Sarah Bennett-Jones has been recruited to the St Albans-based company from Coca-Cola Enterprises where she was European purchasing director. She has over 20 years' experience working within global fast moving consumer goods companies and was named in Supply Management's 20 leading lights in purchasing and supply (see Features, 18 July 2002.

Bennett-Jones is set to work with Langley clients looking to fill middle and senior purchasing vacancies commanding salaries of £50,000-£250,000. She said that demand for recruitment expertise was rising on the back of an overall tightening of the purchasing labour market.

"It is now significantly harder to find people than it was a year or two ago, so the more enlightened organisations are using recruitment companies as partners to find people who are the right fit for their businesses."

"With challenging purchasing objectives, more companies are realising the importance of getting good senior people in place.

"It is not just about getting the right candidate from a technical point of view, but also whether the individual is a good cultural 'fit' for the company."

Christine Langley, managing director, said that Bennett-Jones will be working substantially with the public and private sectors where there has been a surge in demand for purchasing staff.