“Can you find someone to run my business in Belgium right now?” we were asked by an international car wash company, who knew of our reputation for having deep experience in operational management. “Someone who is fluent in both French and English, has the capability of quickly turning a failing business around, and is able to influence people from different cultures and backgrounds.”

Knowing that Belgium has somewhat unusual labour laws, we set about the task of looking for a very flexible and talented individual. In our immediate resource, we found five strong contenders. From these, two were shortlisted for interview. No mean feat, since each person was subjected to two interviews – one in English and a second in French! The successful candidate is now in place and already driving things forwards. But then, as an ex-Army Major and Gurkha, David is used to working in much more hostile and extreme environments!

Since leaving the army, he has successfully turned around an international HR company based in Dubai, increasing the turnover by over $10 million, whilst setting up new business units in Afghanistan, the UAE and Kenya. We’re looking forward to seeing what he will achieve for this Benelux division of the business.