The Skin Tight Denholms

OUR MISSION IS TO BE A DIFFERENT KIND OF RECRUITMENT BUSINESS - ONE THAT BRINGS HEALTH, WEALTH & HAPPINESS FOR ALL.

Our values

Agility, teamship, authenticity, courage & excellence

Our values are based on our people and behaviours. When we talk about excellence it’s because we strive to deliver more value than any other recruitment business.

The Skin Tight Denholms don’t just adapt, we thrive in new environments because of our desire to learn and succeed. Teamship isn’t about a pat on the back, it’s about helping one another be great. The ability to have those tough conversations and do exactly what we say we will do, means we can tackle anything – together.

Nicki Denholm

CEO

John Denholm

Executive Chairman

Marisa Carroll

COO

Douglas Cross

Director

Steph Halliday

Managing Director

Keren van den Broek

Finance Director

Alana Sim

Development Director

Steph Buckley

Director of FMCG | Commercial

Gareth Glen

Client Relationship Director

Andy MacEwan

Head of Technology, Change & Transformation

Fiona Ashcroft

Head of Accountancy & Finance

Andy Brady

Head of Denholm HR

Steven Fairlie

Head of Contract Recruitment

Paul McKernan

Senior Search & Selection Business Manager

Scott Caithness

Senior Consultant

Libby Noble

Business Manager – Supply Chain, Operations & Engineering

Callum Beveridge

Senior Consultant

Keira Hodge

Marketing Talent Consultant

Michelle Weir

Senior Finance Executive

Zoe Lumsden

Business Support & Employee Engagement Executive

Anastasia Banks

Marketing Manager

Nicki Denholm

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Nicki came into recruitment from a career in marketing and brand management and from this experience became a pioneer of sales and marketing recruitment in Scotland. A passionate advocate of “doing recruitment differently”, she ensures that Denholm applies modern marketing principles to the recruitment process across all industries and sectors and is currently CEO of the Denholm Group.

John Denholm

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

John co-founded the Leith Agency, which grew to become Scotland’s leading advertising and communications agency. After the agency became part of the Cello Group, John joined Denholm Associates as non-exec Chairman. He has been a member of the Scottish Arts Council, Chair of Creative Edinburgh and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2007 Scottish Advertising Awards. He is currently a Fellow of the Marketing Society in Scotland.

Marisa Carroll

COO

Marisa helped establish Denholm in 2002, and throughout the years has developed an enviable network and unrivalled knowledge of the Scottish and UK marketplace. Whilst Marisa has experience of recruiting into many industries, she has particular expertise in FMCG, where she has filled many business critical roles for some of the UK’s biggest brands.

Douglas Cross

DIRECTOR

With over 20 years of recruitment experience, Douglas has been a pivotal part of the Denholm team for more than a decade, consistently delivering successful placements across marketing, sales, operations, and finance functions. With a record in senior and non-executive appointments, his industry knowledge allows him to effectively navigate the complexities of leadership recruitment, ensuring his clients find the right talent to drive their organisations forward. Clients and candidates alike value Douglas’s deep understanding of the recruitment landscape, his dedication to building lasting relationships, and his keen ability to match top-tier talent with businesses poised for growth.

Steph Halliday

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Steph joined Denholm in 2020 as Client Relationship Director and brought with her 15 years of experience in Recruitment & Executive Search and a proven track record of being a true business partner and leader. Her extensive experience in recruitment, track record of success, and alignment with Denholm’s culture and values made Steph the obvious choice for Managing Director. She is committed to building upon the strong foundation that has been established – delivering value to clients and stakeholders.

Keren van den Broek

FINANCE DIRECTOR

Having worked in Finance for over 25 years, Keren brings a wealth of experience to the team at Denholm. Her detailed and analytical approach, complemented by her talent for finding better ways to get the job done ensures that the financials at Denholm are kept in good shape. She provides a professional and efficient service whilst remaining approachable and friendly.

Alana Sim

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR - CONSUMER

Alana has been working in recruitment since 2012, predominately within the FMCG & Consumer markets. Having recruited in both the UK & Asia Pacific markets, Alana has a sound knowledge of local & international recruitment. Partnering with brands to attract & hire the best sales talent in the market, Alana focuses on mid to senior level Sales appointments within the Consumer space. With a strong commercial & sales background, Alana identifies and engages the best commercially focused talent for our clients.

