The founder of Hiring Hub is stepping down from the role.
Simon Swan founded the Manchester tech firm, which connects businesses with recruiters to help them find the best candidates, in 2011.
The company – used by On The Beach, London & Partners, SSE, Henkel and Sega – attracted several million pounds in private equity funding from MonacoSol at the end of last year to scale its sales and customer operations in the UK and internationally.
It was MonacoSol’s second investment in the recruitment sector, following its injection of capital into Furza, a graduate sales recruitment and training business also based in Manchester, and saw Simon Wilkinson join both companies as chairman.
Writing on LinkedIn, Swan said Ashley Sellar, who joined MonacoSol as MD around the time the investment deal was finalised, will assume CEO duties to allow him to focus on a more strategic role.
“I’m stepping aside, passing the top dog baton to someone who’s been close to the business over the last six months,” he said.
This year Hiring Hub has doubled headcount, increased job volume by 26% and users on the marketplace by 51%.
“Ashley has assumed the CEO mantle, allowing me to do more of the things I love, and less of the things I wrestle with,” explained Swan. “By nature, I’m a builder. I like creating things. Starting stuff. Experimenting. Pushing for ideas to come to life.
“Whether that’s a product, go-to-market concept, a fresh strategy, partnership, marketing brainwave or piece of platform functionality. I’m curious and led by my imagination. Using it gives me energy and gets me out of bed in the morning.
“Finance. Legal. HR. Maintaining the rigour and discipline of management… these things less so.”
Describing Sellar as “a seasoned executive and world class operator”, he said the transition has “meandered organically towards today’s announcement”.
“Initially he came in to offer an extra pair of hands during the inevitably frenetic period of transition and growth, post investment. However, he enjoyed his time with us, is super-excited about the marketplace’s potential, and proved a real asset during that time. One we didn’t want to let go of.
“It feels to both of us that, now the foundations and team are in place to really step on the gas next year, two heads are better than one: I will have more time to concentrate on a handful of strategic initiatives – partnerships, integrations, even acquisitions – that will steepen Hiring Hub’s growth curve and help the company realise its ambitions, while Ash will do likewise, driving the team and executing our plan while continually optimising the way we operate.”
Swan added that Hiring Hub signed its first partnership agreement and expanded into the Nordics with a ‘key client’ this week.