Testimonials

Stephen Vinnicombe|Coach, NED & Chairman Delta Capita

"As a UK & SA CEO of Capco, a 600 person business growing at 25% CAGR my requirement of David was to find high quality additions to my team to sustain our performance. David stuck out from his competition in the care with which he understood me and my needs, his flexibility in changing approach if it was required to get the results we needed and his relentless focus on delivery."

Mark Bailey|Founder & CEO, Henderson Scott

"David was engaged by Henderson Scott during a period of exciting change for the business as we embarked on a sale to private equity investors. Whilst David’s engagement morphed to suit circumstances throughout his engagement, the main constant was the support that he provided to myself, the business and the management team, whilst both myself and my current COO were immersed with the sale process.

David’s wealth of experience within the industry was invaluable in providing me with a soundboard throughout the deal cycle and in day-to-day business affairs, in addition to which David acted as an advisor to my management team, providing them with guidance, development and escalation points during an important time for the business."

Jennifer Lemaigre|VP, Global Talent Acquisition and Onboarding at LexisNexis Legal & Professional

"I have known David for more than 5 years, I highly value his outstanding communication skills (especially listening!), professionalism and market insight, that allows for an exceptional timely business-focused outcome."

Daniel Daw|Founder, Owner and NED, Amoria Bond

"I’ve known David for a long time within the Recruitment industry and can vouch for his wide knowledge of both strategic and tactical improvement initiatives that drive business growth.

I’ve worked with David on a number of specific areas including Business & Account Development, Leadership & succession planning and on-going executive accountability coaching. His knowledge and solution-focused approach has led to targeted gains in all areas we have collaborated on together."

Ashley Lawrence|CEO & Co-Founder, Trinnovo Group

"Bringing together our highly specialist brands into a group entity was not going to come without complexity, compounded by political uncertainty and recent IR35 changes it was my task to navigate these challenges for the group. I felt I needed support, strategic guidance and a sound capable expert to enable us to navigate these areas and I could think of no one else better equipped than David Etherington.

I was correct in my view that not only would he help us structure a plan and road map but also implement this plan and deliver the training to others. In using the robust and sustainable framework and toolkit he had equipped our group of companies with we were left with a clear sense of direction and purpose.

Myself and the senior leadership team look forward to continue our relationship with David now and in the future."

James Galvin|Founder & CEO, vsource.io, Eglinton Labs, TalentDash and Glandore Systems.

"David is an expert on the industry, knowing what it takes to build and run a successful business in recruitment space.

He is a natural storyteller, communicates incisively but is also creative in his sales and marketing outlook. During a strategic advisory session in the first Big Week in Cork I found myself writing down every single line he said.

His seasoned leadership and sales instinct combined with a genuine passion gave me confidence to know that he was there to mentor our team during the start up phase in Ireland."

Mark Leonard|CEO & Chairman Secure CloudLink, Group CIO Drax Power

"Working with Dave over the last 20 years I’ve found his insight, creativity and ability extremely helpful in the most critical and complex business situations, which he’s helped me to resolve – I’ve always been able to rely on him and trust that he will deliver."

David Plummer|CEO and Managing Partner at Triage

"David has been a peer and a friend for many years. Having trodden almost identical paths (in recruitment and life), and knowing his journey to Saltwater, there are few people I would trust more. David has taught me many things, but the thing I most value is his ability to understand the problem, figure it out and then get it done. It is this that made David the obvious person to help launch, shape and drive Triage."

Nicola Raho|Head of UK Resourcing at Legal & General

"David is one of the most engaged and focused business leaders that I have had the pleasure to work with in the recruitment industry. I have found him to demonstrate a great depth of knowledge, which combined with a strong commercial acumen and creative style he puts to extremely effective use in delivery of innovative recruitment solutions."

Andrew Powell|CEO TTR, ex COO at Colt Technology

"I have worked professionally with David for many years now both across the Telecom arena, whilst in my role as COO of Colt Technology Services and more latterly during my tenure as the CEO of a Private Equity invested business.

I have found David to be a pragmatist who appreciates the strategic nature of people orientated challenges but who more importantly focuses on operational outcomes that enable strategies to be brought to life through finding great people solutions to transformational, complex business challenges.

I regard David highly as his personal integrity, willingness to work with you to confront sometimes-awkward truths and an ability to remain discreet when partnering with you on sometimes sensitive organisational transformation projects separates him from a very crowded market.

I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to find solutions to their talent based challenges."

Chris Cooke|CEO NP Group

"I have known David for twenty years, and more recently seven years in his capacity as our Group COO. David formed a key part of the Group’s Board, being responsible for building out the group’s service lines globally. He helped to drive a clear vision, strategy and execution plan, projecting a sense of common purpose to break many key milestones during the past seven years of growth. These include re-branding, launching a global capability, on boarding and managing major new clients and talent, launching RPO and Executive Search, resulting in NFI going from £2.5m in 2010 to £10m in 2015.

Well connected, intelligent, motivated, dedicated, professional and personable, David has a high integrity work ethic and has always faced the challenges of our growing a business with both enthusiasm and good humour."

