Nicolas Associates Group Merges with Main-Board
February 8, 2022 – M&A activity, with the support of private equity firms, continues to heat up in the executive search industry. Just recently, U.K.-based Nicholas Associates Group merged with specialist executive search firm Main-Board. Main-Board is an independent specialist executive search consultancy which provides nationwide expertise to SMEs, privately owned firms, private equity backed companies and PLCs. It specializes in fulfilling senior-level roles such as CEOs, MDs, FDs, operations directors, sales directors, and non-executives with salaries ranging between £80,000 to £180,000 per year. The consultancy operates across various sectors including manufacturing, logistics, FMCG and professional services.
Established in 1977, Nicholas Associates Group (NAG) offers apprentice to boardroom talent management services for SMEs up to international corporates. Headquartered in Rotherham, group brands operate U.K.-wide from a branch network based in the East Midlands and Yorkshire, including Nottingham, Lincoln, Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Hull.
Main-Board founder Julian Woodman will continue to lead the division alongside co-founder Chris Sharp, who will take on a consultancy role for the next 12 months.
Related: The ExeQfind Group and The QualiFind Group Merge Brazil-Based DRH–Talent Search Into Search Platform
Securing the Most Talented Individuals
“Securing the most talented individuals who will deliver in senior level roles and be instrumental in managing change and achieving successful strategic growth requires in-depth market insight,” said Mr. Woodman. “By partnering together with connections within the wider group we will be able to pool our resources to the mutual benefit of our clients and candidates.”
Paul Brammer, managing director of NAG’s permanent recruitment divisions, said: “By partnering with Main-Board we will benefit from Julian and Chris’s executive search knowledge as well as their expertise in other specialist sectors,” he said. “This will enhance our existing specialisms in aerospace and manufacturing and create further opportunities for other group brands to work together.”
Main-Board is set to continue to operate under its existing brand name and complement services offered by other brands within the Nicholas Associates Group, which include Stafforce, Ashley Kate HR & Finance, Apprentice Employment Agency, Olano and Erango.
Rampant Acquisitions
“Mergers and acquisitions continue to make big news in our sector,” said Scott A. Scanlon, CEO of Hunt Scanlon Ventures. “We remain a highly fragmented industry and that makes staffing and recruiting firms ripe for consolidation. But more than that, we are seeing a growing capacity problem surfacing across the recruiting domain. Assignment volume has been rapidly expanding and with that has come the need for a better playbook to manage and effectively scale growth.”
Since its launch two years ago, Hunt Scanlon Ventures has offered a full spectrum of critical solutions, including growth strategy, investment, merger and acquisition, and exit planning. The firm is launching a growth advisory unit later this year to focus on pre- and post-M&A integration consulting, data strategy, and talent intelligence & analytics.
Related: London Search Firms Merge, Supported by PE Investment
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
