Merger of Archer Mathieson and BIE
Briefing Note
What’s happening?
Archer Mathieson and BIE Interim Executive became one business from 2 April. The newly enlarged business will trade as BIE Group with two, tightly integrated divisions:
- An executive search team with a focus on finance, human resources, supply-chain & logistics and commercial roles.
- An interim management team focussed on matching senior-level executives from all functions and sectors to business-critical assignments, and a specialist team centred on business transformation.
Customers of either company can now find both focussed search and general interim services under one roof, gaining access to a bigger and higher-quality, combined candidate talent pool. The formerly separate teams of each company now work closely together with access to each others’ networks.
Candidates, whether interim executives or those seeking a new permanent role, will also find we can offer a wider and deeper level of opportunities.
What other changes will I notice?
Apart from the improved and more comprehensive level of service already outlined, very few. There will be some subtle changes to our company logo and branding as we become BIE Group, and a new website will arrive in the following weeks. We spent a lot of time thinking about the name of the new organisation and finally chose BIE because it’s a name with higher ‘brand equity’; one that most senior executives know and trust.
BIE Group will continue to operate from offices in The City, Birmingham and Windsor, with a management team comprising key people from both former companies. Nick Diprose and Gordon Whyte jointly lead the interim division and James Aston heads up the search team. Rob Walker is chief executive.
What people have said about the merger
“I don’t think this move will surprise anyone and I completely see the logic. The gap between search and interim has narrowed over recent years; organisations see interim increasingly as a very credible way of resourcing. It makes complete sense to bring these two offerings together within one brand.”
Richard Smelt, non-executive director at Hays Plc and former group HR director at Northern Rock Plc
“BIE and Archer Mathieson are two excellent businesses. The combination makes complete sense as the single-stop option for hiring executives.”
Leo McKee, chief executive of nationwide retail chain BrightHouse
“The merger achieves a strong cultural fit. Under common and strong leadership, the new BIE Group will be better able to serve its clients in response to the huge challenges currently faced by the business community.”
Katie Folwell-Davies, mergers and acquisitions partner, Deloitte
Moving from the public sector to the private sector
29th March 2012
Last year it was predicted that up to half a million public sector jobs could be cut by the end of 2015. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an unprecedented number of public sector workers trying to make a move into the private sector. Due to the different working environments, this transition can be one of the most demanding career changes an employee can face.
The pros and cons of sabbaticals, secondments and career breaks
21st March 2012
There comes a time in many employees’ careers when they need to take a break or make a change, but don’t necessarily want to move jobs. Whether taking time off is needed to look after children or care for someone else; to relieve the pressures of the working environment; to try a new role; or to go and see more of the world, there are a number of options available that have pros and cons to consider.
How important are job titles?
15th March 2012
In the current economic climate and its competitive job market, job titles are becoming more important than ever. For an employer, a job title can be a tool that helps combat attrition, raise staff morale and attract the best new talent. For an employee, the right title can help secure a dream move or convince them to stay with renewed pride.
There’s a world of difference between ‘disguised employees’ and genuine interim managers operating through limited companies
27th February 2012
A row has blown up after David Hencke at Exaronews broke the story last week about a few senior public sector executives and the departments who employ them, using ‘sole proprietor’ limited company legal frameworks to apparently avoid the taxes paid by and on behalf of full-time employees. On Friday both the Daily Telegraph and The Guardian waded in with reports centred on Paul Brown and John Seddon, COO and FD respectively, at the Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR).
How to tackle poor performance in the workplace
20th February, 2012
As a manager, it can be very difficult to address the issue of poor performance in the workplace. Not only can it be a sensitive and personal matter, but also it can be hard to determine how the employee in question is going to react. Despite this, if a member of staff isn’t completing their contractual obligations to an accepted standard, it is vital that the problem is dealt with sooner rather than later before individual employee performance affects the organisational performance.
The secret to becoming a great leader
10th February 2012
It may be a bold title for an article, but the secret to being a great leader is simple yet surprising – listening. Responsive communication is the key to good relationships with both employees and clients and can be the difference between an average leader (and therefore an average business) and a great one.
Recognition as a retention tool
21st December 2011
Finding new employees can be a costly and time-consuming task. Advertising the role, interviewing, a possible drop in productivity if nobody is doing the vacant job and training a new starter are all part of a process that highlights the importance of staff retention.
Retaining key employees year on year not only saves you the above, but also increases your average in-house knowledge and experience, breeds loyalty and helps with succession planning.
There are a number of retention techniques you can deploy to keep staff engaged and many of them come under the theme of “recognition”.
Taking A Break
14th December 2011
Inexpensive worldwide connectivity has overhauled the way we work today, both in and out of the office – but has this flexibility had a negative effect on one aspect of the work/life balance, especially for managers? The temptation for those in senior positions to “keep an eye on things” from holiday is becoming commonplace. Whether it’s workload worry, a lack of confidence in colleagues, or just being a control freak, more managers than ever are monitoring what goes on in their absence. There are a number of reasons why this is a bad idea, both for them, their staff and their business.
Do employers want to see a candidate’s original CV for individuality or a formatted CV for simplicity?
7th December 2011
A recent book extract in The Sunday Times claimed that job applicants had “30 seconds for a CV to impress.” With more candidates in the marketplace for coveted roles, the book declared that it is more important than ever to make your CV stand out from the competition. However, more qualified candidates means more CVs for employers to read, so is there also a converse case for applications to be formatted identically to make them easier to read and make the shortlist process quicker?
Ageism – does it still exist?
1st December 2011
By Ben Davies, Joint Head of Interim Finance.
