Recruiting Alchemy with Andy Simpson

Gary Elden OBE joins Recruiting Alchemy and Andy Simpson to share his journey from a tough Camberwell council estate to becoming a leading figure in the recruitment industry, launching Huxley Associates within S3 and later serving as CEO of a listed business. He discusses early resilience, moving from insurance broking to estate agency, then taking a pay cut to join Computer Futures, where he learned from top performers and became a high biller. Gary explains S3’s entrepreneurial equity model, Huxley’s banking-led expansion into the US and Asia, the shift from perm to contract for revenue resilience, and the cultural impact of being a PLC. He reflects on being a Black/mixed-race role model, his OBE for services to diversity and business, leaving corporate life, advising and investing, and building Vidmology to modernize recruitment training using short-form video, audio, and AI bots.

00:00 OBE and Role Models
00:32 Sponsor ryvr.ai
01:51 Meet Gary Eldon
03:03 Growing Up Camberwell
06:08 First Jobs and City Life
09:33 Estate Agency to Recruitment
11:42 Computer Futures Grind
15:31 Jerk Chicken Side Hustle
17:21 Launching Huxley Associates
22:38 S3 Growth and IPO
27:20 Becoming CEO
29:31 Race Diversity and OBE
32:56 Windrush Roots and Palace
34:15 Blushing Prince William
34:50 New York Expansion
36:03 Life in America
37:42 Becoming CEO
39:06 Strategy Reset
41:06 Contract Shift Math
42:39 Leaving the Top Job
45:11 Crypto Risk Lessons
47:46 Remote Work Culture
50:05 Advisory Portfolio Life
53:16 Market Outlook Pockets
58:43 Candidate First Tactics
01:02:08 Vidmology Training Vision
01:05:28 Embracing AI Future
01:08:32 Final Thanks Credits

Follow Gary Elden:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-elden-3004502b/

Follow Andy Simpson:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhsimpson/

Thank you ryvr.ai for sponsoring this episode:
https://ryvr.ai/

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, host Andy Simpson sits down with Tom Way, CEO of UK and Ireland at Hays, to explore the high-stakes world of leading one of the world's largest staffing companies.

Tom provides a deep-dive look at the "sliding doors" moments that define a career, from being one deal away from being fired to leading a organization of 2,300 people. The conversation explores the massive shift toward tech-enabled recruitment, the challenges of managing 290 million in revenue, and why the recruitment landscape in 2026 requires a "customer-centric" approach that balances AI with human connectivity.

Episode Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Intro & Welcome: Tom discusses the accountability of a PLC strategy and why you can't just "go off piste".

[00:03:30] The Early Hustle: Growing up in Paris and North London, and how working two paper rounds at 14 built a foundation for relationship building.

[00:10:43] The Sliding Doors Moment: How one deal with America Online (AOL) saved Tom from being fired and launched his recruitment career.

[00:14:12] Winning in California: The "coming to Jesus" moment in San Francisco that took a struggling team to market dominance through in-person meetings.

[00:32:00] Hays & The Tech Masterstroke: Why Hays decided to "skip a generation" of technology to wait for the right AI integration.

[00:41:57] The Future of Talent: Tom's vision for AI-stack development and why training people is the missing piece in the productivity puzzle.

[00:45:25] Quick Fire Section: Tom shares his outlook on the Hays share price, poor cricket, and the 2026 vision.

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, host Andy Simpson sits down with Jeremy Snell, recruitment leader and industry veteran, to explore what really drives performance in modern recruitment businesses.

Jeremy provides a no-nonsense look at why technology alone won’t fix broken models, and why clarity of process, value proposition, and discipline still sit at the heart of successful recruitment firms. The conversation dives deep into the rise of AI in recruitment, the challenges of scaling sales and delivery, and why recruitment leaders heading into 2026 must prioritise consistency, commercial thinking, and strong fundamentals over shiny tools.

