About us
Advising and Empowering Buyers, Investors, and Sellers in the Recruitment and Staffing Industry. ,
Recruitment Transactions International is a global matching platform for buyers, investors, and sellers in the recruitment and staffing industry. Our mission is to create greater value for acquisitive clients and Private Equity (PE) businesses by helping them understand available market and sector options, and connecting them with valuable recruitment businesses preparing for exit or exploring the best possible growth capital options.
As partners with Recruitment Entrepreneur International and Oconic, our team of investment consultants leverage off the huge amounts of information that flow through our global networks, while maintaining a high-touch, boutique approach that puts our clients at the heart of everything we do. This enables our clients to benefit from on-the-ground, first-hand sector knowledge, as well as a higher level of commitment compared to large advisory firms.
Our senior management and advisory team has worked on numerous buy- and sell-side M&A transactions in the industry.
Our M&A Advisory Services
Exit
Our team has worked on over 100 transactions and has intimate knowledge of best buy- and sell-side practices. We have an extensive list of potential acquisitions across all sectors, typically with ebits in the $1-10 million range.
Growth Capital
Through our extensive network of private equity investors specialising in the recruiting and staffing industry, our team has been involved in initiating over 30 investments in the sector.
Special Projects
The Recruitment Transactions International team regularly takes on strategic advisory work to the founders of companies that have a short-term horizon to achieve an exit. Equally we take on intricate mapping projects and provide additional market insights to buyers looking at service line and geographical expansion.
Meet our Team
Simon Childs
Managing Partner – Tokyo/Hong Kong
Simon sold a leading executive search business in Japan, which he co-founded, to Recruit Holdings, Asia’s largest HR services group. This was Recruit’s first domestic recruitment acquisition in its 50-year history, giving them a platform to further develop executive search in Japan’s domestic markets and expand their recruiting services into Asia. Simon initiated several transactions across Asia for Recruit Holdings’ International Recruitment Business division under the RGF brand.
Since leaving Recruit Holdings in 2020, Simon has worked closely with the senior management team of a UK publicly listed recruitment business, and with the founders of several boutique recruitment firms in Asia looking to scale and exit. He has advised on several sell-side transactions. Simon is a Regional Advisor to James Caan’s Recruitment Entrepreneur, responsible for developing the platform in Asia.
Originally from England, Simon holds a BA in History from the University of East Anglia and has post-grad qualifications from Imperial College London in M&A, Oxford University in Leadership, and Cornell University/AESC in Executive Search.
Meet our Team
Ronald Bardach
Investment Advisor – U.S.
Ron is an accomplished leader in the staffing and recruitment industry with extensive experience in consulting and advising founders. He has built a career by working with C-Level Executives and owners, helping them grow best practices, compliance, technology, and strategic operations.
With decades of experience, Ron has guided organizations towards success, particularly in technology, marketing, and revenue generation. He has also facilitated transactions for companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 giants like Texas Instruments and Wal Mart. As the U.S Investment Director for the global private equity company, Recruitment Entrepreneur, Ron has managed the group’s origination, market expansion, and investment journey in the U.S. He continues to support founders, providing insights to optimize business models and achieve sustainable growth.
Ron is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he ran D1 X-Country and track, and has competed through much of his life at high levels in road racing, marathons, ultras, and triathlons, including Ironman’s. Currently residing in the Washington, DC area, Ron has lived and traveled throughout the world, including Europe, the Middle East, SE Asia, and most recently in Hong Kong from 2011 to 2014.
Meet our Team
Karen de-Merist
Investment Advisor – UK & Europe
With 25 years of experience driving operational execution, Karen has developed, implemented, and optimized operational strategies for a wide and diverse range of customers across different industries around the world.
Throughout her career, she has held international leadership roles up to the board level at ManpowerGroup, working with colleagues globally to deliver client success. In her Talent Governance role, Karen has been instrumental in driving Group L&D initiatives, with a specific focus on leadership capability, leadership development, accelerated learning, and driving high performance. Her primary objective has been enabling leaders to grow and develop a strong sense of self and business acumen.
Meet our Team
Tremayne Elson
Investment Director – Germany
Tremayne studied German, Russian, and Economics at Newcastle. He joined Antal International during its start-up phase and remained there for over 18 years, progressing from a rookie to Group CEO. In 1995, he established their Russian operations and later moved to Germany, where he set up offices in Hamburg and Frankfurt.
Upon his promotion to Regional MD, he also oversaw operations in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Russia, and Kazakhstan. After returning to Russia in 2002, he took direct control of the business and led it to a sale with a value of $28 million.
In 2013, Tremayne moved back to Germany and now resides in Frankfurt. Between 2015 and 2021, he established APSCo Germany and expanded its membership to over 100 members.
Having experienced two M&A events in his career, Tremayne’s expertise in both buying and selling, combined with his local recruitment knowledge and cultural understanding of the German market, makes him a uniquely skilled professional.
Meet our Team
Paul Daley
RPO/HR Tech Investment Advisor – UK
With over 20 years’ experience in RPO, HR Technology, and the Human Capital Management Industry, Paul has gathered a wealth of experience growing businesses across the globe at HP, Korn/Ferry, and Cielo. As a member of the founding team and SVP at Cielo, he was instrumental in scaling the business from 30 employees to over 4000, serving customers in over 100 countries. His roles have spanned commercial leadership, revenue growth, and most recently corporate development and M&A.
In addition, Paul has been an active Angel Investor, Advisor, and Board member to HR Tech businesses for over 13 years.