Andy Green|Chairman and NED (NP Group, IG Group, Digital Catapult, Avanti, UK Space plc)

"David’s leadership was instrumental in NP’s growth, market positioning and recruitment excellence. His commitment and ability to understand complex problems, turn strategy into reality, gain staff buy-in, innovate and execute with a client first mentality was invaluable"

Dawn Marriot-Sims|Partner Hg, previously Joint Chief Operating Officer at Capita

"Once onboard with a idea Dave would follow it through with much enthusiasm & commitment. He found it easy to get others bought in to ideas and to motivate them to follow his plans. In customer situations he was very good at inspiring confidence & used his excellent knowledge of the industry to secure buy-in from customers & staff."

Tim Moynihan|Serial NED/Chairman of private and PE backed recruitment/resourcing businesses.

Currently Tim’s portfolio includes Huntswood and McGinley Support Services and has aggregate revenues of more than £350m.

"As an NED I first worked with David nearly 20 years ago. I’ve been fortunate to follow his development and subsequently introduced him two businesses where I was Chairman. Initially David was a driving sales manager but grew into a people and process focused manager, delivering results for clients, colleagues and owners/investors. David has developed into an impressive manager and exec. Personally effective, likeable and able to influence and guide, he has a broad range of experience and the skill to be an outstanding advisor."

Andrew Goodman|Chairman at JSA Services, serial recruitment entrepreneur

"I have known Dave for 20 years. He has made significant progress in developing his portfolio of skills whilst always backing them up with real drive and determination to succeed at whatever he does. He has an unusual mix of entrepreneurial and corporate experience and I am sure will be instrumental in creating a successful outcome for investors in any business he advises and supports."

Stewart Rogers|Chairman of a portfolio of both private and PE backed recruitment businesses, currently including Morgan McKinley; Nurse Plus, Templine and Hallam Medical.

"With any testimonial I believe it is important that the reader is given some context in which it is given. My current portfolio of Chairmanships within the sector, when combined, add up to an entity that has a turnover approaching£500m; NFI of over £120m and EBITDA of c£30m and over the years I have been on the Board of more than a dozen recruitment industry organisations.

Turning to David, I have known him for close to 20 years since he was a senior consultant and have acted as both a formal and informal mentor to him over the years. It is fair to say that David has grown to be an accomplished MD within the sector and a proven business leader. He has the rare mix of having both good strategic thinking capability and strong operational delivery skills. I particularly admire his commitment to looking at issues from the client's perspective and tailoring solutions accordingly.

I would recommend him to almost any business in the sector. He will work with you; he will challenge you but always deliver for you.

P.S. He's also a nice guy and fun to work with - which should not be underestimated in choosing an adviser."

Eli Shamoon|O&H Properties (NP Group investor)

"David’s energy and determination has had a transformational effect on our business."

Lee McQueen|Managing Director at Raw Talent Academy

"I reported into David during my days at Capita. During his time running the IT Recruitment business, David developed the business from a sterile, negative state into a thriving contingency business.

David has the ability to not only develop business strategies and execute the delivery; but has the uncanny knack of getting the best out of his staff. As a boss, he allows you to express yourself and impose your own ideas on the business resulting in excellent development. David will push for what he believes in and balances hard work and dedication with humour and fun."

Nik Patel|Director, NP Group

"David has been invaluable in the growth and strategic direction of NP since joining the business. He has managed to deliver recruitment excellence across a global business and created a number of innovative staffing solutions to the market. His input has allowed NP Group to differentiate their service offerings so that they can tailored to specific client needs.”

Ben Cowan|Partner – Business Transformation & Technology at Eton Bridge Partners

“David supported me during my transition from Biller to Manager - and provided me with the direction, advice, techniques and approach to become a competent and well rounded people and sales manager. He allowed me to nurture and develop my "upward management" style to make it more effective. I found his guidance and influence to be of great benefit."

Eddie Halkett|MD UK, Europe & Africa, NES Global Talent

"I have had the pleasure of working with Dave on a couple of separate occasions. He is part of a rare breed of individual that operates with compete integrity and sincerity; he does not set an expectation unless he can deliver – he can be trusted.

He makes sure that he becomes a true expert in the markets in which he operates and aligns himself with clients where he can offer true value and make a meaningful difference.

In my experience Dave has the ability to transfer these principles to the people around him and whilst he demands the highest standards his inclusive approach to leadership draws the best out of people (personally & professionally). He is insightful and considered, any business advise that he offers will unquestionably be centred in his personal ambition to do something that’s productive and beneficial for the people that he encounters."

Mark Sparrow|MD Global Executive Search, NP Group

"David has been one of the most impactful professionals I have worked with. It is very rare to find an individual with so much versatility an authenticity; he is an accomplished and driven salesperson, a fearless leader, a wise and patient mentor, a complex problem solver, a challenging disciplinarian and fierce friend all in one package, underpinned with a crystal clear communication style, rock solid values and sharp sense of humour.

My business and indeed myself personally, have benefitted significantly from his input over the years and I would not hesitate to endorse his credentials to any company seeking to better itself or reach peak performance."

Nick Savage|Director, Next Ventures

"David underpinned the confident, make it happen, client-focused culture that is a hallmark of NP Group’s growth and success.  As a Managing Director reporting to David, I found him to be a results orientated leader; while supportive in the way he allowed me the freedom to grow my business.  He is a successful business operator, with real financial flair. He is an accomplished networker, professional operator and very focused on client delivery."