12 company profile
GCS: Taking a bite at the Big Apple
A mainstay of the UK’s recruitment industry for nearly 25 years, GCS Recruitment Specialists is taking its first step across the Atlantic with the recent announcement that it will open a New York office in summer 2015
“It was an opportunity that we just couldn’t miss,” explains managing director, David Bloxham. “We had been looking at various options for where to base our next office but, with the New York technology industry showing a 40% increase in employment since 2008, the decision was relatively easy.”
While America’s Silicon Valley is synonymous with technology and has the largest IT workforce in the US, New York’s technology scene is rapidly catching up – with recent figures suggesting that industry growth in New York is more than 60% greater than on the West Coast.
This disproportionate growth in industry will almost certainly lead to opportunities for Silicon Valley’s finest to try their hand in the north east, potentially sparking a battle for talent – something GCS have experience guiding their existing portfolio of clients through.
“In the mid-1990s, there was a boom in the Thames Valley IT sector,” recalls GCS founder and chairman, Chris Bartlett. “Talent from elsewhere in the country flocked to the region, leading to Reading – where our headquarters remains – and the surrounding area becoming a European centre of excellence for technology. The statistics suggest we might see a similar situation in New York over the next few years.”
“Although it may not seem so initially, competition is great for the industry,” says GCS head of sales Lisa Forrester. “Competition drives progress, the need to invest both in cutting-edge projects and employee engagement. If New York can become a genuine competitor to Silicon Valley in terms of talent acquisition, it could lead to a new golden age for the technology sector.”
However, it isn’t solely technology on which GCS will be focusing its newest office. The company, which also specialises in engineering and has offices in London, Reading and Dublin, will be recruiting for the financial services market in New York as well.
“New York is synonymous with financial services and our experience of building a successful financial services division in London stands us in excellent stead to repeat this achievement in New York,” says
www.businessmag.co.uk Thomas Lovell-Butt
Leading the New York team will be Thomas Lovell-Butt, a long-standing GCS employee who talks enthusiastically about this opportunity. “I’ve worked in America before and absolutely fell in love with the place,” says Lovell-Butt. “There is something special about New York. The energy, the people and the huge business potential make this a fantastic opportunity for both myself and GCS.”
The initial development phase of the project is already underway with Lovell- Butt building a team of consultants and operating remotely from GCS’ Reading HQ whilst the company locates suitable office space in New York in anticipation of a summer 2015 move. Chris Bartlett adds: “Our successful opening of a Dublin
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – MAY 2015
office has given us a blueprint from which to work and gaining a foothold in the buoyant New York market will open up America to us for further business development. It’s an incredibly exciting time for everyone at GCS.”
Details:
thomas.lovell-butt@gcsltd.com 0118-9563900
gcsltd.com/usa
Bloxham. “There are many other companies that offer recruitment services in IT or in financial services but very few who excel at both. I believe the businesses in New York will soon have a chance to see why GCS is considered one of the UK and Ireland’s leading recruitment agencies in both fields.”
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