Executives Online announces expansion in Midlands and Scotland

Hot on the heels of the runaway success of Executives Online North, the UKís fast track executive recruitment agency, has announced the creation of two more UK operations to bring the brand to the Midlands and Scotland.

Andrew Nicholas is to be MD of Executives Online Midlands, while John Gemmill has been appointed MD of Executives Online Scotland.

Andrew Nicholas, based in Leicestershire, is a general manager with an enviable track record of revenue and profitability growth within challenging international manufacturing and industrial product markets, most recently with power equipment and automotive engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. John Gemmill is a seasoned human resources practitioner with many years experience in major companies including Unilever, Inchcape and Scottish Power. He has also worked as a management consultant, focusing on Organisation Effectiveness, Strategic Human Resources Management, Senior Team Effectiveness and Leadership Development. His clients ranged from large Scottish companies to major international businesses with operations in Scotland, and overall his experience has given him invaluable insight into executive recruitment issues and trends in the country.

For very different reasons, the Midland and Scotland were natural choices for the next phase of Executive Onlineís expansion.

The Midlands is a flourishing region with the East Midlands Development Agency having as itís objective to become a ëTop 20í region in Europe by 2010 and having already seen the region climb from 35th to 28th place in the European rankings. Meanwhile, the goal of West Midlands Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands, is for 20 billion to be invested in the regionís economic development during the same period.

Scotlandís economic climate is more challenging, with Parliamentary elections less than four months away and growing support for Scottish financial independence and arguments about itsí economic performance and growth prospects intensifying. However, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute, the economic picture is bright with annual growth set to top 2% in each of the next three years and unemployment stable at just over 5%. While the Scottish economy has underperformed the UK as a whole since 1975, growth in key sectors such as business services, financial services and construction, has actually been higher in Scotland under devolution than across the UK as a whole. Moreover, the Scottish Executiveís call for more people to make Scotland their home and reverse decades of emigration and falling population figures seems to have been heeded, with a net migration of nearly 55,000 in the past three years.

For Executives Online the decision to establish a presence in these two regions is part of its natural move to broaden the brand and meet growing demand for its services, as MD, Norrie Johnston explains.

ëFor an economy to grow and a region to prosper it needs skilled people and it needs them fast,í explains Executive Onlineís MD, Norrie Johnston. ëWhich is why Executives Online has experienced such strong growth itself. Our operation in the booming north as been phenomenally successful and the time is right to broaden our brand still further. There is great demand for our unique mix of traditional recruitment skills that harness technology. Businesses still want a personal service but they also want to take full advantage of the vast potential of online recruitment. With our experienced staff and Talent Bank of over 10,000 executives currently seeking positions, this is exactly what Executives Online offers.

ëBy having operations based in the specific regions, we can build on our offering of a truly personal service. We can attend face-to-face briefing meetings with clients, provide day-to-day contact with a local representative - and provide the reach of the web. So we are very excited about the launch of Executives Online Midlands and Scotland.í

To find out more about Executives Online visit www.ExecutivesOnline.co.uk or call 01962 829 705