Your Joint Venture

MEET KERV

A business needs to have a solid management team to function effectively from the get go.

With KERV this is already developed with a group of established and experienced directors and operational staff, who focus on good corporate governance and the everyday tasks of owning a business, to ensure that you can focus on what really matters, clients and candidates.

  • Kevin Fasting

    Chairman & Founder

    Kevin is the CEO and founder of the group having started his first business in 2009, KE Executive Search. After building a number of further businesses in property, law and recruitment, the management team was brought together to form KERV, which forms the current board as a venture capital vehicle to fund and scale businesses with targets to exit. He and the rest of the team have so far founded and scaled 16 businesses to date with T/O in excess of £30m+. He overlooks Operations, Marketing, Strategy, Culture and Compliance.

    Kevin's involvement in your business is focussed on strategy, people, revenues streams and your own personal mindset. Whilst the operations team help run the day to day of your business, Kev works with you on your journey to becoming a true entrepreneur and CEO.

  • Stuart Brown

    Group CEO

    With over 20 years recruitment experience progressing from consultant through to CEO; Stuart's main focus centres around origination of exciting talent for both new start up opportunities and scaling across the existing portfolio of businesses whilst supporting new business owners through their start up journey.

  • Andy Wardill

    Executive Director

    Having been through the process of starting his own business with KERV, Andy has used his strategy and analytics to shape his own business, and now with other businesses within the group. Andy provides strategic advice to all of our Entrepreneurs; from initial conversations, through to set up and ongoing support. Andy has developed our scope to support entrepreneurs with the ability to place people globally.

  • Barry Simpson

    Chief Revenue Officer

    Barry joined KERV at the end of 2024 as Chief Revenue Officer & Board Director, a strategic move in KERV Capital’s mission to expand our contract recruitment division and build on our already substantial permanent recruitment operations across all of our 15 brands. Barry brings a distinguished track record, having founded, scaled, and successfully floated his recruitment business on the UK Stock Market, later serving on the executive leadership board of a public company. With extensive experience building and selling multiple businesses and overseeing a contract book numbering in the thousands, Barry is perfectly positioned to lead KERV Capital’s contract recruitment efforts and drive sales revenue growth across the group.

  • Marc Rayner

    Chief Operations Officer

    There isn’t many areas of the business that Marc doesn’t currently get involved in, from meeting with potential new Business Partners to invest it, project managing the set up of all new businesses and then helping to make sure everything runs smoothly in the background once a business is set up & trading. Marc manages the KERV Capital centralised Group Operations Team, who all in turn help to make sure each business operates smoothly on a day to day basis, handling all things finance, facilities management, HR, health & safety, marketing and operations, freeing up each Business Partner’s time to focus on their main goal, growing their business to be a market leader in its field.

  • Andrew Weedy

    Chief Finance Officer

    Andrew has worked in finance for almost 25 years, working for bakeries to investment banks. Within the group he streamlines all finance procedures, creates board packs, maintains and develops management accounts and is constantly working to develop new finance strategies for your businesses.

  • Petra Brown

    Director of Growth and Strategy

    Petra brings a wealth of experience to KERV Capital, with a strong background both as a rec-to-rec specialist and a deep understanding of the private equity model. Her unwavering integrity, passion for excellence, and familiarity with our operating landscape will be invaluable as we continue to grow and evolve.

  • Shaun Muir

    Director

    Shaun was the second Director to join the KERV Group in 2015 after its initial inception by Kevin Fasting. Shaun has 16 year’s experience in the Recruitment sector, specialising in overseeing Executive Search services across multiple teams, mainly for Industrial & Construction related sectors both in Europe and North America. Day to day Shaun has the responsibility of managing the core Kevin Edward recruitment business & Seven Executive Limited.

  • David Alan Hughes

    Legal Counsel

    David is a highly skilled legal professional with extensive expertise in civil and commercial litigation. A qualified lawyer, legal trainer, and coach, he became a specialist Costs Lawyer in 2015 and an Unregistered Barrister in 2022. With experience across leading legal businesses in Liverpool, Leeds, London, and internationally in Melbourne and Sydney, David brings a global perspective to his role as General Legal Counsel.

