Following a record financial year which saw KERV Capital increase revenue by 27%, deliver more than 500 placements across the group and continue its growth trajectory towards a projected £12m turnover this financial year, the business has appointed recruitment industry leader Barry Simpson as Group CEO.
Bringing more than 35 years of recruitment industry experience - including scaling a staffing business to a successful FTSE listing and £200m+ market valuation - Simpson will support KERV Capital’s next phase of growth and long-term ambition of becoming a £35m business within the next three years.
Alongside the appointment, Stuart Brown will transition into the role of Group Managing Director, continuing to focus on the long-term strategic development of the group, alongside leadership capability, culture and brand growth across KERV Capital’s portfolio businesses.
The appointment follows a sustained period of growth for KERV Capital, with the multi-brand recruitment group continuing to expand across specialist markets including technology, infrastructure, life sciences, legal, finance, industrial and executive search.
Over the past 18 months, the group has focused heavily on strengthening operational infrastructure, improving commercial alignment across its businesses and building a more scalable platform for long-term growth.
Simpson joins the group with more than 35 years of experience within the staffing and recruitment sector.
Having started his career in recruitment in 1990, Simpson played a key role in scaling a staffing business from start-up stage through to a successful FTSE listing in 1996, growing the organisation to more than 2,800 contractors globally and achieving a market valuation in excess of £200 million.
Since then, Simpson has supported and led multiple recruitment businesses through periods of commercial growth, transformation, management buyouts and trade sales, building a strong reputation across the industry for scaling high-performing recruitment organisations.
In his new role as Group CEO, Simpson will lead the commercial and operational direction of KERV Capital as the group continues to strengthen market positioning, scale its portfolio businesses and execute its long-term growth strategy across the UK and internationally.
Barry Simpson, Group CEO at KERV Capital, said:
“KERV Capital has built strong foundations over the last few years and there is clear ambition across the group to continue growing, improving and building something with real long-term value.
Alongside the work already taking place internally, I believe this next phase gives us an excellent platform to continue building a high-performing organisation with a very exciting future.”
Stuart Brown, Group Managing Director at KERV Capital, said:
“Welcoming Barry Simpson into the role of Group CEO at KERV Capital is both a pleasure and a privilege. Having worked in the recruitment industry for more than 25 years, I can say with confidence that Barry is one of the most impressive recruitment leaders I have worked alongside, with a track record that speaks for itself.
From public market flotation and trade sales through to management buyouts and large-scale business growth, Barry brings an exceptional level of experience and leadership to the group.
We are extremely excited to have Barry leading KERV Capital into its next phase of growth.”
Kevin Fasting, Chairman and Founder at KERV Capital, said:
“People have always been at the centre of KERV Capital and, as the group continues to grow, we knew we needed a leader who has genuinely operated at scale before.
Barry’s experience building and scaling recruitment businesses over the last 35 years makes him the ideal person to help lead the next phase of growth across the group.
We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Barry’s calibre joining KERV Capital as we continue expanding internationally and building a high-performing long-term business.”
The leadership announcement follows a strong year across the wider KERV Capital group, with multiple businesses delivering record performances and continued investment across operations, marketing and infrastructure.
KERV Capital expects continued growth throughout the next financial year as the group further strengthens leadership, expands internationally and continues investing across both its businesses and people.