Our PeoPLE
Suzanne Feeney, Senior Consultant, Legal & Compliance
“Upon completion of a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Limerick, I went on to achieve a Postgraduate Diploma in business studies at the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business in Dublin. Following this, I worked in share registration for two years, before deciding to embark on a career in recruitment. I was attracted to recruitment due to the high levels of relationship management and client contact involved. After working with a small Irish legal recruitment firm for three years, I joined Robert Walters in 2007 as consultant in the legal & compliance division in Dublin. In January 2010, I was promoted to the position of senior consultant.
I was immediately drawn to the company’s consultative approach and the strong emphasis on team work. The core values of innovation, vision and leadership resonate at every level within the organisation and there is a huge sense of pride from being part of a company that is focused on exceptional candidate and client care and long-term relationship development.
Robert Walters has offered me the opportunity to develop a professional career as a recruitment consultant. Training is very structured and there is a long-term focus on the development of consultants. Hard work and commitment are recognised and rewarded and being part of a team that is working to achieve a common goal means high levels of energy and fun every day.”
Oliver Harris, Chief Executive Office - Resource Solutions
After just over two and half years within the role the team has developed to a point where we are generating significant revenue.“After graduating from Exeter University with a 2:1 in Economics and Geography, I spent time travelling and working abroad before joining
Robert Walters in London in 1998 as a trainee recruitment consultant on the banking operations contract team. Success in this role ensured promotions to team leader and then a year later to manager.
In 2004 I was promoted to managing director of the entire Robert Walters contract business. By 2010, I had grown the Robert Walters contract business into a team with one of the strongest track records of success within the financial services industry.”
Under Oliver’s guidance the contract business grew to comprise over 18 specialist teams and is still the most profitable division of the UK business covering finance, operations, secretarial and support, IT and sales and marketing.
“In 2010, I joined Resource Solutions as CEO. Part of the Robert Walters Group, Resource Solutions is one of the original pioneers of recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) solutions and is now one of the UK market’s leaders. My goal at Resource Solutions is to capitalise on the Group’s fantastic global footprint and grow the Resource Solutions brand and
client base globally.
A key factor which played a vital part in my career at Robert Walters and now Resource Solutions has been the company culture and the nature of the work. Robert Walters is a fantastic organisation where you have the opportunity to work with energetic, outgoing, like-minded people who work hard and share the same end goal for the business.”
Antoine Biot, Associate Director, HR, Tax & Legal
“After having graduated from ESC Reims Business School and interned at a large auditing firm, I joined Robert Walters in 2003 as a consultant. I was lucky to come into a profession that perfectly combined my interest in people as well as sales. Recruitment is a rich and rewarding career with many intertwining levels involving human interaction and business development.
During my 8 years at Robert Walters, I was given excellent training and was greatly motivated to succeed. My hard work paid off and I was promoted several times. Today I am associate director and manage four divisions: tax & legal (in-house/private practice), HR, investment banking and consulting.
What I enjoy most is that our line of work allows us to positively change the careers and everyday lives of our candidates. Placing a candidate is always such a satisfaction, as of course is signing on new contracts and developing business! Robert Walters is a unique environment where the will to evolve never ceases. We are driven to constantly bypass our limits and reach achievement and success that is truly deserved.”
Bob Van Ginkel, Senior Manager, Finance
“Robert Walters is a great environment in which to become a sales professional around one of the most complex products there is: highly skilled professionals.
The past five years at Robert Walters have been a great adventure and from day one I was able to develop my commercial and entrepreneurial skills. Robert Walters fast tracked my personal development and career. In this results-driven, commercial environment I received training and coaching to get the best results for both Robert Walters and myself.
A career at Robert Walters provides you with the opportunity to work alongside like-minded, sociable and highly-energetic recruitment professionals who have a drive to deliver an outstanding level of service to both candidates and clients alike. Working with highly skilled and intelligent professionals provides a challenging and rewarding environment, where creative and entrepreneurial individuals can flourish.
