For over two decades, Adams + Oliver has been at the forefront of Change and Transformation, Risk Management, and Regulatory Compliance, driven by our core values of expertise delivered with integrity.
Since our inception, we have been committed to building and nurturing mutually beneficial long term relationships with clients, contacts, candidates, colleagues and suppliers.
Our story is one of continuous evolution to meet the needs of our clients, underpinned by a steadfast dedication to doing the right thing.
“Our core value is ‘Relationship First’, doing the right thing by our clients and our experts pervades everything we do. We are abreast – or ahead – of developments in our chosen niche of Change and Transformation in Financial Services. For me and all my team, enabling success in this is making a real difference and building a better future for our clients, our experts - and ourselves.”
David Birnie
CEO, Adams + Oliver
Relationship
First
Complete
Integrity
Enabling
Success
Consistently
Better
Completely
Inclusive
Adams + Oliver is a team of exceptional individuals working seamlessly together to match our Known + Trusted experts with roles in which they will excel at delivering Change + Transformation for our clients, creating value for everyone involved.
CEO
CEO
For 20 years, David has owned and led Adams + Oliver with a personal philosophy that shapes our company culture: "Be a good person and enable other good people's success." Good at what you do and in who you are. This core belief drives our commitment to excellence, integrity, and a supportive environment where we deeply care about the positive impact our work has on the careers of the individuals we place and the initiatives they deliver for clients.
We collaborate as a team, providing consistent support so you receive seamless service from whoever you interact with at Adams + Oliver. Before acquiring the company, David spent a decade heading business development at another recruitment firm, achieving remarkable growth by living these values.
He first cemented his people-first approach at IBM, where he pioneered an innovative model of leveraging the tech giant's internal experts to solve client challenges. This light bulb moment, the realisation that success hinges on having the right people in place, even with the best products and technology, sparked his 25-year career dedicated to providing exceptional Change and Transformation talent, culminating in Adams + Oliver's inclusive workforce solutions.
With a multicultural background shaped by residing in South Africa, the Middle East and Australia as well as the UK, David brings a global outlook. An inveterate traveller with a passion for contemporary art, he infuses our work with diverse perspectives.
Chief Relationship Officer
Chief Relationship Officer
Drawing on over thirty years of experience in recruitment and client delivery, John specialises in connecting top talent across the banking and insurance sectors. His expertise spans large-scale Change and Transformation programs, Financial Crime and Payments.
John leverages an extensive network of trusted professionals to provide tailored workforce solutions that drive value for clients. Having managed major accounts for tier-one banks and headhunting firms, he brings a proven track record of success.
At the core of John's work is a commitment to building strong client relationships and ensuring smooth delivery. As an industry veteran, he leads revenue generation through strategic oversight of Sales, Resourcing, and Operations teams.
John's approach, coupled with his deep subject matter expertise, enables him to understand each client's unique needs and provide exceptional service. By fostering long-term partnerships, he ensures our clients have access to the right talent to achieve their business objectives.
Business Development Director
Business Development Director
After co-founding a hugely successful IT recruitment and managed services company Carl Nichols joins Adams + Oliver to embrace and drive this hugely innovative company into the future.
With over 35 years of experience working within the IT recruitment space, Carl has a hugely successful background in talent management; he navigates the complexities of the ever-evolving landscape, with a focus on developing cutting-edge strategies and initiatives to effectively lure top talent to A+O's fantastic range of customers.
He says that a range of specialisms, including AI, Blockchain, Digita lAssets, Quantum and Security, are just some of the areas that are creating wonderful hiring opportunities within the global markets today. The UK is brilliantly placed to take advantage of these with an outstanding portfolio of candidates. If you know where to look!
Carl comments '' I'm incredibly excited about leading A+O, especially seeing the great team involved. The plans for the future fill me with great confidence that we will continue to be a major recruitment player well into the future.'
Managing Director, Legal
Managing Director, Legal
Damian has joined Adams+ Oliver as Managing Director, Legal, bringing the clients and candidates from his well established and respected Digby Group to form the core of this new division which will trade as Adams + Oliver Legal. Starting his career at a small boutique legal search firm in 2015, Damian went on to develop his craft at the largest recruitment firm in the world, focusing on partner placements internationally and nationally, before founding Digby Group Limited, a boutique legal executive search firm specialising in high-value lateral and team moves
Known for his commitment to quality over quantity, Damian ensures every introduction serves the unique needs of his clients and candidates and has a 100% success rate on retained mandates.
Damian is a keen gym-goer and enjoys following football, especially Arsenal, combat sports and spending time with his family and dog, Digby.
Head of Resourcing
Head of Resourcing
Amanda started her career in the Fund Management industry, working in front office roles at Credit Suisse and Barings after graduating with a degree in Business and French. She specialised in trading emerging market equities, gaining valuable expertise in this dynamic sector.
In 2007, Amanda transitioned into Recruitment, initially focusing on Talent Acquisition for Fund Management and Investment banking. Since 2012 she’s focused in Change Management hiring and expanded her industry expertise to cover other Financial Services segments.
