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 Revenue Officer
Chief Revenue 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.
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.
Candidate Relationship Manager
Candidate Relationship Manager
Donna is an award-winning Recruitment veteran with over 30 years of industry experience. Since 2006, she has specialised in building and leading teams dedicated to resourcing Change and Transformation in Financial Services businesses.
After a long and successful career in London, Donna returned to her Welsh homeland in 2017 to serve as a recruitment manager for a Fintech company. Following a brief early retirement during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was persuaded to reunite with former colleagues at Adams + Oliver in 2022.
Today, Donna applies her extensive expertise as a Candidate Relationship Manager for us and our clients. She provides an expert service, leveraging her deep industry connections and the many long-lasting candidate partnerships cultivated over her long and distinguished career.
Donna's proven track record of developing high-performing Recruitment teams, combined with her specialist knowledge of Change Management within Financial Services, makes her an invaluable asset, ensuring we identify and attract the top talent that aligns with our clients' strategic objectives.
Head of Compliance
Head of Compliance
For over a decade, Lisa has led Adams + Oliver's internal Compliance Team. Her pivotal role ensures a seamless and positive onboarding experience for both clients and candidates.
Lisa's responsibilities encompass the creation, maintenance, and communication of comprehensive vetting policies and procedures.
Through close collaboration with clients and candidates, Lisa cultivates an environment of transparency and trust. Her dedication to developing and enforcing best practices in compliance fosters confidence in our ability to deliver workforce solutions ethically and responsibly, culminating in an impressive 100% client audit compliance rating.
This outstanding record underscores our commitment to operating with integrity while providing peace of mind to our valued clients and associates.
Lisa's expertise ensures her contributions are integral to our mission of building long-lasting partnerships founded on professionalism, trust, and accountability.
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.
Finance Assistant
Finance Assistant
Michaela brings over two decades of diverse financial experience to her role as Finance Assistant at Adams + Oliver. Her extensive background spanning various industries provides a unique perspective that enriches our financial operations and supports our commitment to excellence.
As a key member of our Finance team, Michaela's work is vital in maintaining our financial health, enabling us to deliver exceptional service to clients and candidates. She embodies Adams + Oliver's core values of integrity, expertise, and relationship-building.
Michaela's broad skill set encompasses multiple facets of Financial Management, including procurement and credit control. Her analytical skills and attention to detail make her adept at identifying areas for process improvement and implementing solutions that enhance our operational efficiency.
Michaela works closely with colleagues across departments to ensure smooth financial operations enabling her to support our strategic objectives.
Her dedication contributes to the overall expertise of our Finance department and our ability to deliver exceptional value to all stakeholders.
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.
Marketing Manager
Marketing Manager
Sarah applies her 10+ years’ experience in Marketing and Communications to sharing with our clients and associates the insights we’ve gained into the world in which we work: Change + Transformation, Financial Services, and the challenges facing segments and functions within these. Plus the odd A+O success story, of course!
She brings a wealth of expertise and a genuine passion for understanding people to our team. Her approach perfectly aligns with our commitment to building strong, lasting relationships and delivering value to our clients. She loves decoding human behaviour and creating compelling content that resonates with diverse audiences.
Sarah's skilled at and dedicated to developing exceptional creative content that evokes emotion and captivates audiences, which she consistently achieves. Her inclusive approach and deep understanding of diverse perspectives make her an invaluable asset in our mission to provide equitable and effective marketing solutions that communicate our expertise and attract the best talent.
“I’ve worked with A+O for twenty years across two major banks. They really work at relationships, they’re very straight forward and 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 and reaches out to ensure everything is going well and 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 and helpful, whomever I deal with. The Client Director (John Woods) is brilliant. When I speak with him, I know I’ll get an honest and genuine response to any question.”
Chirag Shah, Consumer Duty Associate, NatWest Commerical & Institutional Banking
“Selena was extremely friendly, helpful, knowledgable and professional. She clearly knew the role and requirements inside out and knew what relevant skills I had. The information was provided clearly and concisely and 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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