The Global Investor Specialising in Recruitment
We create value for business founders
We are a global private equity investor who works alongside experienced recruitment business leaders to establish themselves as entrepreneurs and help them successfully start, scale, and exit their recruitment business.
Our overall objective is to support our joint venture partners to maximise the value of their business, by improving existing processes and developing a strategic plan toward a profitable exit.
Benefits of Partnership
With a diverse network of industry leaders and experts across the world, many of whom have built and scaled their own businesses, Recruitment Entrepreneur provides the knowledge, strategic support, mentorship, operational infrastructure, and expert resources required to cover all areas of your business:
- Overall review and strategy of your planned or existing recruitment business
- Support with talent attraction
- Employee learning and development program
- CEO coaching and mentoring
- Brand development and marketing support
- Advice on customer acquisition strategies
- Guidance on finance and reporting
- Set up and management of operational infrastructure
- HR & Legal advice and resources
Our objective, through our ever-expanding international network, is to provide every founder with the support and resources needed to develop a recruitment business with real value at every stage of their journey.
Outside the UK, and alongside our local partners, these are the countries we currently support to start up or scale a successful recruitment business: India, the Middle East, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and the USA.
Our founder & Chairman
James Caan CBE
Having founded Recruitment Entrepreneur in 2014, former Dragons' Den star and serial entrepreneur James Caan CBE plays a pivotal role in shaping each business within our portfolio.
James has been in recruitment for over 30 years and invests in recruitment companies of all sizes across various geographies and sectors.
Alexander Mann, his first recruitment business, sold in 2013 for £260 million. His second recruitment venture, Humana International, grew to 140 offices across 30 countries.
With 3 million followers, James was named LinkedIn’s second most influential voice of 2017. His global network, both online and offline, has assisted our current CEOs in attracting the best talent, clients and candidates to their businesses.
Key Global Contacts
Annil Chandel
Regional Managing Director - India and the Middle East
Annil Chandel
Regional Managing Director - India and the Middle East
Annil began his career as a graduate trainee at Computer Futures, progressing to become the London Contracts Manager and managing a team of 40 recruiters while specializing in SAP.
He was then headhunted by a boutique SAP recruitment company to launch in Houston, Texas and later in Dubai.
Annil later joined Best People to launch their global ERP practice and eventually started his own recruitment company which he sold in 2009.
He then returned to SThree to launch their India business and later joined K2 Partnering as part of the SLT, where he launched India and helped scale their EMEAPAC business. Annil opened and delivered an account generating US$10m in revenue and $3.5m in NFI and also got involved in outsourcing services.
Tony Davies
Regional Managing Director - The Netherlands, Spain, the US and New Zealand
Tony Davies
Regional Managing Director - The Netherlands, Spain, the US and New Zealand
Tony brings 30 years of international experience across Europe, the United States and Asia, establishing successful partnerships and cross-border recruiting operations.
Tony began his career as an electrical engineer and then transitioned into contracting in 2001 when he founded and expanded his own business. He subsequently joined Cordant Recruitment Group in London and created a global recruitment function for an Italian engineering company operating in China, the US and Europe. He then worked with Belcan, a large US engineering and contracting services company, leading their international contracting team to a successful restructuring.
Tony's strengths lie in executing sales and financial strategies, negotiating business deals, advising business founders and partners on leadership, and participating in multiple sales and acquisitions throughout his career.
Ranjit Doshi
Country Manager - India
Ranjit Doshi
Country Manager - India
With 20+ years of diverse industry experience, Ranjit is passionate about empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
As the former CFO at Allegis India, Ranjit played a pivotal role in the company's global success as a leader in talent services and solutions. During his tenure, he contributed to strategic planning, financial analysis, team management, process improvements, and fostering strong client relationships at Allegis Group, a company with over $14 billion in annual revenues and a global presence.
Before Allegis India, Ranjit held influential positions at Eurofins India, Wipro Technologies, and Apple India, developing expertise in areas such as contract negotiation, revenue assurance, pricing strategies, due diligence, and financial planning.
