ABOUT US
We’re driven by one goal: our members’ success.
That’s why we’ve united top-performing recruitment entrepreneurs, advisors, and business leaders—collaborating to elevate performance, streamline operations, and accelerate profitability.
This isn’t just networking. It’s real impact, measured in results.
MEET TRN
- TRN Board
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James Osborne
CHAIRMAN & CO-FOUNDERJames is an award-winning business consultant, advisor and entrepreneur, with an international board level background in the staffing and recruitment sector, ultimately as GM within one of the largest HR and Recruitment service providers in Australia. As Chairman of The Recruitment Network, James works with recruitment business leaders, helping them to achieve significant growth, performance improvement and competitive advantages acting as a Non-Executive Director, consultant, trainer and strategist for numerous fast-growth recruitment businesses.
James Osborne
CHAIRMAN & CO-FOUNDER
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Gordon Stoddart
CEO & CO-FOUNDERGordon is a business coach, NED and consultant who has helped 100’s of recruitment businesses to achieve profitable growth and is in demand for his expertise in strategy, leadership, customer experience and building robust and scalable organisations. Gordon’s experience of profitably scaling his family business to become the largest privately owned foodservice in the UK before a successful trade sale plus years of advising award winning businesses in recruitment, hospitality, financial services, healthcare and many other sectors gives Gordon some unique insights into achieving business success.
Gordon Stoddart
CEO & CO-FOUNDER
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Mike Gawthorne
CHAIR & STRATEGIC ADVISORMike Gawthorne led ARM/Serocor from its early inception as a single brand (ARM) employing 4 people to being VC backed multi-branded group (Serocor) and through to a successful MBO in 2020 by the leadership team that he led. On leaving the business, the Serocor Group peaked at a turnover of £120m employing over 200 staff, with offices in the UK, Germany and the US, and an outsourced team of 35 in India. The Group provide Talent Solutions, Perm and Contract recruitment, L&D, MSP, RPO and Project Services.
Mike Gawthorne
CHAIR & STRATEGIC ADVISOR
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Gary King
GLOBAL RECRUITERGary is the Commercial Director of The Global Recruiter, the world’s largest recruitment specific magazine, focusing on editorial for those involved in supplying staffing solutions both globally and within their regions. The Global recruiter is distributed to UK and Ireland, Northern Europe, Asia Pacific, Australia, Middle East, North and South America and China and was the first publisher in the staffing industry to deliver a multimedia platform across all mobile devices as an app.
Gary King
GLOBAL RECRUITER
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JO FINCH
CFO and Strategic AdvisorJo is the Chief Financial Officer with over five years of experience within the recruitment sector, bringing this expertise to the board alongside a strong background in retail and telecommunications. She is passionate about enabling businesses to prosper and grow, underpinned by financial rigour, forecasting, strategic decision-making, and change management. A natural people leader with a collaborative style, Jo partners closely with business leaders and ambitious, people-oriented organisations to help unlock their full potential.
JO FINCH
CFO and Strategic Advisor
- Member Strategic Advisors
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Toni Cocozza-Bray
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISORToni is an inspiring and widely respected recruitment leader. She has been recognised with multiple business and recruitment awards including E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to the Recruitment Industry. Founder of IT and managed service specialist DP Connect, Toni ran the company for 27 years until a recent MBO in 2017. A role model for women in business, Toni has instigated campaigns to attract and retain women in IT and to promote IT careers to schools and universities.
Toni Cocozza-Bray
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISOR
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Jon Coldridge
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISORJon Coldridge founded several recruitment businesses focussing on IT, Digital and Change. The next phase of his career is setting up Perpetual Equity. They exist to help owners of small and medium-sized companies exit their businesses to pursue new projects or retire.
Jon Coldridge
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISOR
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samantha maxwell-reed
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISORSamantha Maxwell-Reed is joining the TRN team of strategic business advisors to support, coach, advise and mentor TRN members. As a successful recruitment entrepreneur who founded, grew (and recently exited in 2021 via an MBO) the multi-award-winning Expand Executive Search, Sam is a brilliant addition to the team.
samantha maxwell-reed
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISOR
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Jonathan Palling
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISORJonathan is an Investor, NED and Strategic Advisor to the recruitment industry with 25 years of international experience in both PLC and Start Up/Scale Up environments operating in specialist STEM markets including Tech, Engineering, Life sciences, Financial Services and Built Environment. He spent 17 years working for SThree PLC (pre & post IPO) in a variety of senior EMEA board-level leadership roles scaling its operations internationally across Benelux, France and most notably the DACH region where he oversaw as a Country/Managing Director.
