Leeds-headquartered finance recruitment consultancy, Headstar, has announced the appointment of Rob Walker as strategic advisor to its board of directors as it prepares for further growth in 2023 - with the company on track to achieve a 50% increase in net fee income this year.
With a career spanning over 25 years in the recruitment sector, Rob brings a wealth of experience in building, leading and scaling recruitment businesses. He most recently led the MBO of BIE Executive, taking the company into private ownership. Prior to that, he founded Walker Hamill in London and built it into an international recruitment business.
In this newly created role, Rob will assist the board of directors in optimising the structure of the business and exploring commercial opportunities to drive further growth.
In addition to Rob, Headstar has appointed Simon Webster as part-time fFinance director. Simon, an experienced and highly regarded finance director, has operated as Headstar’s recruitment lead for the Humber and South Yorkshire since August 2022, building the company’s burgeoning presence and client base in both areas.
He will continue in this role, in addition to taking on new responsibilities for overseeing the finance team and exploring future growth opportunities.
Both appointments follow the announcement by chairman and portfolio finance director, Neil Muffitt, that he plans to retire at the end of the month, bringing an end to a remarkable career spanning six decades.
Neil joined the business, originally known as Finance Directors Yorkshire, in 2003 and has steered the company to its current position as one of the North’s leading recruitment and finance consultancy businesses, with a client base that includes Next, RSM, NG Bailey and British Garden Centres.
Alongside placing permanent and interim finance staff, Headstar also provides a range of consultancy services, designed and delivered by experienced finance directors, including turnaround support and part-time finance directors.
Commenting on the changes, managing director, James Roach, said: “Neil has made an immeasurable contribution to the success of the business over the last 20 years, and it has been a privilege and an honour to work alongside him and learn from one of the very best.
“To say that he is leaving us with large shoes to fill would be a real understatement, but in Rob and Simon we’re confident that we have the perfect combination of knowledge, experience, energy and the right cultural values.
“With a proven track record of building hugely successful businesses in the recruitment sector, Rob’s arrival is a real coup for Headstar and underlines the scale of ambition we have for growing our business both in Yorkshire and nationally.”
