Recruiting Alchemy with Andy Simpson

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Moving recruiters from the contingent carousel to repeatable, scalable, productised offerings.

  1. Jul 16

    Recruiting Alchemy Podcast Ep. 22: Building a recruitment empire with Dean Kelly

    What does it really take to build one of the UK's biggest recruitment businesses? In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy Simpson sits down with Dean Kelly, entrepreneur, investor and one of recruitment's best-known founders, to explore the highs, lows and lessons from an extraordinary career. Dean shares how he went from growing up on a North London council estate to becoming a multi-millionaire before the age of 30. Along the way, he opens up about setbacks, near business failures, acquisitions, scaling at speed, leading PLCs, and why some of his biggest lessons came from the toughest moments. This is an honest conversation about ambition, resilience, leadership and what success really looks like once you've achieved it.   Whether you're building a recruitment business, leading a team or simply fascinated by entrepreneurial journeys, there's something in this episode for you. Timestamps 00:00 – Highlights from Dean's journey 01:00 – Sponsor: ryvr.ai 02:00 – Introducing Dean Kelly 04:00 – Growing up in North London and early ambitions 11:00 – Falling into recruitment by accident 14:00 – Nearly losing his job before everything changed 18:00 – Developing self-belief and changing his mindset 22:00 – The drive to build something bigger 32:00 – Being headhunted and stepping into leadership 35:00 – Starting his own recruitment business 42:00 – Scaling at speed and almost going under 45:00 – The realities of rapid growth 56:00 – Leadership, culture and getting the best from people 01:02:00 – Exits, acquisitions and what success really means 01:06:00 – Leading through crisis and lessons from the boardroom 01:10:00 – Final advice for founders and recruitment leaders Connect with Dean Kelly LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deankellyuk/ Connect with Andy Simpson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyhsimpson/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhsimpson/ This episode is proudly sponsored by ryvr.ai Find out more about ryvr: Website: https://ryvr.ai/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryvr.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ryvrai/ Produced by Vertical Drop Recruiting Alchemy is produced by Vertical Drop, helping founders and businesses turn conversations into content that builds authority, creates opportunities and drives growth. From podcast production and strategy to social media content, guest management and distribution, Vertical Drop helps brands create content that delivers long after the recording ends.

    Recruiting Alchemy Podcast Ep. 22: Building a recruitment empire with Dean Kelly

  2. Jul 8

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.21: Rebuilding a Decadelong Business from Scratch with Elliott Manning

    What does it take to completely reinvent a recruitment business that's already successful? In this episode of Recruiting Alchemy, Andy Simpson sits down with Elliott Manning, Founder of Kayman Recruitment, to unpack a journey that's anything but conventional. From leaving school at 15 to become a chef, to building a thriving recruitment business across the UK, US and South Africa, Elliott shares the lessons he's learnt from taking risks, making mistakes, and constantly adapting to a changing market. The conversation explores entrepreneurship, international expansion, outsourcing, offshoring, and why sometimes the biggest opportunities come from tearing up the original plan and starting again. Whether you're a recruitment founder, agency leader or simply interested in building businesses differently, there's plenty to take away from this one. Timestamps 00:00 – Highlights from Elliott's journey 01:00 – Sponsor: ryvr.ai 02:00 – Introducing Elliott Manning 04:00 – Growing up in East London and life before recruitment 07:00 – Becoming a chef and working in Michelin-starred kitchens 10:00 – First steps into recruitment 13:00 – Building a successful healthcare recruitment desk 16:00 – Why entrepreneurship always felt inevitable 19:00 – Taking the leap and starting his own business 20:00 – Accidentally discovering rec-to-rec recruitment 22:00 – Growing the business and early leadership lessons 25:00 – Expanding into the US market 30:00 – Why South Africa became the next big move 36:00 – Building an outsourcing and offshoring business 40:00 – Launching new ventures and changing direction 42:00 – Scaling internationally and helping recruitment firms hire globally 45:00 – The future of recruitment and offshore talent 50:00 – Advice for founders looking to scale internationally 55:00 – Final thoughts and key lessons Connect with Elliott Manning LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-manning-4b3b6b7/ Kayman Recruitment: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kayman-recruitment/ Connect with Andy Simpson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyhsimpson/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhsimpson/ This episode is proudly sponsored by ryvr.ai Find out more: Website: https://ryvr.ai/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryvr.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ryvrai/ Produced by Vertical Drop Find out more: https://vertical-drop.com/

