The Supply Chain Social - Interview with Mark Luxford - Senior Consultant at RBW Consulting

Supply Chain Online interviews Mark Luxford, Senior Consultant at RBW Consulting

Name: Mark Luxford
Company: RBW Consulting
Position: Senior Consultant

What did you want to be when you were at school?
I love watching and playing most sports so had my sights firmly on being a PE teacher. However I also loved selling (it can grip you at any age!) so I nestled myself between the two and found myself working in a sports shop.

When did you first start out in the Recruitment industry?
I started out in the recruitment industry just over 10 years ago having worked in the property sector for many years.

How did RBW Consulting come about?
RBW Consulting was formed in 2007 by 3 highly driven and successful recruitment professionals who had a vision to create a consultancy offering a thoroughly modern approach to recruitment that would stand out from the rest.

What kind of jobs does RBW Consulting specialise in, and which regions do you cover?
RBW has specialist divisions across Procurement & Supply Chain, Pharmaceutical, IT, HR and Compliance

What sets RBW Consulting apart from your competitors?
Our ability to expertly engage and consult with a series of candidates and clients where maintaining high service levels and delivery are key

What's been the biggest challenge you and the company have faced since launch?
Getting through the recession that hit in 2008

There can be no doubt that the rise of social media has had a significant impact on the recruitment industry. How has social media changed the way you work at RBW Consulting?
Social media plays an important role in the ongoing success of RBW. As an organisation we have evolved with technology and have embraced every aspect of social media.  

How important are job boards within your marketing strategy?
RBW invest heavily in job boards in order to provide maximum exposure to our clients which naturally compliments our wider marketing strategy. However we have found the rise of more specialist/niche industry job boards to be more effective and offer better quality candidates increasing our route to market initiatives.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
"You get what you inspect as opposed to expect!"

What one piece of advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs starting out?
Listen, learn, laugh and have a plan - and stick to it. This business can make you think you know best and can easily drag you off in different directions. Couldn't think of just one!!!

What's the latest news at RBW Consulting?
RBW continues to grow organically and drive into new territories. Our confidence, entrepreneurial spirit and ability to identify new opportunities will always allow us to develop new divisions and relationships. Capturing all of this, our next venture which has already has been received extremely positively is to break into the US market. Great gains have already been achieved in this area.

Where would you like RBW Consulting to be in 5 years' time?
To be a respected part of the management team who has a reputation for delivery whilst developing the careers of others around me.