Global headhunting agency celebrates new business wins

Global agency Red Diamond Executive Headhunters has announced a raft of new business wins.

Operating out of its head office in Huddersfield and in the United Arab Emirates, the firm specialises in placing business leaders and senior management across the globe.

The business – founded by MD Emma Robinson and her partner Simon Robinson in 2011 – has bucked recent economic trends and continues to expand both domestically and internationally.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of employees on UK payrolls fell by more than 600,000 between March and May; the number of vacancies generally also fell to a record low.

Emma said that while traditionally strong areas such as hospitality had been badly affected by lockdown and social distancing measures, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and medical were performing well while aerospace and construction were showing signs of life.

Red Diamond has just placed a new sales director with Aeroservices, a leading provider of components and lubricants to the global aviation industry – the first of a number of appointments with the company in recent weeks. The business is based in Leeds and has offices in Dubai and Singapore.

Managing director Mashood Akmal said: “We are delighted that Emma and the team at Red Diamond have found another high calibre candidate to join our team. They’re a fantastic company to work with, with an excellent understanding of what matters most to us as a business, and they have once again risen to the challenge.”

Other key appointments have been made in the pharmaceutical sector, with one manufacturer taking on five new recruits. A manufacturer of medical devices, two businesses in the textile sector and a construction firm have also recently come on board.

Emma said the global nature of the business had enabled it to continue to trade throughout lockdown. With clients and candidates based all over the world, technology such as video conferencing is in use on a daily basis, ensuring the team has a head start on most. On average, the team conducts around 50 virtual meetings a week.

She added: “We entered 2020 absolutely on fire but since March, while business didn’t close, many of our clients have pressed pause on their major hiring mandates.

“We have benefited from the staggered approach as different areas were hit at different times. Asia and the Pacific region closed first, then Europe. Our clients were affected in varying degrees but now the Middle East and Asia are getting back to normal and Europe is also beginning to open up.

“At times of crisis, businesses will always need strong leaders and having the right top team in place is absolutely crucial. The companies that survive and thrive will be the ones with a strong leadership team to see them through the current situation.”