As Head of Resourcing at Adams + Oliver for the past three years, Amanda leads a team of specialist consultants with extensive sector knowledge. Drawing from her well-rounded background spanning Financial Services, Recruitment, and Change Management, she provides strategic oversight to our delivery of top talent solutions.
Amanda's unique blend of front office Investment Management experience coupled with over a decade of Recruiting expertise enables her to understand the many nuances of our clients' needs. Her team's expert focus on Change and Transformation enables them to identify and attract the most qualified professionals to drive strategic initiatives.
Candidate Relationship Manager
Candidate Relationship Manager
Selena brings over 11 years of specialised experience to Adams + Oliver, excelling in the identification and placement of hard-to-find Change and Transformation experts. Her dedication to building relationships and her innovative approach to Talent Acquisition make her an invaluable asset to our team and clients alike.
Selena's expertise goes beyond traditional Recruitment. She possesses a deep understanding of the Change and Transformation sector, allowing her to anticipate market trends and identify the emerging skills crucial for our clients' future success.
At Adams + Oliver, Selena embodies our commitment to excellence and relationship-focused service. She works collaboratively with both clients and candidates, ensuring a thorough understanding of needs and aspirations. This approach results in successful, long-term placements that drive mutual success.
Finance Director
Finance Director
Lorraine brings 30 years of financial expertise to her role as Finance Director at Adams + Oliver, with the last 9 years focused on the Recruitment industry. Her deep understanding of Financial Management in our sector makes her an indispensable member of our Leadership Team.
With precision and care, Lorraine ensures our clients are billed correctly and our associates paid on time, while managing all aspects of our finances and contracts. She works closely with clients to track spend against work orders and manage assignment extensions.
Lorraine's role extends beyond traditional Financial Management. As a strategic partner, she provides invaluable insights that drive informed decision-making across the organisation. Her proactive approach to Financial Planning and Analysis helps us navigate complex market conditions and seize growth opportunities.
Lorraine's commitment to continuous improvement has been instrumental in developing robust financial systems that support our evolving business needs, enhancing our ability to provide timely, accurate reporting to all stakeholders and contributing to our collective success.
Head of Data, Quality Management + Information Security
Head of Data, Quality Management + Information Security
Jo plays a pivotal operational role ensuring Adams + Oliver has the right technology, data and processes to enable effective delivery of our services and that our information is accurate and secure. She is a qualified BAB Internal Auditor and drives our external evaluations and accreditations. She is responsible for our ISO9001 and ISO27002 compliance ensuring our commitment to quality and information security is maintained, audited and continuously improved.
With 20 years of experience in the recruitment industry, Jo brings a multi-faceted background as a CRM/Database Specialist, Trainer, CIPD Qualified Learning and Development Professional and GDPR Practitioner. Her diverse expertise has been honed across both high-profile organisations and boutique firms.
Currently undertaking Cyber Essentials, the W3Cx Accessibility qualification and embarking on an AI learning journey, Jo exemplifies our firm's dedication to staying ahead of emerging trends and best practices in everything we do. As our L&D manager, her technical proficiency combined with a passion for people development ensures we cultivate a workforce committed to continual learning and operational excellence.
With her passion for environmental issues Jo drives our corporate and social responsibility initiatives and sustainability training, leading the promotion and implementation of our sustainability and carbon reduction strategies and practices.
As our DE&I advocate, Jo develops and maintains strategic frameworks, training programs, and initiatives that foster an environment of inclusivity, acceptance and accessibility for all. She champions diversity, equity, and inclusion and LGTBQI+ issues both within our organisation, as a MyGWork Mentor and as an active Committee member with Windsor Pride.
“I’ve worked with A+O for twenty years across two major banks. They really work at relationships, they’re very straight forward + the people they provide are first-rate.”
Group Change Director, Major Retail Bank
“I work with A+O because their first question is always ‘what do you want to achieve?’ not ‘which roles do you need to fill?'.”
CEO, Global Custody Firm
“Amanda has been brilliant, always available, engaging + reaches out to ensure everything is going well + to keep up to date with my situation. Amanda is always willing to help.”
Mark Bassett, Business Analyst, NatWest DigitalX
“During my five years as an Associate, Adams + Oliver has always been superb, very kind, polite + helpful. John is brilliant, when I speak with him, I know I’ll get an honest + genuine response to any question.”
Chirag Shah, Consumer Duty Associate, NatWest Commerical & Institutional Banking
“Selena was extremely friendly, helpful, professional and knowledgeable. She clearly knew the role and requirements inside out and what relevant skills I had. Selena was a pleasure to talk to.”
David Hollow, Senior Security Dev Ops Engineer
“Donna was very professional, but also had a relaxed approach which suited me perfectly. Was informative about the role, helping me to make an informed decision.”
Iain Ogburn, Group Risk & Compliance Assurance Officer, PIB Group
As an organisation that is based around people, the importance of inclusive recruitment is something we pride ourselves on. From our gender-neutral job descriptions to being an LGTBQI+, Disability and Age inclusive organisation, our processes are always evolving to give both our clients and associates the best opportunities and experience possible.
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