Drawing on decades of experience building from cold starts, Jeremy shares practical insight for agency owners, leaders, and consultants navigating one of the fastest-changing recruitment landscapes we’ve ever seen.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00:00] Intro & Welcome: Andy introduces Recruiting Alchemy and welcomes Jeremy Snell to the studio.
• [00:02:10] Origins & Career Foundations: Jeremy’s early career, background, and path into recruitment.
• [00:12:20] Building from Scratch: Lessons from cold starts, hard work, and scaling recruitment desks.
• [00:24:30] AI, Automation & Process: Why AI can’t fix flawed sales or delivery processes.
• [00:45:25] Quick Fire Section: Consistency, discipline, and the habits that compound over time.

In this exceptional episode of the Recruiting Alchemy Podcast, host Andy Simpson sits down with Simon Ryan, Director at Chapter 2 and Co-founder of Chapter 2 Health Talent, for a deep dive into building, scaling, and disrupting the recruitment industry.

Simon shares his powerful origin story, the keys to navigating market crises, and the future of hyper-efficient talent acquisition, which has attracted the investment of Steven Bartlett.

⏱️ Key Timestamps

• 01:47 - Simon Ryan's Origin Story: Growing up in Stratford and selling drawings with his identical twin.
• 05:07 - The unlikely start: How soccer coaching in Camp America led to his first recruitment job at Reed.
• 06:44 - Starting just before the 2008 Financial Crisis and how he became the top perm consultant.
• 10:48 - The achievement: Becoming the youngest-ever Business Manager at Reed (age 25).
• 14:14 - The 11-year rocket ship: Scaling Your World Healthcare from 75 to 500+ staff and growing margin to £45M.
• 16:09 - The strategy: How Simon helped Leo Harrison and joined Chapter Two by adding value first.
• 19:47 - The Question: What's it like working with Steven Bartlett?
• 21:09 - Steven Bartlett's Recruiting Secret: Why he spends 30-40 hours a week on recruitment.
• 22:57 - The Disruption: Achieving 175 hires in six months with a Cost Per Hire of only £2.5k.
• 25:52 - The Chapter Two Model: The three pillars of success (Talent, Tech, and Employer Branding).
• 33:31 - Managing the "bench" and the financial risk of the embedded model.
• 44:40 - High-growth areas in Health Tech and Health AI.

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, host Andy Simpson sits down with Malvin Kamara, former professional footballer turned founder and CEO of Vallum Associates. From playing in the Premier League and Championship to building one of the fastest-growing recruitment firms in energy and infrastructure, Malvin shares his remarkable journey and the lessons learned along the way.

They discuss what professional sport taught him about resilience, how he transitioned into recruitment, and the realities of scaling a business with no prior experience. From managing VAT shocks and cashflow challenges to building a high-performance culture, Malvin offers a refreshingly honest look at what it takes to succeed in recruitment and leadership.

Whether you’re a recruiter, business owner, or simply someone interested in stories of resilience and entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical takeaways.

🎙 Key Topics:
🔹 From football pitches to boardrooms – Malvin’s journey into recruitment
🔹 Why resilience and mindset matter more than experience
🔹 Scaling Vallum Associates through setbacks and turning points
🔹 Lessons in leadership, culture, and high-performance environments
🔹 The realities of tax, cashflow, and learning business the hard way

Show Notes & Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction & Early Life

Andy introduces Malvin Kamara and his journey from football to recruitment.

Growing up in Plumstead and discovering a love for football.

[07:00] Professional Football Career

Playing for Port Vale, Huddersfield, and beyond.

How injury and circumstance shaped his next chapter.

[20:00] First Steps After Football

Door-to-door sales in Yorkshire and tough early lessons.

Transition into recruitment and discovering Venquis.

[35:00] Founding Vallum Associates

Why Malvin decided to start his own company.

Struggles with scaling, learning tax and cashflow the hard way.

Building resilience through trial and error.

[45:00] Building Culture & Scaling to Exit

The importance of high-performance environments.

