Judith Beck
Managing Director

 

Judith is the Founder and Managing Director of Financial Recruitment Group, and has extensive experience in Executive Search within the financial services industry for the past 18 years, along with ten years experience within Banking and Finance. Judith held several management positions within major financial institutions in Australia and overseas.

Judith has successfully placed hundreds of candidates over the years at Senior to MD level. Judith has a high profile in the industry and has been a mentor to some of Australia's most successful executives.

Judith has completed her MBA in Human Resource Management and is also a member of the Financial Planning Association.

Nigel Haworth
Executive Director

 

Nigel has been in the Recruitment Industry for 28 years, with the last 17 years building, running, and listing recruitment companies.  He has extremely diverse business knowledge from Executive Search in London, Singapore and Hong Kong to $100 million plus businesses across broad vertical markets.

Between the years of 1993 to 1999, Nigel built and listed with two partners a diverse business (Empresaria) in London.  At the same time he established Sheffield Haworth to focus on the Investment Banking sector in London.  He brings with him a strong ability to build and maintain relationships at all levels across a broad product base.  He has excellent people management skills engendering loyalty and a focused work ethic.  Along with a natural appetite to build business and identify niche opportunities, he is well versed in the process of Acquisition, Joint Ventures, and Integration.  His high level of negotiating ability is complimented by a successful and demonstrable track record in driving organisational and cultural change.  Along with international experience in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, he has successful and demonstrable experience in building multi-dimensional organisations across multi sites and geographies.

In his last major position as CEO of Westaff and under his guidance between 2002 and 2007, Westaff's revenue doubled to in excess of $130 million in 2007 and the company was rewarded with a dramatically increased EBIT performance.  All of this growth was organic.  During the years 2006, 2007, and 2008 Westaff achieved extremely high levels of employee, customer, and candidate engagement.  This was recognised with the Hewitt Award for Best Employer in Australia and New Zealand in 2006, 2007 and 2008, the Employer of Choice for Women in the Workplace in 2007 and 2008, and the Sara (Seek) Award as voted by customers and candidates in 2008 and 2009.

Gordon Kerr
Executive Director

 

Gordon has been a senior manager in the Human Resources & Recruitment Industry for the last 27 years, with the last 14 years spent growing and developing the businesses he has been involved in through careful shaping of key growth market sectors.  Gordon has worked for large corporations in both the United States and Australia, and in 1996 Gordon built his own Management & HR Consultancy (The Kerr Group).

 

Gordon is a growth focused consultative manager who enjoys discovering new target markets and revenue streams to further complement existing revenues. In addition, Gordon takes genuine interest in the growth and success of individuals who wish to upskill, take on greater responsibility, and strive to bring strong value to the companies they represent.  Gordon has had a great deal of experience in company mergers and acquisitions, and understands the necessity for solid strategic planning, communication, and implementation models that allow for smooth and effective transitions.

Lena Coates
Senior Consultant

 

 

Lena Coates is a Senior Consulting Specialist - Executive Search and she forms part of Financial Recruitment Group's Leadership Team based in Australia with connection into London and Singapore.

Lena is a well regarded and respected expert in the financial services industry having pursued a career in Executive Search since 1995 in the banking, funds management and wealth management sectors. She has been active in managing assignments across financial services and from early on in her career has shown she is a natural at developing relationships and offering innovative recruitment solutions to her clients. Lena regularly manages senior executive roles across her varied portfolio of high calibre clients. Each year she is also a contributor to Financial Recruitment Group's  Remuneration Survey, writes articles and presents at various PD days and forums.

Prior to joining Financial Recruitment Group, Lena managed the Preferred Supplier Agreements with a global oil company where she dealt with the selection of the suppliers and then implemented a standard operating process and then managed those relationships. She was also Acting Human Resource Manager for an Educational body, where she standardised and rolled out the HR operating process. Prior to that Lena worked in a senior role with one of the four largest global accounting firms.

Lena's  scope of successful placements covers:

• CEO
• General Managers and State Managers
• Technical and Legal Executives
• Marketing and Communications Managers
• Organisational, Operational and Risk Managers
• Financial Planners and Private Wealth Advisors
• Executive Managers and Relationship Managers
• Business Development and Practice Development Managers

Lena holds a Diploma of Business Administration and is currently studying to become a Certified NLP Practitioner. As part of continuing professional development, Lena also attends selected education and networking forums for example, Financial Planning Conference.

Conor Donoghue
Director

 

Conor joined Financial Recruitment Group in 2004 and has been recruiting within the financial services industry in Australia since 1999. As a professional Executive Search Consultant he has gained substantial experience in sourcing and recruiting a broad range of professionals across funds and asset management, as well as wealth management within New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Specific areas of speciality include:

• Business Development Managers
• Key Account Managers
• National Distribution Managers
• Practice Development Managers
• Compliance & Professional Standards
• Technical & Paraplanning Managers
• State & National Managers
• Product Development.

Prior to working within Executive Search, Conor was involved in financial services sales into Europe & the USA, as well as training and relationship management positions.

Conor holds a BA (Hons) Human Resource Management as well as a Higher National Diploma in Business Studies, and is a member of the Financial Planning Association.

Stephanie Gregory
National Office Manager

 

Stephanie is the National Office Manager and has been with Financial Recruitment Group for 12 years. Stephanie has previous experience in office management roles within the executive search and selection industry and also within the political arena in South Australia, where she worked with the Leader of the Opposition, the Premier, and the Minister for Primary Industries and Mines & Energy as Secretary/Personal Assistant.

Stephanie is the first point of contact for Financial Recruitment Group's clients and candidates, and prides herself on providing excellent customer service in a friendly and efficient manner, which in turn enables her to establish strong relationships with both clients and candidates. Stephanie has recently completed the Certificate IV in Business Administration which has further enhanced her administrative and organisation skills, to ensure the smooth running of the office, allowing the Consultants to concentrate on the business of executive search.

Carolyn Patterson
Office Manager, NSW

 

Carolyn is the Office Manager for NSW and support team co-ordinator for VIC. Carolyn has 10 years experience in the recruitment industry, having previously worked in the Accounting/Banking sector, supporting the National Managing Director and 8 consultants across three States in a large international recruitment firm. Prior to this, Carolyn was the Practice Manager/Network Administrator for a large specialist medical practice with centres in three locations, responsible for all IT and aministration requirements. Carolyn thrives on all administration tasks and enjoys the changing and challenging requirements of her role, and has established an excellent rapport with our clients and candidates alike.