STEPH BUCKLEY

HEAD OF FMCG - COMMERCIAL

Steph joined Denholm in 2013 where having progressed through the business, now heads up the FMCG team and brings a passion and unrivalled knowledge of the sector. Steph works exclusively with an impressive range of branded businesses and adds a real commercial understanding to any job brief. As well as working across both sales and marketing projects, she offers a strong focus on brand, channel and category management in both domestic and international markets.

Gareth Glen

CLIENT RELATIONSHIP DIRECTOR

Prior to joining Denholm in 2019, Gareth was professional actor for 15 years and brings great presentation and communication skills to his role. His focus with Denholm is to facilitate growth within the booming technology sector and he works on a variety of positions including sales, marketing, operations, software development and data management. Gareth’s success has been built on trust, hard work and a passion for the sector in which he operates.

Andy MacEwan

HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY, CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION

Andy has been recruiting in Technology, Change & Transformation since 2001. Delivering tailored resource solutions as trusted advisor to clients ranging from start-ups through to global blue-chip organisations across contract, permanent, fixed term, and managed service/statement of work solutions. He has experience providing candidates for Helpdesk through to CIO and takes great pride in providing excellent customer service and ensuring each candidate journey is a positive one. An expert in his market he can provide guidance across current market trends.

Fiona Ashcroft

HEAD OF ACCOUNTANCY & FINANCE

With a decade of experience recruiting across the Accountancy & Finance sector, Fiona has placed key Qualified appointments up to Director and Partner level. During her career she has supported a range of businesses from small independents up to large global entities across, professional practice, industry and financial services. Fiona always has a welcoming and friendly approach, and ensures she delivers an exceptional service by working in partnership with candidates and clients alike.

Andy Brady

HEAD OF HR

Andy Brady is a seasoned HR recruitment specialist, with over two decades of expertise in the field. With a foundation in Human Resource Management from the University of Derby, Andy swiftly transitioned into specialised HR recruitment. His diverse portfolio spans FMCG, Manufacturing & Engineering, Financial Services, the Third Sector, and Supply Chain, working at all levels from entry to executive positions.

Steven Fairlie

HEAD OF CONTRACT RECRUITMENT

Steven Fairlie is a seasoned contract recruiter with over 12 years of experience in leading teams and supporting UK businesses in achieving their recruitment goals. His expertise spans various industries, enabling him to provide tailored recruitment strategies that meet the unique needs of each client. Known for his strategic approach and exceptional interpersonal skills, he excels in building strong relationships with both clients and candidates, for a seamless recruitment experience. 

Paul McKernan

Senior Search Business Manager - FMCG Sales

Paul has worked in the UK and International recruitment for over a decade and is known for his ability to align talent strategies to his clients’ business objectives and values. Paul works on mid to senior level sales opportunities across the FMCG market and has successfully completed projects with blue-chip and SME firms in some of the world’s most exciting cities. Paul is passionate about identifying those hard-to-find, in-demand commercial stars who will help his clients achieve their goals and aspirations.

Scott Caithness

CLIENT RELATIONSHIP PARTNER

Scott started his career working for one of the leading Advertising & Comms agencies in Edinburgh where he spent 7 years before moving in to recruitment in 2011. As such, he is well-networked in the Marketing & Comms space across Scotland. With a friendly and consultative approach, Scott is genuinely passionate about providing a positive journey to both candidates and clients alike and believes communication plays a big part in this.  A “thinking-outside-the-box recruiter”, he is known for helping candidates portray the best version of themselves and helping clients find talent for those hard to fill roles.

Libby Noble

Business Manager – Supply chAIn, operations & engineering

Libby is an experienced recruiter, who has spent the past five years focused on FMCG, Food and Drink within the UK. The speed, technical requirements, constant flux, skill and hunt of FMCG is what drives her every day. With Libby, there is no ‘low hanging fruit’ no ‘easy wins’ which makes getting that Cinderella fit between candidate and client so rewarding. She is a consultant and a guide, so expect to be taken the extra mile when you partner with Libby!

Callum Beveridge

SENIOR CONSULTANT - TECHNOLOGY, CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION

Callum has been working in recruitment since 2018 where he has solely focussed on the Technology, Change and Transformation market across the UK and ROI. He works closely with his clients and candidates to build long-lasting relationships across several industries, including Technology, Financial Services, Professional Services, Healthcare, Education, Public Sector and more. He specialises in engineering roles across Software, Infrastructure, Systems, DevOps and Cloud, along with Software Testing.

