A global private equity investor specialising in recruitment
Empowering recruiters to build something for themselves.
Recruitment Entrepreneur is one of the most successful private equity investors in recruitment businesses. Our mission is to help founders globally, launch, scale, and eventually exit their own recruitment businesses, generating a wealth creation event. We invest in all sectors within the recruitment industry, which provides a diverse portfolio of businesses, each one a specialist in its own niche.
We have fostered a community of businesses that benefit from the expertise of our dedicated team who provide; funding, financial expertise, operational strategy, back-office support, legal advice, marketing, and talent attraction solutions, all of which enable our partner businesses to flourish.
Our founder & Chairman
James Caan CBE
Having founded Recruitment Entrepreneur in 2014, former Dragons' Den star and serial entrepreneur James Caan CBE plays a pivotal role in shaping each business within our portfolio.
James has been in recruitment for over 30 years and invests in recruitment companies of all sizes across various geographies and sectors.
Alexander Mann, his first recruitment business, sold in 2013 for £260 million. His second recruitment venture, Humana International, grew to 140 offices across 30 countries.
With 3 million followers, James was named LinkedIn’s second most influential voice of 2017. His global network, both online and offline, has assisted our current CEOs in attracting the best talent, clients and candidates to their businesses.
Meet the leadership team
James Caan CBE
Chairman
James Caan CBE
Chairman
As Chairman, James takes an active role in the investment process, working closely with the Recruitment Entrepreneur team to support you and your company. His hands-on approach enables entrepreneurs to learn from his considerable experience in founding and scaling recruitment businesses.
Alexandra Scholes
Non-Executive Director
Alexandra Scholes
Non-Executive Director
Alexandra Scholes is an experienced Recruitment Manager with a passion for positive culture and talent acquisition based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a focus on both technical and non-technical roles, she has recruited for various sectors including construction & engineering, claims & dispute resolution, management consulting, IT, supply chain, logistics, and procurement.
Previously, she was the Head of Recruitment at Inspire Selection, managing the Construction Claims & Disputes Resolution, Contracts & Commercial Management recruitment portfolio. Alexandra has partnered with key stakeholders to deliver full life-cycle recruiting and hiring for all positions across various disciplines, successfully growing offices in various regions.
Annil Chandel
Regional Managing Director
Annil Chandel
Regional Managing Director
Annil began his career as a graduate trainee at Computer Futures, progressing to become the London Contracts Manager and managing a team of 40 recruiters while specializing in SAP.
He was then headhunted by a boutique SAP recruitment company to launch in Houston, Texas and later in Dubai.
Annil later joined Best People to launch their global ERP practice and eventually started his own recruitment company which he sold in 2009.
He then returned to SThree to launch their India business and later joined K2 Partnering as part of the SLT, where he launched India and helped scale their EMEAPAC business. Annil opened and delivered an account generating US$10m in revenue and $3.5m in NFI and also got involved in outsourcing services.
James Kevan
Local Partner & Co-Founder of Wayfinders
James Kevan
Local Partner & Co-Founder of Wayfinders
James has lived in the Middle East for over 10 years and has built several successful multi-million-pound recruitment and outsourcing businesses in the Middle East. He is now a strategic advisor to these groups.
James is passionate about fast growing startups and is now Founder of Wayfinders an investment group specialising in investments in the “Future of Work” arena.
With James experience of growing recruitment businesses and start up investments, James as our Local Partner offers a wealth of strategic advice and support to our Middle East investments.
Melissa O'Neill
Local Partner & Co-Founder of Wayfinders
Melissa O'Neill
Local Partner & Co-Founder of Wayfinders
O'Neill, a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience in the recruitment industry, is a Partner at Wayfinders, an investment group and venture builder in the Middle East. Specializing in Strategy, Business Development, and Customer Experience, Melissa has played a pivotal role in driving the success of Wayfinders and its diverse portfolio of companies, including SGP Technology, People Partners, Hotdesk, and Benchmark.
As a double degree holder in Business and Law, Melissa has been honored with numerous accolades, including being named Runner-Up for Start-Up of the Year in 2012 and a Best Customer Experience nomination in the Trade Excellence Awards in 2013. A fierce advocate for female leadership and diversity, Melissa's passion and expertise have made her an influential figure in the Middle Eastern recruitment landscape.