Recruiting Alchemy with Andy Simpson

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 ...

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...

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 ro...

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 co...

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 recru...

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 less...

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy Simpson is joined by Chris Moylan, CEO of Tech Link Partners, who shares the raw and real journey behind launching and scaling two recruitment businesses. From growing up on construction sites to billing £90K months, selling one company, and rebuilding after personal tragedy. Chris's story is a testament to resilience, grit, and purpose.

He opens up about how life on the phones taught...

In this episode, Andy Simpson sits down with Simon Brown, founder of Richard Knows Best and one of the most candid voices in recruitment, for a no-holds-barred conversation about agency growth, leadership, and learning the hard lessons of running a recruitment business.

From selling Turtle Wax door-to-door as a teenager to building and exiting multiple recruitment businesses, Simon shares his unfiltered story—including the reality b...

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy Simpson sits down with Martyn Holme, founder and managing director of A&B Recruitment, to explore what it really takes to build and lead a high-growth recruitment business. From losing £150K in one deal to opening offices overseas, Martyn shares the key decisions and defining moments behind his success.

They discuss how early adversity shaped his work ethic, the shift from be...

In this episode, Andy Simpson sits down with Kalpesh Baxi, recruitment leader, advisor, and former UK Senior Partner of SThree PLC to explore what it takes to thrive in today’s evolving hiring landscape. They talk about the importance of culture in scaling teams, the impact of generational shifts in the workplace, and how technology is changing the way recruitment businesses operate.

Kalpesh shares stories from his 20+ yea...

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy sits down with Craig Whiting, Managing Director of RLS Search, a recruitment agency specializing in placing top technology talent into the global hedge fund space. Craig shares his journey from falling into recruitment to running a highly profitable, specialized search firm.

They discuss how hedge funds approach hiring, why recruitment has changed, and how agencies can evolve to stay ahead...

Building a Successful Healthcare Recruitment Business: Insights from Kathryn Scott

In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, host Andy Simpson speaks with Kathryn Scott, a former managing director in the recruitment industry who has recently embarked on her journey as a consultant.

Kathryn discusses her career trajectory, starting from her early days in the travel industry, her eventual transition into recruitment,...

Andy Simpson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhsimpson/) is joined by  Ben Musgrave (https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmusgrave/), COO and Head of Product at Hinterview (https://hello.hinterview.com/) to discuss USPs in recruitment and working smarter, not harder

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Welcome

01:12 Ben Musgrave's Early Life and Education

02:43 Transition to Recruitment

04:14 Challenges in Recruitment

07:33 Consultan...

Andy Simpson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhsimpson/) is joined by  Nigel Fox (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelfoxaphr/), CEO of Annapurna Recruitment (https://www.annapurnarecruitment.com/) discuss how to grow a new recruitment business, even in a down market; how they've blended different business models, sector specialisms and geographical focus to balance security and growth.

Show notes:
(01:05) Nigel&apos...

Andy Simpson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhsimpson/) and Sam Slade (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsladehinterview/) discuss the state of the market, common problems they're seeing and productisation.

Show notes:
(01:20) - Intro to Sam and his recruitment experience
(04:30) - How did Sam build a more consultative and productised offering
(07:00) - Wafer thin difference between consultancy and recruitme...