Robert Walters is a high performance organisation that constantly adapts to ever-changing market conditions, but always maintains the highest standards of recruitment (in 2010 the firm won the Best International Recruiter Award). As a firm and as individuals we have to
stay innovative, agile and focused on high quality services to continue to stay ahead of the competition. That is why we only recruit the best professionals to work as consultants. Are you ready for an adventure? Come and join this great company to work for!”
Ozlem Simsek, Manager, Walters People, Brussels
"After obtaining a Masters in Economics at the University of Brussels and another Masters in Business Administration at the Solvay Business School, I started my professional career working in the financial department of the Belgian Government. After a year I decided to become a financial recruitment consultant and three years after that, in 2005, I moved to Robert Walters as a Senior Consultant. I was offered the challenge to help launch the contracting business division in Belgium: Walters Interim and a year later became Manager.
At Robert Walters, I have really been given the opportunity to manifest my creativity and develop my entrepreneurial talents. Leveraging Robert Walters outstanding brand has allowed me to grow the business significantly, providing a high level of service to both clients and candidates. The variety and challenging nature of the job make my professional experience at Robert Walters very satisfying. Taking on the challenge Robert Walters offered me was probably my best decision yet."
Anthony Modrich, Country Manager
“After finishing my Master’s degree, I turned down an offer to work as a wastewater engineer in favour of a sales position in the marine industry. After a year, I moved overseas and took on another sales role in a Sydney ‘boiler room’ before joining a local recruitment firm in Vietnam where I managed the sales and marketing division – making inroads into a new industry and an emerging economy.
I was introduced to Robert Walters through a client in early 2006, and decided to join its Hong Kong office based on the Group’s strong reputation for career opportunities and professional development. With my previous recruitment experience I took on the role of a senior consultant and was eventually promoted to Associate Director in 2009 with the remit to establish and grow both the Supply Chain and Commerce Finance divisions. After a fruitful and challenging four and half years in Hong Kong, I was offered the opportunity to set up our first office in Korea. I readily took on the challenge and was appointed Country Manager for Robert Walters Korea.
I’ve always felt I was lucky to find a company which strongly believes in promoting from within, and where you have control over your career progression. The organisation is growing at a rate where you will constantly find amazing opportunities opening up all across the world, and if you can deliver results there are no limits where Robert Walters can take your career.
For those who are driven to achieve, desire to work with the best in the industry and yet want to have fun doing it, I can’t think of many companies which are able to offer the same level of opportunity as Robert Walters.”
Ricky Mui, Associate Director, Legal
“I studied Law and Psychology at the University of Western Australia and worked in Perth as a lawyer for top-tier law firm Phillips Fox until 2000. Before making my decision to come to London, I attended a Robert Walters ‘Working Overseas’ roadshow in Perth and thought the opportunity to work and travel abroad was exactly what I was looking for.
While interviewing as a candidate in 2003 I was offered, and accepted, a position as a legal consultant at Robert Walters. I was subsequently promoted to manager of the legal contract division and eventually Director of the legal division in the UK.
I was then offered an exciting new opportunity to establish and expand the legal division in Hong Kong. This is one of Robert Walters’ key benefits where it offers international mobility to successful employees with an outstanding track record.
Legal recruitment allows me to leverage my legal experience in a commercial environment to provide professional services to both candidates and clients. I had never thought about working in this sector, but it is one of the most satisfying jobs I have ever worked in and it
definitely suits me and my personality.
At Robert Walters the people make the company. You can’t beat the work ethic and culture of the firm. It is a fantastic opportunity to work in such a professional environment with like-minded colleagues who have solid legal and recruitment credentials. The work ethos cultivates a team working environment and a great support network which allows consultants to get the most out of each other.”
Kimberlyn Lu, Manager, Sales & Marketing and Supply Chain
“I started my career in account management, mainly in corporate and commercial banking. My role mainly involved building long-term relationships with clients from across different sectors and managing their business financial needs.
In 2008, I moved to Malaysia and joined Robert Walters as a consultant, specialising in sales and marketing recruitment. Why Robert Walters? I was attracted to its brand name, professionalism and the team-based environment it stood for. Like most colleagues, I did not come from a recruitment background but within the first six months, I managed to achieve a good measure of success through building bridges with multinational clients within the FMCG, pharmaceutical and retail sectors. After three years, I was promoted to senior consultant and shortly after, took on the role of Manager with the remit to grow and
develop the sales & marketing and supply chain divisions for Robert Walters Malaysia. I now manage one of the largest teams in the Kuala Lumpur office, with a bunch of highly talented and driven consultants.
