According to his son David, Rowley was stricken with Alzheimer’s disease several years ago, which intensified near the start of the first Covid-19 UK lockdown in March 2020. 

Remembering the first day of his recruitment career as 5 April 1969, John Rowley’s subsequent career spanned a number of C-suite roles at recruitment businesses including the Corporate Services Group (CSG), which merged with Carlisle Group to become part of the Impellam Group, the Netherlands-based recruitment conglomerate Vedior, Select, Parkhouse Recruitment, the SOS Group and Premier Recruitment. 

He hailed the rise of niche recruitment and had been looking to expand CSG into emerging markets abroad during his three-year tenure at the Luton-based headquarters. As Recruiter wrote in a 2007 cover profile of Rowley: “During Rowley’s watch, Vedior opened offices in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore. The Select/Vedior model of specialising in niche recruitment businesses is set to be repeated at CSG where Rowley has been revitalising and redefining individual speciality brands within the group’s existing portfolio since he took up his position.”

He also served as an individual director on the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) board.

David Rowley, now sales director with Select Recruitment Specialists, said his father was “a huge influence” on his own career. “I learned everything I know from him, watching him, listening to him,” he told Recruiter.

Until he became ill, John spent time on the golf course and enjoying his Bentley cars. 

He is survived by his wife Ann, children David and Joanne, and grandchildren Elisha, Jack and Teddy.

Funeral services will be held on 11 October in Nottingham. For more details, contact David Rowley at [email protected].

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