Creating a company culture that attracts and retains talent.

Lessons from private equity and scaling partnerships.

[01:00:00] Final Thoughts

Advice for recruiters and entrepreneurs.

Why setbacks can shape long-term success.

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy Simpson sits down with Steve Beckitt founder of SourceBreaker for a candid and often hilarious deep dive into how he went from contract recruiter to tech founder, built a SaaS business from spreadsheets, and exited with a life-changing deal.

Steve shares his unfiltered journey: selling early products that barely worked, surviving COVID as a bootstrapped founder, and the emotional highs and lows of growing (and selling) a business under intense pressure. From S3 training rooms to building Excel tools that ended up in the hands of Google and Facebook. This episode is equal parts gritty startup story and practical masterclass for any recruiter or entrepreneur thinking of taking the leap.

🎙 Key Topics:

🔹 How Steve validated SourceBreaker by selling Excel spreadsheets to recruiters
🔹 The early hustle: balancing product development with cash flow
🔹 Going from contractor at S3 to founder in Croydon
🔹 Why recruitment was never the end goal—and how he pivoted into SaaS
🔹 Managing investor expectations and funding rounds
🔹 Surviving a direct competitor giving away a near-identical product for free
🔹 When and why he decided to sell the business—and how close it came to falling apart
🔹 The emotional cost of being a founder (and why he sold the cars)

📄 Show Notes & Timestamps

[00:00] – Intro & Background
Steve’s recruitment roots and early days at S3

[06:00] – Leaving S3 & Starting From Scratch
From flat in Croydon to the first sale

[10:00] – The Spreadsheet Hustle
How Steve built basic Excel tools to fund his startup—and got 500 global brands downloading

[14:00] – Validating the Market
From Boolean builders to product-market fit with no code

[18:00] – Finding the Right Co-Founders & Freelancers
Meet Zenon: the MVP-builder behind the curtain

[22:00] – Turning Spreadsheets into a SaaS Company
Why being underestimated helped—and what broke first

[28:00] – Raising Capital & The Pressure to Perform
Private equity, SEIS, and the true weight of investor money

[33:00] – Navigating COVID, Near Misses & Competitive Threats
How they survived a major competitor undercutting them before launch

[36:00] – Scaling, Stress & Real Talk About Burnout
The pressure to exit, and the price of relentless growth

[42:00] – Life After the Exit
What changed (and what didn’t)

[44:00] – Advice for Founders
From advisors to mindset to spreadsheets

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy sits down with David Rees, former Chief Sales Officer at S3 and now a fractional chair and investor across multiple recruitment and tech businesses. David shares his journey from his roots in South Wales to leading global teams and shaping the recruitment industry at the highest level.

They discuss the evolution of recruitment, the challenges of scaling internationally, and the critical role of company culture. David also offers candid insights on leadership, the impact of technology and AI, and what it takes to build resilient, high-performing organizations in a rapidly changing market.

Whether you're a recruiter, business leader, or interested in the future of work, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and industry perspective.

🎙 Key Topics:
🔹 Building a career from humble beginnings to industry leadership
🔹 The evolution of recruitment and why culture matters
🔹 Lessons from scaling and international expansion at S3
🔹 The impact of AI, automation, and technology on recruitment
🔹 How to build resilient, high-performing teams in uncertain times

Tune in for an in-depth discussion on recruitment strategy, leadership, and navigating the future of the industry.

Show Notes & Timestamps

[00:00] – Opening & Introduction
David’s journey from South Wales to the top of the recruitment industry.
How early experiences shaped his approach to business and leadership.

[10:00] – The S3 Story & Lessons in Growth
Joining S3, building teams, and navigating industry booms and downturns.
Why company culture and internal development drive long-term success.

[25:00] – International Expansion & Leadership
The challenges and rewards of leading teams across the UK, Germany, and beyond.
How to adapt leadership styles for different markets.

[40:00] – Technology, AI & the Future of Recruitment
How technology and AI are reshaping recruitment.
Why human connection and deep market knowledge still matter.

