Matchtech’s acquisition to significantly expand international reach
29 January 2015
Matchtech Group’s proposed acquisition of technology and telecoms recruiter Networkers International will give the company significant international reach, chief executive Brian Wilkinson says.
Thu, 29 Jan 2015 | By Sarah Marquet
Matchtech Group’s proposed acquisition of technology and telecoms recruiter Networkers International will give the company significant international reach, executive chairman Brian Wilkinson (right) says.
Speaking to Recruiter yesterday afternoon after the proposed deal was announced, he said Matchtech, which specialises in engineering and professional services recruitment, had been historically very UK-centric, deriving only 2% of its net fee income (NFI) from international business.
This acquisition, as well as opening up the telecoms sector to Matchtech, will see the combined group generate about 30% of its NFI from international markets.
Wilkinson said Matchtech was developing its own international strategy “organically” but “what this acquisition does is it accelerates the achievement of our vision and our strategy”.
He added: “It means we can go to clients we have got now and tell them that we can start providing them with the same quality of service they’ve come to expect from us in the UK in places like South-East Asia, the Americas, the Middle East; whereas yesterday we couldn’t.”
Wilkinson, who previously held an executive board position at global recruitment giant Randstad, said his previous experience with mergers & acquisitions and international development probably contributed to his appointment at Matchtech just over a year ago.
Wilkinson will become chief executive of the combined group. He said the two companies would likely be run as separate entities, though the back office would be integrated within a year.
“But beyond that, it’s by no means certain that we’d want to integrate our front office so it’s very much yet to be worked through.”
When asked what was next for Matchtech, he said: “We’ve just taken a very large bite which we have to chew on, swallow and digest, and that’s quite a long process but we’re determined to drive the maximum value out of this transaction for our shareholders, clients, our staff and all stakeholders.
“I’d be disappointed if some of the staff we’ve got here in the UK now aren’t working for us internationally within the next year or so.”
Speaking to Recruiter yesterday afternoon after the proposed deal was announced, he said Matchtech, which specialises in engineering and professional services recruitment, had been historically very UK-centric, deriving only 2% of its net fee income (NFI) from international business.
This acquisition, as well as opening up the telecoms sector to Matchtech, will see the combined group generate about 30% of its NFI from international markets.
Wilkinson said Matchtech was developing its own international strategy “organically” but “what this acquisition does is it accelerates the achievement of our vision and our strategy”.
He added: “It means we can go to clients we have got now and tell them that we can start providing them with the same quality of service they’ve come to expect from us in the UK in places like South-East Asia, the Americas, the Middle East; whereas yesterday we couldn’t.”
Wilkinson, who previously held an executive board position at global recruitment giant Randstad, said his previous experience with mergers & acquisitions and international development probably contributed to his appointment at Matchtech just over a year ago.
Wilkinson will become chief executive of the combined group. He said the two companies would likely be run as separate entities, though the back office would be integrated within a year.
“But beyond that, it’s by no means certain that we’d want to integrate our front office so it’s very much yet to be worked through.”
When asked what was next for Matchtech, he said: “We’ve just taken a very large bite which we have to chew on, swallow and digest, and that’s quite a long process but we’re determined to drive the maximum value out of this transaction for our shareholders, clients, our staff and all stakeholders.
“I’d be disappointed if some of the staff we’ve got here in the UK now aren’t working for us internationally within the next year or so.”
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