our people
The (small) team behind Talent Professionals
our people
The (small) team behind Talent Professionals
our people
John
Adil
I was very lucky to grow up in the beautiful Malvern Hills, in the west of England - an idyllic bucolic childhood with my brother and sister spending lots of time outdoors and, as we got older, modelling the very best in '80s childhood fashion.
A lot's changed since then! After finishing my studies, I worked in telecoms but I didn't find my niche until I got a role at Badenoch & Clark as a contract / interim recruiter, setting up and scaling the FMCG desk, before moving onto a smaller agency and growing out their Commerce & Industry recruitment section. I knew this was something I enjoyed and was good at but, after a few years of working for other people, I wanted a new challenge.
In 2012 I set up Talent Professionals and I've not looked back. hAving worked in A&F Recruitment in the FMCG and Consumer Healthcare sectors since 2007, some call me a guru. I'm somewhat more humble about this title, though I'm happy to admit to being an expert in my field.
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People often ask me what it's like to run your own business and I always say, without fail, exactly the same thing: I absolutely love it; it's the most empowering thing I've ever done.
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If you're interested in how I did it or are even thinking about treading the same route yourself, read more about my journey here.
I grew up on the outskirts of Nottingham with my older brother, riding my bike, playing lots of sport and dreaming of becoming a F1 driver. I also vowed not to follow in my father's footsteps and become an accountant...
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Things changed...! After completing my qualifications within practice (audit and assurance) I moved into corporate finance. More recently I was Head of Financial Planning and Analysis for Ladbrokes and helped facilitate the successful merger with Gala Coral.
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I am an analytically-minded recruitment finance specialist with an interest in systems, AI and automation and though I didn't make it into F1 thankfully some things never change: I still love sport and am keen Nottingham Forest supporter as well as a dad to 3 boys!
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My experience within the recruitment sector led me to join my wife Poonam in setting up Azuki Accounts in 2017. We specialise in assisting small to medium-sized recruitment businesses and I'm involved in implementing new systems for them, such as 'Pay & Bill' and general accounting systems.
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Since 2019, I have overseen all of the business finances of Talent Professionals and the back-office operations.