Meet our Team
Shingo Toyama
Investment Advisor – Japan
With 28 years of experience in recruitment and other industries, including 17 years in Asia, the UK, and the U.S., Shingo has developed a deep expertise in strategic planning, M&A, P&L responsibility, and various corporate functions.
He executed multiple cross-border M&A deals in the recruitment sector between Japan and overseas while holding a regional corporate business development role in Recruit Holdings and Open Up Group. He also led the PMI projects in all deals and completed them successfully.
Shingo started his career at Deloitte in Osaka and Los Angeles as a qualified Certified Public Accountant.
Currently, he is the COO at ONGAESHI Holdings, an ESG-focused P/E funds, and interim COO at Phil Company (TSE:3267), a real estate solutions provider.
Meet our Team
John Tucker
Investment Advisor – Singapore
John led the successful turnaround of a US publicly listed permanent recruitment firm in Tokyo before taking over as CEO of the executive search firm that Simon sold to Recruit. After growing that business from USD 7M to USD 40M over 8 years via organizational and operational change as well as business line expansion, he transferred to Singapore in 2018 to manage the post-merger rebranding and operational overhaul of RGF’s executive search offices across 6 countries in Southeast Asia.
A native of the United States, John earned a BA in Economics from Harvard University before winning a post-graduate scholarship from the Rotary Foundation to study Indian Philosophy for a year at the University of Madras in India. John has lived in Asia for nearly 30 years, including 25 years in Tokyo, and speaks Japanese as a second language. He is a fitness enthusiast and an avid scuba diver.
Meet our Team
Jacqueline Qin
Investment Advisor – Greater China
As the resident China expert on our team, Jacqueline brings 20 years of invaluable experience in navigating the intricate Chinese market. Based in Shanghai, she has held leadership positions at renowned recruitment firms, demonstrating her exceptional expertise and ability to consistently deliver outstanding results.
Jacqueline’s foundation in executive search was established early in her career at Bo Le Associates. There, she specialized in senior-level recruitment for Sales & Marketing roles across various sectors. These sectors include Bio-Tech, Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Diagnostics, Luxury & Retail, and FMCG, spanning the Asian market. During her tenure at Michael Page, she served as the Director of the Marketing, eCommerce & Digital Operations business. Subsequently, she was promoted to Michael Page’s China Talent Acquisition Director, covering five brands across six offices.
Jacqueline’s influence extends beyond traditional recruitment, positioning her as the go-to person for companies and aspiring professionals seeking to establish staffing businesses in the China market. Recently, Jacqueline has gained valuable investment experience by supporting a specialist UK Private Equity fund (HBPE) that invests in the recruitment sector.
Meet our Team
Martin Nicholls
Investment Advisor – Australia and Southeast Asia
With over 30 years of recruitment experience and having lived in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand since starting his recruitment and executive search career in Europe, Martin brings a unique knowledge of the Asia Pacific region to Recruitment Transactions International and has worked in over 20 countries globally.
Following a successful decade based out of the UK and working across Europe, Martin moved to Australia in 1997 where he became responsible for growing ANZ’s leading technology recruitment business – Morgan & Banks Technology.
When this business was acquired by Hudson, Martin took leadership of Hudson’s professional recruitment businesses across Australia and New Zealand. At the same time, he was the driving force behind a number of significant of acquisitions and their subsequent integration into the organisation.
Following a few years as CEO of Beilby Corporation in Australia, Martin moved to Hong Kong as CEO to play his part in building out Talent 2’s Asian capability. Since then he has remained in the region, frequently traveling between Asia and Australia, and occupying key roles with Kelly, Randstad, and Recruitment Entrepreneur (Non-Executive Director) in addition to establishing Martin Nicholls Consulting – a successful advisory & consulting firm dedicated to the Asia Pacific Recruitment Industry.
Martin is originally from England and holds a BSc in Economics from City University, London/New York and an MBA from the University of Bath.
Meet our Team
Wan Pang
Senior Talent Acquisition Director – Hong Kong
Wan Pang has worked in the executive search industry for two decades. He began his recruitment career with FusionPeople in the UK and then moved to Hong Kong in 2006, working for Gemini, RGF Executive, and Bo Le Associates.
Pang is a founding member of Reccelerate, an Asia-based Rec2reC focused on attracting mid- to senior-level talent across Asia. Over the past decade, Pang has successfully completed numerous MD searches and team lift-outs across the Asia Pacific region. These searches have typically been retained. Pang is a specialist at market entry. In his most recent retained project, Pang served as the Investment Director and Advisor for James Caan’s Recruitment Entrepreneur where he was responsible for identifying and originating investment opportunities for the firm’s Hong Kong and Singapore PE Fund.
Pang is responsible for carrying out MD searches and team-lift-outs or acquihires for Recruitment Transaction International’s clients, who prefer this strategy over outright M&A for market entry.
Meet our Team
Jason Walker
Investment Advisor – New Zealand
With 30 years of recruitment industry experience, Jason brings local and global expertise across multiple businesses and transactions to the New Zealand market. Beginning his journey in the UK in 1994, he became a Director at a global recruitment firm and initiated their first RPO program. Returning to New Zealand in 2002, he transformed a leading recruiter’s operations, managing over 100 consultants and generating $90 million in annual revenue. His success earned him a seat on the Australasian Board of Directors, contributing to a $2 billion+ business.
In 2018, Jason founded a consulting firm, advising and training industry leaders. In 2023, partnering with private equity-backed strategic investor Recruitment Entrepreneur, he has focused on launching and scaling new recruitment businesses and bringing international buyers to New Zealand.