    Supporting all joint ventures, he plays a key role in overseeing legal and commercial matters across Europe, providing strategic advice on risk management, compliance, and dispute resolution. His expertise includes evaluating legal risks, conducting audits, managing document control, and ensuring effective collaboration with external legal advisors. With a strong background in negotiation and stakeholder engagement, David ensures that legal strategies align with business objectives while safeguarding the interests of the organisation.

  • Tom Varney-Smith

    Group Head of Marketing

    Tom is responsible for managing and consulting on the marketing and BD strategies for all the businesses within the KERV portfolio. Drawing on extensive experience in both recruitment and agency settings, he is a firm believer that Marketing and Sales/Consultants unify as one. He is committed to transforming the perception of marketing in recruitment by demonstrating the substantial impact it can have on a business’s bottom line. He achieves this through his tried and tested methods of targeting ideal customer profiles with value-added content, strategic messaging, and leveraging cutting-edge tools and tech to generate meaningful conversations, showcase expertise, build trust, and enhance credibility in the market.

  • Sophie Connell

    Group Management Accountant

    Sophie's main role is sending out invoices and ensuring clients pay on time; she is the first point of contact if clients have any issues with making payments or need further assistance. She further assists with the management of the group HR system, the creation of financial reports and general administrative support to the Finance Director.

  • Ben Taylor

    Group Marketing Manager

    Ben leads the marketing department, focusing on developing and executing tailored strategies across the entire portfolio. His responsibilities encompass all aspects of marketing, including the creation of social media content, digital campaigns, brand development for new businesses, as well as the production and regular updates of website content. Ben also oversees the creation of one-page marketing materials for client and candidate engagement.

  • Sophie Evans

    Social Media Manager

    As the Social Media Manager for the group, Sophie is responsible for overseeing and enhancing the social media presence for all client accounts. Her role is to ensure the execution of analytics-backed social media strategies to drive growth across the group’s primary platforms such as LinkedIn, and delivering bespoke solutions that align with each clients unique values and goals. With a background in marketing and experience in social media management for both B2B and B2C clients, she recognises the value that great marketing can bring to the recruitment industry.

  • Vanessa Hustwit

    Commercial Finance Assistant

    Vanessa has been brought in as Commercial Finance Assistant to further improve the finance offering with KERV Ops. Her main focus will be cashflow, cash management and working to improve our internal procedures across all businesses. Having multiple businesses requires a shared workload and the best procedures possible, giving JVs that extra piece of mind and support.

  • Natalie Rose-Brown

    Executive Operations Assistant

    Natalie’s role focuses on high level support and project management to the Operations directors. With over 10 years as a senior buyer for a major UK retail company, Natalie brings a wealth of experience in implementing projects, working strategically and cross functionally as well as managing business plans and confidential/sensitive information.

  • Alex Idle

    Content Creation Apprentice

    As a Content Creation Apprentice, Alex works closely with Ben to design graphics, branding assets, and engaging content across the group’s portfolio. With a strong background in graphic design and a growing focus on brand identity, Alex supports everything from logo creation to social media visuals. He’s passionate about refining ideas into bold, cohesive brand experiences and is always eager to help take the group to the next level.

  • Emily Dickson

    Multi-Channel Marketing Apprentice

    As a Multi-Channel Marketing Apprentice, Emily works closely with Sophie to support and enhance the social media presence of several client accounts. Her role focuses on growing visibility and engagement, primarily on LinkedIn, while ensuring content is tailored to reflect each business’s unique values and goals. Her secondary function is supporting the wider team with brand and lead generation activities. Through her apprenticeship, Emily is developing her expertise in marketing strategy and content creation, with a focus on driving meaningful impact for the brands she works with.

  • Deedee Richards

    Operations Assistant

    Deedee provides support to the operations team by facilitating daily administrative tasks, managing HR documentation, and ensuring smooth workflow across the team.

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