Meridian Business Support, a UK recruitment specialist that has supported employers and job seekers for over 35 years, this week marks five years since its management buyout.
Led by CEO Derek Skelton and Finance Director Jeanette Barrowcliffe, the 2021 MBO transferred ownership of the business to members of its senior leadership team and today around 60% of Meridian’s employees are share holders or share option holders.
“Being management-owned means decisions are made by people who know our clients, candidates and branches first-hand.”
Derek Skelton, CEO, Meridian Business Support
“Five years ago, we took ownership of a business with over three decades of history and a clear belief in what it does well. The last few years have tested every recruiter in the country, and they’ve sharpened our focus. Being management-owned means decisions are made by people who know our clients, candidates and branches first-hand. That matters more in a hard market.”
The anniversary follows one of the longest downturns on record for UK recruitment, with employers cutting back on both permanent and temporary hiring. However, with the latest KPMG and REC Report on Jobs points to the first tentative signs of recovery, with temporary billings and permanent placements both edging up in September.
Skelton added:
“As that recovery builds, our priority is the clients who rely on us the most: strengthening those relationships and doing the basics exceptionally well. We’re also looking carefully at where technology can genuinely improve outcomes for clients and candidates, taking routine admin off our consultants’ desks so they can spend more time on what they do best: supporting people.”
Many of Meridian’s client relationships pre-date the MBO, with more than three-quarter’s of their largest clients already working with the business before the MBO, and more than a quarter have been clients for over 20 years.
Employers and job seekers can find their nearest branch at www.meridianbs.co.uk
About Meridian Business Support
Meridian Business Support is an award-winning national recruitment specialist, supplying temporary, contract and permanent staffing solutions to clients across multiple sectors. Founded in 1989, it has 32 branch operations nationally, which includes 10 onsite locations. For further information, please visit www.meridianbs.co.uk