[55:00] – Building Resilient Teams & Businesses
Lessons from the pandemic, investing, and chairing multiple companies.
What it takes to build sustainable, high-performing organizations.

[65:00] – Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways
The importance of adaptability, culture, and leadership in recruitment.
David’s outlook on the future of the industry and advice for the next generation.

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy is joined by James Ballard, co-founder of Annapurna Recruitment. With over two decades of experience, James shares the evolution of his career, from early days at SThree to co-founding one of the most community-driven recruitment firms in the UK and Europe.

They dive deep into the importance of human connection, why recruitment must move beyond transactions, and how building a community-first brand helped Annapurna stand out. James also discusses the future of recruitment, the impact of AI, and why being memorable and value-driven is more essential than ever.

Whether you’re a recruiter, business leader, or aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation offers insight into how relationship-building, culture, and productization can fuel long-term growth.

🎙 Key Topics:

🔹 What recruitment looked like before LinkedIn
🔹 Transitioning from contingent to search
🔹 The business case for in-person connection
🔹 How to build a brand through community
🔹 Why recruiters must offer more than just CVs

Show Notes & Timestamps
[00:00] – Opening & Introductions
• James on why in-person is the only way to build real relationships
• Intro to his journey: From SThree to Annapurna

[02:00] – From Yorkshire to London: Early Career
• Working in student politics
• Starting at SThree in 2000 during the post-Y2K slump
• Realizing recruitment was hardcore sales

[06:00] – Launching Annapurna in a Crisis
• Why the 2008 crash was the perfect time to start
• Bringing a relationship-first mindset to the industry

[08:30] – The Power of Community
• How James built brand recognition through events and content
• The importance of consistency and long-term thinking

[13:00] – Relationships, Transactions
• Community as a commercial asset
• How physical connection is still vital post-pandemic

[16:00] – Competing with Internal Talent Teams
• Why AI won’t replace recruiters—human relationships still win
• The challenge of convincing companies not to DIY

[22:00] – Erupt: Creating a Product-Led Brand
• Building a network that provides value without asking for anything
• Monetizing content and events as part of a larger strategy

[27:00] – The Evolution from Contingent to Search
• Shifting to a senior, SME-led team
• Why trust and subject-matter expertise are the future
• The reality of hiring experienced recruiters

[33:00] – Coaching, Growth & Culture
• Creating a coaching-first culture
• Helping experienced recruiters upskill

[36:30] – Future Outlook & Final Thoughts
• TA teams will shrink—specialist search firms will thrive
• The importance of resilience and vision
• Why search is the right product for the future of recruitment

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy Simpson sits down with Dan Taylor, a veteran recruitment leader and current Director at Morgan Hunt. Dan shares his fascinating journey from the coal-delivery towns of Lancashire to leading high-performing teams across the UK public sector.

They dive deep into what it takes to succeed in recruitment, the challenges of leading through downturns, how AI and technology are reshaping the recruitment landscape, and why the public sector requires a different approach than the private sector.

From reflections on being the outsider as a kid, to building billion-pound partnerships in the public sector. This episode is packed with valuable insights for recruiters, leaders, and anyone navigating career growth in uncertain times.

🎙 Key Topics:

🔹 Why high-performing teams start with values
 🔹 The shift from large corporates to boutique agility
 🔹 Public sector recruitment vs. private sector
 🔹 Managing redundancies, growth, and resilience
 🔹 Leveraging AI, offshoring, and automation in recruitment

Show Notes & Timestamps

[00:00] – Introduction & Early Life

• Dan’s roots in Lancashire and early transitions
• How culture shock and cricket shaped his communication skills

[07:00] – From Bands to Banks: The Path to Recruitment

• Starting out at TSB and finding his path
• How a chance opportunity led to a career at Montrose and Hayes

[14:00] – Big Wins, Burnout & Becoming a Leader

• The high-pressure world of high-volume temp placements
• Growing into leadership and building successful teams

