What do you do at MRG?
I am the Regional Managing Director and Equity Partner for MRG Asia. My primary focus remains recruitment, and I specialise in placing C-suite candidates for international clients across Asia and the Middle East.
What are you most proud that you have achieved in your career?
I’ve had the good fortune to work on some of the largest projects in the world, such as the Burj Khalifa, Wembley Stadium, Westfield White City, the Blackrock account in London, and, most recently, TRX, various PIF projects.
In addition, I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with and place some of the most senior CEOs, senior executive directors, chief delivery offices, and chief development offices globally.
One of my proudest achievements to date is that, since 1998, my job has allowed me to live in the UK (where I am from), Dubai, India, and Malaysia—where I have been since 2012. I am now happily settled with a Sarawakian wife and seven-year-old daughter.
How did you get into recruitment, and why?
I started in IT recruitment for a company called Extra IT; I went there for a receptionist job and was subsequently made a consultant.
Since the late 1990s, I have specialised in full lifecycle real estate recruitment, providing contract recruitment and permanent and executive search while based in Dubai. Since arriving in Malaysia, I have offered a complete range of solutions, providing those solutions globally.
What energises you about working in this sector?
My father is an architect, so I have buildings in my blood. The building industry, vast and complex projects, is fascinating. While I play a tiny part in them, I’m proud to provide the people who build these projects.
What is the biggest thing that’s changed in recruitment since you started?
The biggest thing that has changed in the industry from the late 90s to now is access to data. Recruitment in the late 90s was primarily based on referrals and networking simple principles that, if worked well, could make a business. Now, with the likes of LinkedIn, Lusha, and many other tools in the market, Data is critical to not only how you find a candidate and how you interact with that candidate but also how you manage your client and how your client manages you.
The importance of data is especially seen with the Giga projects in Saudi Arabia; there’s now a greater emphasis on process, with procurement holding more authority and a need for detailed metrics throughout the recruitment journey.
How did you get into recruitment in the Asia market?
After five years in the Middle East running my own business, I wanted to work in a developing market where I could be a more effective recruiter in a smaller pool of service providers. After deciding on Asia, I did a swot analysis on Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong and found that Malaysia was the best place to be for the lifestyle I wanted. Then, I was headhunted to set up the engineering division of what was then known as Yes Networkers Intl, which later became known as Matchtech / Gattaca, where I stayed for just shy of 7 years.
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I am an avid cyclist.
What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?
“If you are not embarrassed when negotiating, then you are not negotiating hard enough.” This is a trait I am still developing.
What three words would your colleagues use to describe you?
Outgoing, hard-working, slightly mad
And finally, who would play you in the movie about your life?
Me.
Get in touch with Olly for an informal chat about how he can help you and your recruitment needs.