My job allows me to experience something new every day. I enjoy meeting and picking the minds of outstanding, high-calibre professionals, and assisting organisations to source for the best talent in the market. At Robert Walters, I am a consultative sales person, an account manager and a career consultant all rolled into one. My vision has grown in the three years I’ve been with the business. This is a truly unique and rewarding experience that is second to none.”
Sinead Hourigan, Regional Director
“After completing a degree in English at University College Dublin, I started my professional career as a graduate in the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. In 1999, I took a year out from my role with the Irish government and travelled to Australia, where I spent a few months working for a ‘Big 4’ accountancy firm in Sydney. After doing some research about the recruitment industry I decided to become a recruitment consultant and
joined a small specialist recruitment firm.
Notwithstanding the amount I learned in my first recruitment role, it soon became apparent to me that I was better suited to a large scale corporate environment where the right infrastructure and support was in place to allow consultants to focus purely on recruitment. As a result I joined Robert Walters in 2003 to help launch the government accounting team. This team has since experienced great success and is now one of Robert Walters’ most profitable divisions. Within 12 months, I was given the opportunity to take on the role of Director of the Brisbane office. My current mandate is to develop strategies to further grow and enhance our business. Robert Walters has provided me with outstanding opportunities to progress my career and I am proud to be part of a global organisation with such a great reputation.”
Liz Nixon, Manager, Permanent Finance
“After graduating from Victoria University of Wellington with a Commerce degree, I embarked on my ‘overseas experience’ and secured my first role in recruitment, working for a leading UK firm for three years in London.
When I decided to return to New Zealand, I was quite mindful that a transition back into a smaller market might prove to be quite a mental shift after working in London. Robert Walters’ global presence and reputation were definitely key factors influencing my decision, as were the dynamic, like-minded people I met during the interview process.
I joined Robert Walters in Auckland as a Senior Consultant on the finance permanent team in 2008 and was promoted to the position of Manager at the beginning of 2009. My team recruit for a broad selection of New Zealand businesses, including many blue-chip organisations and small to medium-sized enterprises.
One of the huge benefits of working for Robert Walters in New Zealand is the emphasis we place on providing consultative, long-term recruitment solutions for our clients. The Auckland business community is small, dynamic and relationship-driven, so there is a real emphasis on providing a very high touch, personalised service which is extremely rewarding.
Robert Walters has a very supportive, collegiate management structure with frequent opportunities to meet with my counterparts across the Asia Pacific region. Knowing that I can tap into a wealth of recruitment expertise across the globe makes Robert Walters a great place to work.”
Jeremy Jones, Financial Controller
“I have worked both in the large CA firms as well as general commerce and industry. Gaining my CA with PwC in New Zealand in 1995, I moved to the UK in 2000 and gained working experience in various publicly listed companies. I returned to Australia in 2002 and have since worked in various financial analyst and Financial Controller roles, including three years as National financial controller in Robert Walters Australia.
Since joining Robert Walters, I have been greatly impressed with its highly dynamic culture, along with its strong brand and corporate values. My colleagues have been excellent to work with, and the company’s promote-from-within culture has given me the opportunity to grow and develop my career not just locally, but regionally.
My latest promotion to Regional Financial Controller in early 2011, moving to Singapore, has increased my level of responsibility to cover all financial management across Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Taiwan.
Robert Walters understands that maintaining a strong brand and ensuring
optimum levels of service provision is paramount - qualities which although
critical for success, are often overlooked by other recruitment firms. The
company also consistently strives to maintain a high level of professionalism,
as well as having clear and concise goals, and solid organisational structures.
These factors make a compelling case for me to continue to grow my career
within the organisation.
My new role has opened up a brand new world of opportunity for me in Asia, and I find myself thriving in the vibrant, positive and goal-driven environment that has become such an appealing element of the Robert Walters culture all across the world.”