The Judges
Experts from across the industry
Experts from across the industry
Simon Bliss
Chairman
TEAM
Simon Bliss
Late arrival to recruitment but serial entrepreneur for over 40 years.
Bought and scaled a small recruitment business and sold to international group in 2020, then bought TEAM who helped in my education for the industry.
TEAM is expanding with the goal to be THE support group for all SME recruiters in the UK. We have huge benefits for members with a tactical learning and development programmes for their operational consultants, but also more strategic development for owners with business planning, mentoring and guidance on scaling your business, as well as acquisition or exit advice.

Chris Bryce
Chief Executive
Freelancers & Contractors Services Association
Chris Bryce
Chris Bryce is Chief Executive of Freelancers & Contractors Services Association. Moving from his previous role as CEO of The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE), Chris joined FCSA with an accomplished record of delivering excellence, growth, cultural change, and influence across a range of complex businesses and non-profits. His overall aim is to ensure all parties in the supply chain – especially workers served by FCSA members – can expect the highest levels of compliance, transparency, and reliability and to raise standards of compliance across the industry.
Chris began his career in sales, becoming Sales Director of a business logistics company and then moving on to become its General Manager. He then stepped into the world of contracting and consultancy at several financial institutions, delivering multiple global-scale change programmes as a consultant Programme Director. Chris has also acted as President of The European Forum of Independent Professionals (EFIP), a collaboration of national associations from across Europe which represents independent professionals at EU level through targeted research and advocacy.

Richard Charnock
Director of Operations
REC
Richard Charnock
Richard has spent many years in management, with experience in the military, logistics, sales and then recruitment. He joined the REC in 2009 from a role as a front-line recruiter and business owner and has demonstrated that he is passionate and committed to the professionalism of the industry. Whilst at the REC, Richard has been instrumental in developing recruitment as a career of choice by designing, implementing and launching the first recruitment qualifications to be accredited by government.
In his present role as the Director of Operations, Richard is focused on ensuring that all REC products work for recruiters, ensuring members receive excellent value in an ever-changing market place.

Samantha Hurley
Operations Director
The Association of Professional Staffing Companies
Samantha Hurley
As Operations Director at The Association of Professional Staffing Companies Sam has responsibility for the development of APSCo’s presence and reputation within the UK. She ensures innovation, development and improved delivery of existing and new members services, resources, and engagement through the various delivery teams, and the continuing improvement and development of the operational running of the UK business.
Sam has over 30 years’ experience in the UK recruitment sector, and previously ran APSCo’s legal and public affairs offering. Prior to joining APSCo in May 2013, Sam owned and ran a legal services company and held senior management positions within the recruitment sector.
Simon Kent
Editor
The Global Recruiter
Simon Kent
Simon Kent is the Editor of The Global Recruiter, online and on paper. He has written extensively across the recruitment industry and more widely in HR covering employment law, technology and pay and benefits.
His work has appeared in the national press and international business journals.
“I’m looking for excitement and innovation. The entries that stand out for me are those that show commitment, enthusiasm and enjoyment for delivering a great service every time.”
James Osborne
Chairman
The Recruitment Network
James Osborne
James 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.
Louise Triance
Managing Director
UK Recruiter
Louise Triance
Industry hub, recruitment industry fixer, host of recruitment events and technology showcases as well as a trained psychometric assessor.
Louise created, and runs, the UK Recruiter knowledge network which was established back before recruitment networking even existed. The network is the most comprehensive set of information, services and links to all in the UK recruitment industry.
Over the past 20 years she has hosted hundreds of events for recruiters, blogged regularly for more than 15 years and published in excess of 1000 weekly newsletters to an organically grown network of 30,000+ recruitment professionals.
Specialties: Recruitment research, psychometric analysis, writing for recruitment publications, using the internet for recruitment purposes, event organisation, consulting, networking, and advertising.
https://www.facebook.com/louise.triance
https://twitter.com/louisetriance
https://ukrecruiter.co.uk/
https://recruiter.zone/