Keira Hodge

MARKETING TALENT CONSULTANT

With over two decades of experience, including C-suite roles in Marketing, Growth, and Commercial strategy, Keira brings a wealth of knowledge and insight from both agency and in-house environments. 

Her expertise will be invaluable to our clients who are poised for growth and revenue expansion, as they seek future-fit marketers and strategic talent advice.

Michelle Weir

Senior Finance Executive

Michelle is enthusiastic, practical, and adaptable – with 15 years experience across Finance. She is known for being trustworthy, hardworking, and enjoying a challenge. Michelle excels, both independently and as part of a team, bringing a methodical approach to her work. Combining a friendly and professional demeanor, allows her to effectively engage with colleagues and clients at all levels. Client and candidate care is paramount to Michelle and to Denholm.

Zoe Lumsden

Business Support & Employee Engagement Executive

Zoe joined Denholm in 2022 as Recruitment Administrator, after working in administration roles for nearly a decade. Most recently within the recruitment industry, she joins us with experience of supporting consultants, clients and candidates at all levels. Zoe has a passion for helping people and applies her positive attitude and approachable manner to support our team and deliver the best possible service to our clients and candidates at all times.

Anastasia Banks

MARKETING MANAGER

Anastasia’s creativity, adaptability and enthusiasm to learn has seen her succeed in Hospitality, Financial Services, FinTech and Recruitment. Each role has developed her experience and understanding of customer care, project and resource management, as well as marketing and communications. She’s at home (literally) delivering results, motivating others and teaching herself website development, photography, filmmaking and editing to engage her audience.

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Alana Sim

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR - CONSUMER

Alana has been working in recruitment since 2012, predominately within the FMCG & Consumer markets. Having recruited in both the UK & Asia Pacific markets, Alana has a sound knowledge of local & international recruitment. Partnering with brands to attract & hire the best sales talent in the market, Alana focuses on mid to senior level Sales appointments within the Consumer space. With a strong commercial & sales background, Alana identifies and engages the best commercially focused talent for our clients.

Our Community

As well as working in close collaboration with our clients, and the online marketplaces, we are active members of groups that have been established to combat illicit trade. These include the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group, the European Intellectual Property Office, The Scottish Business Resilience Centre, the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, and the China Britain Business Council. Members of our senior management sit on the boards of ACID (Anti-Copying in Design), the Scottish Ministerial Trade Board, and the European Union Intellectual Property Office’s Observatory Panel for SMEs, amongst others.

Each team member nominates good causes or charities that are supported on both an individual and corporate basis. Wherever possible, we support the employee’s involvement whether through time or fundraising events.

Our Environment

We deliver purpose-driven work from an extremely welcoming environment near the City Centre. We actively encourage the responsible use of resources, from using public transport to reuse, recycling, and, of course, a minimal impact office environment. We have benefited from the advice of the Energy Saving Trust and Resource Efficient Scotland. Our waste contractor also provides us with a monthly report on volumes and types of material and the carbon emissions avoided through recycling.

Over 80% of our employees can walk or cycle to The Lair and, pre-pandemic, 10% were using public transport as their normal daily commuting mode. Without doubt, online meetings will replace considerable miles, going forward, saving resources, time and energy. Where possible, when possible, the train remains our preferred option. 

Our People

Our people are our most important asset, and their mental well-being and happiness are core to our success. We love our diverse workforce, actively embrace flexible working (even pre-pandemic!) and encourage a healthy work-life balance. We have been recognised as one of the most diverse SME workplaces in the UK and are holders of the Scottish Business Pledge which exists to promote a fairer Scotland. We have also just been included in the 2021 Culture Leaders Top 25 – an accolade of which we are very proud!

We are a fully inclusive and nurturing employer and, despite being in tech, the majority of our team are women, leading to accolades in the Computing Magazine Women in IT Awards and the Amazon Growing Business Awards. We currently represent 15 nationalities and speak 20 languages. Age is no barrier, and we recruit for attitude, providing and encouraging appropriate learning and training for each and every role.

We are also proud members of IP Inclusive, a network of professionals working to make the intellectual property industry more diverse.

Our Purpose

Our aim is to combat illicit online trade by identifying and removing counterfeits for sale. Counterfeits not only damage brands, their reputations, and revenues, but can cause significant harm to the end customer – whether as a fake toy or a fake medicine – and the consequences can be life threatening.

Counterfeiting is a significant economic and social issue.

