich, Conn.-based recruiting firm Hudson Global Inc., has acquired Striver, a Dubai-based executive search firm. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “With the new acquisition of Striver in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hudson RPO is strongly equipped to partner with new and existing clients for their senior talent acquisition needs in the rapidly growing Middle East region,” the company said.
“We are pleased to continue to expand and enhance our offering in the executive search space,” said Jake Zabkowicz, global CEO of Hudson. “This furthers our ability to become and remain a core strategic partner for our clients as we assist them in putting the right people in place at all levels of their organizations to develop and execute a winning business strategy.”
The firm’s Middle East executive search efforts will be led by Striver’s founder and current CEO, Toby Simpson, who will take on the role of managing director, executive search at Hudson RPO. Mr. Simpson has experience in executive and non-executive searches in investment banking, asset management and private equity; largely for portfolio companies across a wide range of sectors. He has worked throughout the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), partnering with boards across investment, private sector and government ventures. Trained in London, Mr. Simpson has also worked in-house for a German private equity business and Saudi government entities covering mandates across EMEA.
Related: Hudson Global Acquires Karani
“The dynamic nature of the business environment in the Middle East calls for true partnership with clients, offering more intelligent solutions that comprise excellence, value, and a more supportive framework of capabilities that help ambitious businesses attract and retain the best leadership on the global market,” said Mr. Simpson. “I believe that our team, with decades of appreciation of the culture and dynamics of this market, combined with Hudson RPO’s global support and research platform, will allow us to make a big difference for our clients in the region.”
Second Acquisition in Dubai
Hudson RPO also recently acquired Executive Solutions, a Dubai-based talent solutions company. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “With the entry into the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hudson RPO is strongly equipped to serve talent acquisition functions with volume hiring in the rapidly growing Middle East region,” the company said.
Hudson Global RPO Appoints CEO
Hudson RPO named Jacob Zabkowicz as global chief executive officer. “I am excited to welcome Jake to the Hudson RPO team,” said Jeff Eberwein, CEO of Hudson Global. “Jake’s growth orientation and winning mindset will help Hudson RPO achieve its aggressive growth goals. Over the course of his career, Jake has developed a reputation for delivering outstanding client service, building loyal and high-achieving teams, and driving exceptional growth. We look forward to leveraging his expertise to aggressively grow our RPO business and, ultimately, shareholder value.” Mr. Zabkowicz is a seasoned, growth-minded executive who brings to Hudson RPO extensive global leadership as well as operational and business development experience in the talent acquisition industry. Most recently, he was senior vice president, global RPO at Korn Ferry, where he was instrumental in building and growing the firm’s global RPO business during his 10-year tenure.
“The team at Executive Solutions is well known in the region for providing outstanding results for companies that see a competitive advantage in broadening their presence in the Middle East,” said Mr. Zabkowicz. “This acquisition will give our clients across the globe confidence that we can find and place the best talent in the UAE and the Middle East region for their strategic business needs. We look forward to working with the deeply experienced and well-regarded Executive Solutions team to serve our combined client base on a global scale.”
Established in 2008, Executive Solutions has a track record of assisting organizations in finding and placing candidates for a wide range of roles across industries. The company provides outsourcing of both long- and short-term volume recruitment, rapid growth projects, special projects, overseas campaigns, and Emiratization.
“Hudson RPO is a globally known and well-respected firm, and we are anxious to bring our regional expertise to enhance the outstanding results clients have come to know and expect,” said James Watfa, founder and CEO of Executive Solutions.
Related: Hudson Global Acquires Hunt & Badge Consulting Private Limited
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
