U.K.-based Berwick Partners Launches New Office in Amsterdam
April 23, 2018 – Birmingham, England-based Berwick Partners has opened a new office in Amsterdam. The move marks the executive recruitment firm’s first foray onto the continent of Europe. It comes as part of a broader growth strategy that includes the opening of two new practices and several new hires.
The launch comes in response to growing demand for Berwick Partners’ services in the European Union, said the firm. The new office will strengthen the firm’s links between the U.K. and the E.U. when sourcing senior executives across the commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors. Consultant Sjoerd Kooistra is heading the new office.
Berwick Partners, which is part of search firm Odgers Berndtson, has also introduced two new practices. A dedicated “place” practice will be led by Marek Dobrowolski, the firm’s regeneration and economic development specialist. It will serve the local government sector, helping clients to take advantage of emerging opportunities through regional devolution, commercial pressures and changing public service policy.
A New Company
The firm also created Berwick Talent Solutions, a new company designed to deliver project and volume recruitment of quality senior and specialist talent for clients that are expanding, relocating or otherwise undergoing change and transformation. It will also provide market mapping, talent pipelining and RPO services in order to help businesses understand, predict and safeguard their future workforce.
Among Berwick Partners’ new additions across the business, Claire Stewart joins as a consultant to spearhead the consumer lifestyle team. She brings extensive industry experience working for companies such as McCain Foods, Seven Seas and Boots. Alex Henson and A.J. March join the firm as consultants with the higher education and retail practices respectively.
Last year, Berwick Partners saw record results and the launch of dedicated housing, digital and supply chain practices and expansion of its U.K. team. The overall business now employs 73 staff members. In addition to Birmingham and Amsterdam, it also has offices in London, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Dubai.
Innovate and Obsess
“As businesses seek to navigate the evolving landscapes in which they operate, securing the best and most diverse leadership talent is what will set them apart,” said Richard Love, managing director of Berwick Partners. “We’ve continued to adapt and expand our practice areas, as well as launch Berwick Talent Solutions to help clients gain a march on the competition by mapping out their future needs earlier on in their recruitment process.”
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“We’ve always tried to be innovative and obsess about responding to our clients’ needs,” he said. “We have sustained the success of our well-established practices, whilst bringing in new specialist individuals to help clients meet the challenges they face today. The launch of our Amsterdam office will also be a further springboard into the global market and will enable us to access a larger pool of talent. All of our new practices have already made a significant impact, and this is testament to the quality of our team and the growing strength of our brand.”
Berwick Partners’ private sector clients range from multinational and listed organizations to regional and privately held SMEs and start-ups. In the public and not-for-profit sectors, the firm works with the largest central government departments down through regional NHS Trusts, educational institutions and small charities and trade associations.
Polish Expansion
Odgers Berndtson has also seen recent growth through Odgers Interim, the firm’s U.K.-based executive interim division, which announced plans to open an office in Warsaw this month. The branch will be led by Richard Kaluzynski, joint managing director of Odgers Berndtson in Poland.
Mr. Kaluzynski has over 25 of years’ experience in the recruitment industry. Before joining Odgers, he co-founded his own executive search firm, placing candidates in senior roles across Poland, Hungary, Russia and the Czech and Slovak republics. He also co-founded an agency specializing in technology, consumer goods, financial services and industrial executive-level recruitment.
Mr. Kaluzynski will be joined by consultant Agata Fiedurek and two researchers. The team will work with management teams in companies across Central and Eastern Europe, focusing initially on the industrial and consumer goods sectors.
“Our new dedicated interim practice will provide companies with high-quality senior management,” said Mr. Kaluzynski, who will now carry the title of head of Odgers Interim Poland. “Demand for experienced professionals who can deliver change within a fixed term is growing, particularly in industry and consumer goods.”
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
