A pair of progressive recruitment sector leaders in Newcastle Upon Tyne have joined forces to launch a new business with a fresh and innovative approach. BlairWest was established by experienced recruitment experts David Blair and Simon West in January and has completed a highly successful six months of trading.
Operating initially from their Newcastle base, the duo and their team of consultants will utilise their extensive network of executive connections to deliver regional and national appointments for high growth and private equity backed businesses.
To attract and retain the best people, BlairWest has made a significant portion of equity in the company available to the management team with the aim of raising the bar for client experiences in the sector.
This approach is uncommon in the industry and has been supported with advice from Muckle LLP, the leading independent North East law firm that also advised on establishing the business.
David Blair has a background in corporate finance and VCT investment and was previously managing director at another regional recruitment agency , which he led from start-up to become an established presence in the North East.
Simon West ran his own successful independent search firm before joining forces with David and previously held senior positions at NRG and Nigel Wright, where he successfully led executive search processes and multi-assignment recruitment projects for numerous high profile businesses throughout the UK.
Simon said: “Having delivered executive search mandates for regional, national and private equity backed clients, as well as running our own independent businesses, David and I understand how to position senior roles and appreciate what attributes candidates need to excel at board level.
“We will spend the majority of our time in market, meeting businesses and their leadership teams, while also concentrating on growing a team of highly skilled consultants that embody our vision and values.”
David added: “It can be difficult to differentiate a service like recruitment, especially in such a crowded marketplace, but it’s what we do behind the scenes – the genuine passion we have for every single client, our strong company values and our commitment to professionalism and transparency – that is different.
“Our sector is all about understanding what motivates people, which is why we have put a longer term incentive plan in place to attract, retain and reward the best recruitment professionals in the market, empowering them to build lasting relationships with clients, understand their needs and add value to their businesses.”
Speaking on the company structure, Simon adds: “The advice and support we have received from Muckle has been exceptional, they have embraced our vision and helped us establish a structure and growth plan that we are incredibly excited about.”
Amy Wanless, associate solicitor at Muckle LLP, said: “David and Simon are extremely talented, ambitious and forward-thinking business people who have an innovative strategy for delivering executive search services which can have a hugely positive impact on the sector and on their clients, as BlairWest continues to grow.”