Nitin Bhatia
Country Manager - India
Nitin Bhatia
Country Manager - India
Nitin has over 25 years experience in India in diverse industries comprising of start-ups and established brands. This includes 10 years experience with leading recruitment firms ManpowerGroup and Quadrangle - Search and Selection division of Info Edge India Ltd (Naukri.com)
Having worked in a highly competitive recruitment space in India, Nitin strongly believes that a team’s success lies in its ability to attract top talent and consistently acquire/build deep relationships with key customers.
Melissa O'Neill
Country Manager - Middle East
Melissa O'Neill
Country Manager - Middle East
O'Neill, a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience in the recruitment industry, is a Partner at Wayfinders, an investment group and venture builder in the Middle East. Specializing in Strategy, Business Development, and Customer Experience, Melissa has played a pivotal role in driving the success of Wayfinders and its diverse portfolio of companies, including SGP Technology, People Partners, Hotdesk, and Benchmark.
As a double degree holder in Business and Law, Melissa has been honored with numerous accolades, including being named Runner-Up for Start-Up of the Year in 2012 and a Best Customer Experience nomination in the Trade Excellence Awards in 2013. A fierce advocate for female leadership and diversity, Melissa's passion and expertise have made her an influential figure in the Middle Eastern recruitment landscape.
Marco van Rooij
Country Manager - Netherlands
Marco van Rooij
Country Manager - Netherlands
Marco van Rooij is a sales and recruitment specialist with a background in financial management. He has worked for companies such as ASML, Bosch, and DHL, and has developed strong communication and persuasion skills over the years.
Currently, Marco is a Management Coach at MAAN Management, Coaching & Advice, and a Trainer at Nutshell Academy. He is also a member of the Werkveld Advies Raad at Avans University of Applied Sciences.
Prior to this, Marco worked for RSG, Career Control, YER, and Robert Half, where he gained extensive experience in managing teams and building strong networks of clients and professionals.
Marco is a results-driven professional with a strong entrepreneurial drive and ambition.
Jason Walker
Country Manager - New Zealand
Jason Walker
Country Manager - New Zealand
Jason, a seasoned recruitment professional, began his career at Adecco NZ in 1994 and quickly became a top Temporary Consultant. In 1996, he moved to the UK and excelled at Hays, rising to Director and contributing significantly to their first major RPO win. Returning to New Zealand in 2002, he transformed an underperforming Hays division into a market leader with 95+ consultants, generating $90 million in revenue. In 2012, he joined the Australia/NZ Hays Operational Board, overseeing a $2 billion business. Jason pioneered the Hays Centre of Excellence in NZ, offering MSP and RPO services.
In 2018, he launched his consulting business, specializing in coaching and training with RecruitmentSuccessCoach™. Jason, a certified HBDI WholeBrain Practitioner, also conducts leadership workshops. As of September 2023, he serves as NZ Country Director for Recruitment Entrepreneur, supporting local founders in their success.
Pablo Sanchez
Country Manager - Spain
Pablo Sanchez
Country Manager - Spain
Pablo Sánchez, Country Director for RE Spain, is a contracting entrepreneur and venture capitalist with more than 15 years of experience.
Based in the Madrid Metropolitan Area, it helps entrepreneurs, companies and high-caliber individuals achieve wealth and personal success.
Starting at Accenture in 2005, Pablo held leadership positions at GMV and became Senior Integration Director.
In 2013, he joined Catenon as Managing Director for the Middle East and Turkey, fostering strong relationships with clients, partners and candidates.
Pablo's expertise lies in identifying exceptional individuals who have consistently excelled in their careers, helping founders and startups thrive in a competitive marketplace.
Ron Bardach
Investment Director - USA
Ron Bardach
Investment Director - USA
Ron Bardach is Country Manager for RE USA, where he leverages his extensive recruitment and staffing experience to develop local partnerships and increase the pipeline of entrepreneurs and emerging businesses in the US.
With over 30 years of sales, business development, and marketing experience in the B2B, Enterprise, and Staffing/Recruiting industries, Ron brings a unique understanding of critical drivers to the success of businesses in this arena.
Before joining RE USA, Ron was the highest revenue generator at Oorwin Labs, a recruitment SaaS solution, where he expanded the business and brand in North America and beyond.
Ron also spent over six years at TechServe Alliance, recruiting hundreds of IT staffing executives and recruiters to join the national association representing the IT/Engineering Staffing & Solutions industry.
