• Global executive search firm Bentley Lewis has appointed Edward Cruz as head of technology, advanced analytics and sciences. Cruz brings more than 20 years’ experience in HR tech, recruitment process outsourcing and recruitment services. Based in New York City, Cruz will oversee all aspects of his firm’s operations related to these areas.

• SaaS HR provider Ciphr has appointed SaaS sales leader Gerald Byrne and former ATG CTO Badr Khan to drive commercial growth. Byrne joins his former GoTo boss Sion Lewis at Ciphr as new chief sales officer, with responsibility for all sales activity across the Marlow-based, ECI-backed group. While Khan, former chief technology officer at ATG (Auction Technology Group), takes up an independent non-executive director role.

• Executive search firm ecap has announced two new managing partners for the UK and Europe. Aaron Drewitt will drive the delivery of its leadership and board search capabilities in the UK and Europe. Previously, he founded executive search firm Hawkmont Consulting specialising in C-Suite, non-executive director and chair mandates within private equity backed businesses in the UK. Damian Navas will work with businesses to curate a personable human-centric digitised experience. Navas has more than 20 years of search and delivery experience and recently founded specialist search boutique firm Haig&Co in the UK, focusing on delivering senior talent delivery strategies for the technology, digital transformation and finance sectors across Europe.

• Heidrick & Struggles has added one partner and one principal to its executive search business and one principal to its Heidrick Consulting business in the Americas. Steven Baumruk joins as partner in the Miami office, and is sector leader in aerospace, defense & space and a member of the industrial practice. Nicole Balsam joins as principal in the consumer markets practice in New York. Balsam brings more than eight years of search experience and previously headed the brand and digital practice with another executive search firm. Kathryn Bardi joins Heidrick & Struggles as a principal in the Chicago office. A neuroscientist, Bardi was previously senior vice president, leadership and organisational advisory, at Raines International and a member of the team at the NeuroLeadership Institute.

• British solar heat tech disruptor Naked Energy has appointed Alex Mitchell as the new head of people. Mitchell has more than 20 years of experience working in HR and specialises in supporting growing businesses.

• Talent acquisition platform RAMP Global has appointed finance, strategy and corporate development executive Brad Collins as investor and board adviser in the US. He was previously a member of the executive leadership team at Velocity Global. Collins, who is based in Denver, Colorado, will also bring specific US-market knowledge and experience to RAMP Global’s growth strategy.

• West Midlands-based entrepreneur Madhur Bedi has joined healthcare recruitment franchise Tezlom to place qualified health professionals throughout Birmingham. Bedi says Tezlom’s presence in the county is a vital step, especially for carers, towards making recruitment services more widely accessible instead of turning their backs on the industry.

• The Shore Group has appointed Darren Burnett as managing director of the recruitment division at the project delivery firm for the construction & fitout, mechanical & electrical (M&E) and retail sectors. Burnett has been in a consultancy role at the group since January 2023 and takes up the MD role with immediate effect. Burnett was previously CEO at On-Site Group Recruitment.