The Supply Chain Social - Interview with Angharad Kenward - Senior Director at Investigo

The Supply Chain Social - Interview with Angharad Kenward - Senior Director at Investigo

Name: Angharad Kenward
Company: Investigo
Position: Senior Director 

What did you want to be when you were at school?

Like most people who end up in recruitment, my dream of what I wanted to be when I grew up was somewhat different. Recruiters are generally failed at something and in my case, it was drama and music. I grew up in the valleys, with a musical family, and being a pianist, harpist and actress formed most of my teenage years, whilst being in higher education. I thought I was born to be on the stage, but sadly it didn’t turn out that way.  

When did you first start out in the Recruitment industry?

I started in my final year at university and I haven’t really looked back. With almost 15 years in the industry I’m not qualified for anything else now.

When and how did Investigo come about?

I’ve been with Investigo for more than 8 years and it was born from a desire to operate in a more entrepreneurial fashion. At that point Investigo gave me the platform to build a Procurement team that was well suited to the market at the time. We wanted to be true experts in what we did and be able to pick and choose who we partnered with to ensure a bespoke service. 8 years on we still love what we do.

What kind of jobs do Investigo specialise in, and which regions do you cover?

I currently run our Procurement business, Public Sector consulting as well as HR. However, more broadly we operate across a range of specialisms, with the more senior market playing a key part in our growth across the UK, Europe and the US.

What sets Investigo apart from your competitors?

Our culture is really important to our success. We genuinely look after our people and support them in their endeavors, so I believe we have something quite unique. We invest more in L&D, training, coaching and mentoring than many other organisations and whilst we have a high bar, we also promote a creative and ambitious culture. We are also humble in our approach, keen to learn and always looking to improve. I suppose that’s why we were the first ever business to win best recruitment company 2 years in a row.

What's been the biggest challenge you and the company have faced since launch?

Investigo has grown significantly in the period that I’ve been in the business and I think it’s challenging at times to adapt and change whilst ensuring you maintain what makes you great to begin with. Our challenge is to keep the “family” feel that has always allowed us to retain our people.

There can be no doubt that the rise of social media has had a significant impact on the recruitment industry. What impact does social media have on the way you work at Investigo?

We have a strong social media presence in terms of our brand in the recruitment space, as well as our client base, which is vast. We tend to publish articles, insight reports, drive event traffic, and engage our audiences through social media. For me however it cannot replace the strength of good relationships.

How important are job boards within your marketing strategy?

As an organisation job boards are very important to us. We want access to the best talent and partnering with the right job boards in our specialist areas is key across the business. We made a decision some time ago not to advertise in Procurement but we are potentially looking to change that.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

Find your niche. As a recruiter often people try to do too much, and service too big an area or specialism. Find something that is a niche and do it really well. Become famous in your world.

What one piece of advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs starting out?

Make sure you really believe in whatever you choose to do.  Passion and the desire to succeed is one of the most important ingredients in any entrepreneur.

What's the latest news at Investigo?

Highlights include:

• Our growth across the US, with a planned 60 heads and two offices in the next 3 years
• We are doing more and more consulting work, especially across Public Sector, which is incredibly exciting
• We have started to think about our first acquisition.

Where would you like Investigo to be in 5 years’ time?

We have a very clear vision for 2022 and 2025 in terms of headcount, NFI and remit, and I hope for us to be on track in terms of delivering against our commitment. If we do that, the future is very exciting.

https://www.investigo.co.uk/disciplines/procurement

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