[18:00] – Fixing Broken Businesses

• The traits of underperforming teams
• Why mindset and culture are everything in turnarounds

[23:00] – The Hayes Exit & the Rise of Boutique Agencies

• Leaving corporate rigidity for boutique flexibility
• Joining Morgan Hunt and rediscovering purpose

[27:00] – Public Sector Strategy & Growth

• Navigating frameworks, funding cycles, and politics
• Finding success in niches and adapting with agility

[34:00] – AI, Automation & the Consultant's Future

• What technology is (and isn’t) changing in recruitment
• Offshoring, CRM shifts, and freeing up consultants to do better work

[42:00] – The Vision for Morgan Hunt

• Why staying focused beats global expansion
• Commitment to service, delivery, and making a difference

[45:00] – Final Thoughts & Looking Ahead

• Green shoots, cautious optimism, and the future of public sector hiring
• Why recruiters still matter more than ever

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy Simpson sits down with Ben Browning, founder and CEO of Resonant, sales strategist, and LinkedIn voice in the recruitment space, for a deep conversation on why recruitment sales is broken and how to fix it. They explore the shift from transactional placements to transformational sales strategies that build long-term client trust.

Ben opens up about his early career in recruitment, the lessons he learned working both agency and in-house, and how those insights laid the foundation for Resonant. From common BD mistakes to his views on the state of modern recruitment, this is a must-listen for agency leaders and consultants looking to grow with purpose.

Whether you're a founder, sales lead, or 360 recruiter. This conversation is packed with practical ideas for delivering real value to clients, standing out in a competitive market, and transforming how you approach business development.

🎙 Key Topics:

🔹 Why most recruiters are “transactional” and how to break that habit
 🔹 The rookie vs. rainmaker dynamic in mid-sized agencies
 🔹 Productizing your service as a recruiter
 🔹 The importance of recurring revenue in agency growth
 🔹 How tech, brand, and sales process intersect in modern BD

Show Notes & Timestamps

[00:00] – Intro & Background

• Andy introduces Ben Browning, CEO of Resonant
• Ben’s early exposure to business and entrepreneurship
• Falling into recruitment and learning the hard way

[06:00] – Ben’s Early Recruitment Journey

• First jobs at Robert Half and Parker Bridge
• Building commercial skills on a perm desk
• Learning through failure and lack of process

[10:00] – Transitioning to EY & Seeing the Other Side

• Ben’s in-house recruitment project at EY
• Seeing BD from the client side and the rise of vendor fatigue
• The flawed promises agencies make

[14:00] – Moving Into L&D & Training Philosophy

• What most recruiters lack: not skill, but sales strategy
• Why messaging matters more than objection handling
• Helping agencies create a sales process that scales

[18:00] – The State of Recruitment BD Today

• The problem with “we’ve got great candidates”
• Why recruitment leaders confuse activity with effectiveness
• Tech adoption, CRM gaps, and lack of methodology

[25:00] – Recurring Revenue & Productization in Recruitment

• Why recruiters need to sell insight, not just candidates
• The power of low-ticket, high-impact advisory products
• Differentiating with data and strategic outcomes

[33:00] – Brand, Video & The Modern Sales Toolkit

• Why video, voice notes, and visual outreach matter now
• Cold email fatigue and the return of the phone
• Why founder-led branding gives agencies an edge

[40:00] – The Myth of Exclusivity & Productizing the Offer

• How recruiters bluff their way to exclusivity
• Creating real value vs. making hollow promises
• Building a proposition your team can believe in

[45:00] – Transformational Recruitment as a Competitive Advantage

• Understanding the true cost of bad hiring
• Helping clients measure ROI from better recruitment
• Shifting from filling jobs to solving hiring problems

[49:00] – Final Takeaways

• Why sales success comes from clarity, not just energy
• Ben’s #1 tactical and strategic tip for recruiters
• Becoming a trusted advisor, not just a supplier