Our Team

I began my working life in retail and quickly became the top manager in the South of England for a National retail group. Having been fortunate enough to be cherry-picked to complete a US-led management development programme, I worked hard as part of a management team created to launch one of the first out of town stores during the boom of the late eighties. My region was instrumental in leading the way towards the drive to improve performance, learning and development, added value sales and a focus on quality customer service. Having tasted success at the top of the company, it was time to take this new found interest in people development into a different environment.

I began a career in the recruitment industry 20 years ago and progressed to managing teams of consultants within 12 months. Subsequent roles followed working at Board Level for National companies, through to operational board and regional management of small independents. With over 15 years in senior management, I have an excellent understanding of how to engage, motivate and develop teams to produce consistently high performance.

I manage my own executive search projects personally and take pride in delivering a solution to a Company in need of a new member of the executive team. By providing an added value coaching session to the existing team, we will complete a full gap analysis to identify the need within a business. Only by understanding the exact nature of the impact of the resources required will we move forward to design a brief to match.

Having qualified as an executive coach in 2004, I now work with management executives facilitating team coaching, sales training and developing key individuals on a one-to-one basis.

Having met Michael ‘Bow-Tie’ Cartwright in the late nineties, I am convinced that we share a common goal to maximise the Human Capital of the organisations we work with. We see our role as much more than finding an applicant to fill a vacancy. Our role is to make the team gel from the start, and by providing Executive On-Boarding as part of the service, we will stay close to the process until we are all satisfied that we have the right fit and a strong start to a new appointment.

As a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Directors (CIPD), I am a qualified HR Practitioner who also advises companies on HR issues including Performance Management, Employee Relations, Contracts & Employment Law, Redundancy & Outplacement Services and Recruitment & Retention.

My client base includes listed plcs, privately backed business and the transaction based private equity sector. Industry specialisms include retail, manufacturing, engineering, pharmaceutical and medical on a Global basis.

With a young family excited by programmes like The Apprentice, I am looking forward to the challenge of building our new brand with the helping hand and support of my ever endearing little people.

If we are talking values, my over-riding philosophy is to be ‘true to yourself’ – thus the reason why I was not permitted to start a business without a little bit of pink!

My career started in Finance, working 6 years in large corporations such as News International and Blockbuster video, mainly in analytical roles. This led me to interact with many people across the company and it was clear that my interest in people was greater than my interest in numbers! Having decided that I was unlikely to complete my qualification, I left finance armed with my burning desire to work in a more people focused environment.

It was at this stage that I was introduced to recruitment. In such a mutli-disciplined position I grew my experience over the next 15 years, working for rapidly growing middle tier organisations throughout the Home Counties, including a number of offices in start-up phase. Working closely with CEOs and MDs of SMEs within the Thames Valley, I enjoyed my job as counsel and coach to help these leaders decide on their executive hires to complement the future strategies of their business.  While I was busily identifying the talent for their futures, I started to review my own.

On my search to find a profession that focussed positively on people and unlocking their true potential, I found coaching. Two years ago I was introduced (coincidently by none other than Kiran Noonan) to one of the leading professional coaching institutions, The Coaching Academy. I qualified as a Coach in June 2010. With my coaching career taking off with the development of partnerships with two 5* Hotel Spas to introduce coaching to their membership, I have developed an early following of coaching clients.

Within the corporate world, this has complemented my Executive Search skills and I have performed two Boardroom facilitations. I am now looking forward to adding great value to the recruitment process by incorporating coaching as part of our briefing from a prospective client.

On a more personal level I live on a farm (very small!) with my girlfriend and two young children. Prior to having a young family I had interests which included skiing, squash, golf, rugby (former player) and developing my DIY portfolio.
My vision is to introduce coaching to the wider population. I passionately believe that it can be used in all walks of life and in our ever increasing working lives, people are beginning to learn the value of having a confidante that they can trust.

Coaching is for everyone - old and young, successful and ambitious, lost or lacking direction, or for the young workers just starting out. I hope that the UK will follow the US lead and advocate that Coaching is one of the key ways to ensure High Performing Organisations remain at the forefront of today’s global business world.

My values would probably be deemed old-fashioned but are founded on integrity, genuineness and community.

Robin Ashby is the owner of Ashby Precision Engineering, based in Oxfordshire. This highly successful group serves a prestigious customer base across the UK and Europe. Robin was a recent Finalist for the Young Business Persons Award, for the Oxfordshire Business Awards 2011. His personal drive for excellence in all aspects of business management has ensured that Ashby Precision Engineering is a renowned force in this highly competitive sector.

Robin has been looking to develop a portfolio of personal investment opportunities where he can add value and mentor the entrepreneurial spirit in new business ventures. He met Kiran Noonan a few years ago and was impressed by her commitment and ambition to build a professional and reputable business in the people management arena. With Kiran's 20 years in the market place, he believes that her experience will ensure that the business is a big success and it is with great pleasure that he has taken on the role as Non-Executive Chairman for Hamilton Reeves.

In true 'Dragon' style - Robin is looking forward to adding his skills and experience from his enviable track record, to help build another successful business.