The OECD reports that counterfeit and fake goods make up more than 3.3% of the world’s global trade. Those involved in the trade of counterfeits have been linked to people trafficking, prostitution, and drug dealing.

As such, reducing illicit trade is about much more than brand protection but also about human rights, safety, and social equity.

And this is what we do, every day.

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Communication Advisors

We’re a passionate and professional team who thrive in issue-rich environment and we’re looking for Senior Communication Advisors, Communications Advisors and Communications Executives to join their fast-growing team. 

You’ll have previous agency experience at Senior Account Manager or Account Manager level and be passionate about delivering excellent results for clients. You might be a specialist in PR and media relations who produces compelling editorial content across a range of topics and sectors or you might be a public affairs expert who understands the policy landscape and helps clients build influential relationships. Whatever your specialism, you’ll be an excellent writer, full of creative ideas, with proven client management experience and the ability to provide expert advice our clients.

Your key duties will include:

  • Supporting the key account lead with day-to-day client liaison, providing strategic counsel on day-to-day account matters when required
  • Active involvement in planning and delivering global PR, marketing and digital campaigns
  • Managing content programmes, including mapping out content themes, spotting industry trends and story angles, writing copy when required which may include opinion articles, web and social
  • Building strong media relationships, creating pitches based on your story ideas and delivering content in-to suit the client’s target media and securing opportunities
  • Planning and running client’s social media programmes, and management of their channels
  • Continuously identifying opportunities to grow brand awareness and profile our client’s businesses within their target sector through events, webinars, thought leadership
  • Producing comprehensive and timely reports on client activity 
  • Supporting in the development of client proposals to help grow or win parts of the business


In addition, to be considered for this role, you must be able to demonstrate:

  • Proven background in account handling and direct client liaison – 4 years’ minimum
  • Experience in an agency setting focusing on B2B communication or PR
  • Strong communications skills, verbal and written
  • A background in delivering creative, digitally led B2B communications such as LinkedIn campaigns
  • An innate understanding of earned media, with the ability to create stories and generate coverage across traditional media, digital and social
  • Experience working on content management programmes, with an awareness of the changing way business audiences consume information and an appreciation of search, paid and wider customer marketing activity, and how it all fits together
  • A history of working with clients in a variety of sectors is welcomed but experience in the tech and energy industries is advantageous.

Communication Lead

We’re a passionate and professional team who thrive in issue-rich environment and we’re looking to add a Communication Lead to our fast-growing team. You’ll be a trusted advisor to clients across several sectors in all aspects of communication, external affairs, marketing and issues management. Coming from an agency or consultancy environment, at Account Director level or above, you’ll report directly to the Managing Director and be responsible for a small and busy multi-disciplinary team. You’ll have first-class project management skills, be solutions-driven and excellent commercial acumen too. Alongside the senior team, you’ll work to drive the strategic growth of Aspect.

Your core duties will include:

  • Working with the MD to develop and deliver growth strategies 
  • Attracting and retaining profitable clients across a range of sectors 
  • Leading the creation and execution of strategic communication programmes
  • Inspiring, leading and developing multi-disciplinary teams
  • Developing strong relationships with clients, colleagues and associates
  • Producing high quality pitches and proposals to secure new business 
  • Curating, nurturing and managing a team of talented associates.

You’ll be a skilled communicator, interested and knowledgeable about the key issues shaping the external environment. In addition, to be considered for this role, you must be able to demonstrate:

  • 7+ years of senior leadership experience within an agency or consultancy
  • Experience in Energy, Renewables, Financial Services or Life Sciences would be very desirable
  • Outstanding writing skills and the ability to engage and excite an audience
  • An impressive track record of client attraction, retention and growth 
  • The ability to thrive fast-paced environment managing multiple projects simultaneously
  • Strong influencing and leadership skills to motivate and inspire those around you
  • Excellent planning, evaluation and project management skills
  • To develop new processes, systems and ways of working to drive performance

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CVs and interviews will take you to Level 2. Our behavioural profile will take you to Level 3, vital to identifying future potential.

LEVEL 1

Appears to...

  • Appearance
  • Expressiveness
  • Manner
  • Presence

LEVEL 2

Can do...

  • Knowledge
  • Acquired skills
  • Training
  • Experience
  • Education
  • Credentials

LEVEL 3

Will do

  • Capability to learn
  • Aptitude
  • Attitude
  • Self-motivation
  • Stability
  • Persistence
  • Maturity
  • Temperament
  • Behaviour patterns