Looking back on almost at almost a year with James Caan and the superb team at Recruitment Entrepreneur International I have enjoyed it all, learnt a lot and also made my mark on entrepreneurship in Germany.

During this time I have brought 18 mid-large German firms to the table as potential local partners, all at Owner, Geschäftsführer, CEO, CFO level, some of which rank in the Lünendonk Top 50, the Who’s Who of German recruitment.

The other side of the equation is engaging with literally 100s of experienced recruiters, or founder entrepreneurs. Each motivation and story is different and spending time with the principles who are striving to grow their own businesses from scratch is always fascinating. It’s in my DNA and absolutely the most enjoyable element of the role.

When the team first made contact with me in 2022 RE was launching simultaneously in around 20 other markets from the Americas, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, UAE, India, SE Asia, Australia and beyond! We know Germany is a high potential market however there are other markets where RE is active that are far more dynamic and entrepreneurial and where Local Partners are already in situ, ready to support new ventures.

So reluctantly the focus moved away from Germany and we agreed to park the project for the time being. Such a shame as I had already identified a pipeline of talented young entrepreneurs and two of these were at the final stages. Without the comprehensive support that is the foundation of the RE offering however we would not have been in a position to close on these opportunities.

Some of my friends, acquaintances and others in my network will of course be quick to say “we told you so”! You know who you are. However the truth is that this says more about the obstacles in the way of a dynamic low-barrier entrepreneurial recruitment landscape in Germany than the RE concept. It’s still a market screaming out for quality, agile providers, but those same potential founders are often put off by the bureaucracy, high costs, risk and inertia that exists here.

As I move onto the next stage in a colourful and always entertaining career in Talent, I look forward to working with the success stories, and those striving to become success stories. For me at least it’s onwards and upwards all the way.

Interested to engage with me? Just message me on Linkedin.