Paul Kilgour, COO – Optimised

"I first came across Mallory Partners in 2019, following a recommendation from a friend who knew I was looking for a head-hunters that specialised in private equity roles. It was a great experience – they had a role that exactly matched my expectations - but in the end my career moved in a different direction.

“At the beginning of this year, I got in touch with them and, yet again, discovered they had a really interesting role on their books. Having met Jeremy back in 2019, this time, John introduced me to Martin, and we had an in-depth conversation for about an hour. We built a really good rapport; he knew his client really well and I felt the combination of him and John, who looked after the process day-to-day, left me well supported and prepared for each stage of what turned into a very rigorous process.

“Throughout, they managed my expectations well, gave honest and constructive feedback and kept in touch, so I felt informed on where the process was heading.

“Ultimately, I always felt they wanted the best for me and the best for their client – enabling eyes to be open on both sides. It never felt like they were trying to shoehorn me into a role; if there were any points where one side or the other wasn’t sure about something – they worked hard to try and understand whether it was a misunderstanding, or a genuine miss in terms of fit. Ultimately, it worked out really well.

“I’ve kissed a lot of recruitment frogs in my time and Mallory Partners, one of perhaps three firms I know that specialise in Private Equity roles, have a really deft touch at what can often be a tricky and sensitive process."