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.21: Rebuilding a Decadelong Business from Scratch with Elliott Manning

  3. Jul 2

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.20: Logan Naidu - Two Private Equity Deals and the Culture That Made Them Work

    On Recruiting Alchemy, Logan Naidu, founder and Group CEO of Kernel Global, shares his personal background and path from investment banking at J.P. Morgan and corporate finance at PwC into recruitment, after being fired from his first recruiting role. He founded The Cornell Partnership in 2005, built it to around 30 people, then after a cancer diagnosis in 2010 and disagreements over shifting from a dividend-led lifestyle business to a growth-and-exit strategy, left in 2011 to start Dartmouth Partners. He describes building a high-performance culture centred on making winning “intoxicating,” a long-term “classroom to boardroom” candidate strategy, and growing with a 30% annual growth target. Naidu talkes about private equity, completed PE deals in 2018 and March 2023 (closing shortly after SVB), acquired Pure, grew to 10m EBITDA, paid out a staff pot of about £30m to 170–180 people, navigated post-COVID market shifts, and emphasised in-office culture and US expansion. 00:00 Apartheid Roots 00:26 Sponsor ryvr AI 01:45 Meet Logan Naidu 03:27 Family and Identity 06:04 School and Ambition 08:09 Banking Disillusionment 09:26 PwC and Pivot Point 11:14 Landing in Recruitment 13:22 Fired by Text 16:10 Starting Cornell Partnership 18:23 Lifestyle Business Reality 20:07 Cancer Wake Up Call 23:08 Leaving to Build Dartmouth 23:53 Growth Culture Blueprint 27:50 Classroom to Boardroom 32:29 Kernel Group Today 32:42 Multi Brand Strategy 33:12 Private Equity Explained 34:20 First PE Deal Journey 38:48 De Risking And Growth 40:28 Acquiring Pure 42:52 Boardroom Changes 45:13 Second PE Deal 48:46 Market Turns Down 51:55 Culture And Performance 53:50 Future Plans And AI 57:29 Office First Culture 01:03:40 Vision And Wrap Up 01:05:02 Production Credits Guest, Logan Naidu: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logan-naidu-3b10b51/ Kernel Global: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kernelglobal/ Host, Andy Simpson: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyhsimpson/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhsimpson/ Thank you to ryvr.ai for sponsoring this episode read more about them below: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryvr.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ryvrai/ Website: https://ryvr.ai/

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.20: Logan Naidu - Two Private Equity Deals and the Culture That Made Them Work

  4. Jun 25

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.19: Gary Elden - The £8K Bet That Built an Empire

    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/

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.19: Gary Elden - The £8K Bet That Built an Empire

  5. Apr 29

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.18: Tom Way - How One Choice Transformed Everything

    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.

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.18: Tom Way - How One Choice Transformed Everything

  6. Feb 11

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.17: Jeremy Snell on Shifting from CV Vendor to Value Proposition

    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.

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.17: Jeremy Snell on Shifting from CV Vendor to Value Proposition

  7. 11/20/2025

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.16: Simon Ryan on Scale, Embedded Talent & Steven Bartlett

    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.

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.16: Simon Ryan on Scale, Embedded Talent & Steven Bartlett

  8. 08/27/2025

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.15: Malvin Kamara on Football, Founding Vallum Associates & Leadership.

    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.

    Recruiting Alchemy Ep.15: Malvin Kamara on Football, Founding Vallum Associates & Leadership.
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