The planned increases in the state retirement age, combined with a life expectancy now reaching 80 in the UK, mean that the country’s workforce demographic is changing. In 2006, the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations made it unlawful to discriminate against workers, employees, job seekers and trainees because of their age. Employers can no longer get rid of someone for being 65 and, in fact, employment for those above that age increased by 15,000 from Feb 2010 to Feb 2011. However, with more senior jobseekers in the market than ever before, survey after survey of them tells us that ageism is still the biggest hurdle they come up against.
So, if employers and recruiters are all aware of what they can and can’t ask, the age-neutral language they must use, and that job descriptions need to be purely competency based, then what is going wrong, why does ageism still exist and what, if anything, can we do about it?
Do HR professionals see real value in social networking sites or is it just a fad?
23rd November 2011
By Bill Paris, Executive Search – HR
The results of a recent survey of HR professionals showed that three out of five organisations are already using social media as part of their HR strategy, most notably in recruitment, and a further 25% plan to do so in the future. For Generation Y, social networks are a way of life and their knock-on effect has changed the way many people interact and view information online. But should one demographic cause us all to change our ways? Below are a few of the positives and negatives of the social media phenomenon to see if there is ultimately value in it for those in HR.
FD to CEO: a popular transition, but does it work?
16th November 2011
A number of surveys since 2008, when finance became top of everyone’s corporate agenda, have reported a significant rise in the number of Chief Executives who come from an accounting background. Almost half of those in the FTSE100 have finance experience, compared to 31% before the global financial crisis; and 60% of CEO’s appointed in 2010 were former Financial Directors. The credit crunch saw more FD’s promoted to CEO as potential saviours or pairs of safe hands, but now, in times of recovery and growth, many are accused of missing the vital ingredients needed to succeed in the top job.
CFOs and Supply Chains
1st November 2011
Archer Mathieson’s David Morrison was recently quoted in Accounting And Business magazine’s article “Getting Closer: CFOs and Supply Chains”.
The in-depth piece discusses how, post the global financial crisis, CFOs are working closer than ever with procurement teams to review the supply chain in order to control costs and get value for money.
You can read the full article here.
Outlook improving but still uncertain for interim HR managers
27th October 2011
Our head of HR Interim, Gordon Whyte, recently produced an honest HR market overview, referencing this year’s Institute of Interim Management survey, for HR Zone.
The detailed report discusses how the importance of an effective HR function in today’s market has resulted in the HR sector being the biggest user of interims. It also considers how HR professionals with transformations experience are in huge demand in sectors such as financial services that are going through dramatic change.
To read the full article, click here.
Procurement and Supply Chain Forum
14th October 2011
Where does your career in Procurement go from here?
Archer Mathieson’s first Procurement and Supply Chain breakfast forum was held at Great Fosters, Egham with Full Potential Group’s Carole Gaskell and John Blakey who facilitated a discussion around the challenges and opportunities faced by Supply Chain and Procurement leaders in advancing their careers.
CFO Forum: Thames Valley
15th September 2011
Moving from Chief Financial Officer to Chief Executive Officer
Our latest CFO Forum was held at Cliveden House, Berkshire on Thursday 15th September, with eleven senior CFOs from the Thames Valley Region attending and the Full Potential Group facilitating.
The discussion was on the development of leadership skills in order to make the transition to become a CEO and asked:
- How has your CFO role changed in the past 2-3 years?
- How has the role of your CEO changed?
- What are the biggest challenges for you when considering a successful transition to a CEO role?
- How do you plan to bridge the gap?
Sunday Times, 11th September: How to avoid growing pains
12th September 2011
Jennifer Price from Archer Mathieson’s Executive Search Finance team was recently quoted in an interesting Sunday Times piece on recruitment during expansion or rapid growth.
CFO Event, Celtic Manor, 5th-6th July
21st July 2011
Archer Mathieson consultants Ben Davies and Catherine Turner recently attended the inaugural CFO Event, hosted by Global Business Events, at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, South Wales, in the role of event sponsor and chosen recruitment partner.
Interims are now a permanent City feature
15th July 2011
By Kerryn Hooper, Interim HR
Interims are part of the fabric of HR in financial services but good preparation is the key to success, says Kerryn Hooper*
Archer Mathieson CFO Forum: Moving from CFO to CEO – Growing your leadership skills
11th July 2011
Archer Mathieson’s Finance Practice recently held a business breakfast at One Aldwych, London 
where 11 Senior Finance Leaders discussed developing leadership skills in order to make the transition to become a Chief Executive Officer.
Optimising the Relationship Between Finance and Procurement
7th July 2011
By David Morrison & Michael Seymour – Procurement & Supply Chain.
The relationship between the finance director and the procurement department is notoriously hard to navigate…
Interim life: not for everyone but rewarding for some
5th July 2011
By Archer Mathieson’s Ben Davies and BIE’s Nick Diprose
What it takes
The most successful finance interims tend to be very well-rounded individuals: they have highly attuned diagnostic, analytic and people skills; they are confident enough to lead, coach and challenge, but sensitive enough to know when to keep quiet; they are often very commercially minded. Read more
Developing a New Procurement Function
28th June 2011
By David Morrison, Procurement & Supply Chain.
In the early stages of growing a business, procurement may be a job that’s shared between many people – with each department taking responsibility for their own procurement. This can lead to different parts of the business paying different prices for the same item.
How to make your recruitment cycle more efficient
27th June 2011
By Bill Paris, Executive Search – HR.
In the current economic climate, many employers and candidates are understandably cautious about recruitment – companies need to make sure if they’re hiring someone, they’re hiring the best possible candidate.
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