Jonathan Palling
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISOR
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dawn hampton
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISORDawn is an experienced contingent recruitment director, with significant experience building contract business who offers business consultancy, personal development, leadership training and coaching & mentoring. Dawn's 'do better, be better' philosophy in all her work helps businesses of all sizes to accomplish their goals and instil invaluable leadership skills in managers. As a strategic advisor, Dawn will be conducting TRN Club member business reviews, coaching and advising members, sharing insights, best practice and her experience and expertise. After a hugely successful career at companies such as S3 and Phaidon International, Dawns experience of building teams, delivering growth, contract recruitment and leadership coaching will add massive value to the decision making, strategic thinking and strategy implementation of TRN members.
dawn hampton
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISOR
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Charlie Sell
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISORCharlie Sell is the Group MD of Majar Group, a global technology and talent transformation consultancy, and Board Director across their portfolio of brands. With almost 20 years in the industry, Charlie has a wealth of experience in growing startups to £100m+ revenues, international expansion, MBOs and M&A. As an original member of Arrows Group, he led the international plan and helped grow the group to a peak turnover of £127m with offices across three continents. Charlie is a STEM Ambassador and Industry thought leader via his FutureTech podcast and published articles.
Charlie Sell
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISOR
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Keith Lewis
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISORKeith has over 30 years of experience in the recruitment industry, the bulk of which was with Gattaca PLC growing their 6 brands across the engineering, technology, professional staffing and training markets, within the UK and internationally. Key positions were MD of the Matchtech brand, and COO of the Group, driving years of organic growth in the UK before four subsequent acquisitions which strengthened the UK position and established footprints in overseas markets. Since 2019 he has acted in an advisory capacity to a handful of recruitment companies, as well as one of the UK’s leading compliance and services platforms for freelancers and their hirers. His experience focuses on scalable, sustainable and profitable growth by working with managers, leaders and owners via defined plans and strategies.
Keith Lewis
TRN STRATEGIC ADVISOR
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Michelle Flynne
Health and Performance CoachMichelle is a Certified Health & Performance Coach and Breathwork Instructor, with a past HR & Recruitment career spanning 20 years. With over 450 talks & workshops delivered to global brands including YouTube, Dell, Boston Consulting Group, Thomson Reuters, CBRE, and more, she is dedicated to inspiring healthier lifestyles and improving workplace performance.
Her sessions combine science-based insights with practical, actionable tips that attendees can integrate into their daily lives. Michelle's engaging delivery ensures participants leave feeling empowered to make meaningful, positive changes both personally and professionally.
Her sessions combine science-based insights with practical, actionable tips that attendees can integrate into their daily lives. Michelle's engaging delivery ensures participants leave feeling empowered to make meaningful, positive changes both personally and professionally.
Michelle Flynne
Health and Performance Coach
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MARK BULL
TRN Strategic Advisor
I am an experienced CEO, MD and now Non Exec Director and Chair within the recruitment industry with over 30 years under the belt. I have experience within all major sectors within recruitment including internationalisation of operations into multiple countries and with all types of operational model from contingent to executive search, MSP/RPO outsourcing and offshoring.
MARK BULL
TRN Strategic Advisor
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Karen De-Merist
TRN Strategic AdvisorI have over 25 years experience of developing and delivering innovative talent solutions to a wide and diverse range of customers across a number of different industries across the globe. I am passionate about business and my mission to deliver the highest levels of service in constantly changing environments. I have led operations for most of my career, 5 years as COO in the finance and banking sector, 7 years on a Group Solutions Board as COO in the outsourcing & business transformation division; leading UK/EMEA operations with a direct team of over 350 recruitment professionals.
Karen De-Merist
TRN Strategic Advisor
- Community Leads
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Caroline Lansbury
Talent Community LeadCaroline is a highly experienced Leadership, Coaching and Culture Change professional who works with organisations seeking to answer big questions! With experience in operating in many industries and having previously worked in-house as a CPO, Caroline’s approach is always with ‘the system’ and organisational goals in mind. Caroline has experience of leading large teams directly, so she understands the challenges and nuances of supporting people through complexity and ongoing change. Her style focuses on creating psychologically safe learning environments, in which people can share experiences, discuss challenges, stimulate new ideas and problem solve together. Caroline brings an extensive network of learning specialists, including numerous Coaches who can build a complete faculty if needed. She works with leaders at all levels, from C-suite to emerging leaders.
Caroline Lansbury
Talent Community Lead
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Alisson Upton
Marketing Community Lead
Alisson Upton
Marketing Community Lead
Support, Advice, Expertise
The one thing that binds us all together is our enthusiasm and dedication to providing an outstanding experience for our members and to make a positive difference to the recruitment sector.
As well as the TRN Team, TRN Board and our Partners, we have within The Recruitment Network a huge family of strategic advisors, experts, trainers, coaches and consultants who are here to help our members achieve their ambitions.
All this, for one monthly investment.
