Outline of Case Study

• Andrew Strong is Global Information Security Director at Unilever.
• He has used Acumin’s specialist recruitment for nearly 8 years, helping build world class information security teams.
• Acumin has most recently worked to recruit two senior members for his team at Unilever.

Acumin has worked with Andrew Strong for nearly 8 years, in his current role as Global Information Security Director at Unilever, and in his previous position as Director of Security for a global Investment Bank. Over this time, Acumin has worked with Andrew to build his information security and risk management teams.

Andrew speaks of why he’s chosen to use Acumin over the past 8 yeares: "I particularly like the fact that the calibre of candidates is always high. Because Acumin make the effort to research the role and candidates properly (they go further and beyond the job description alone), consequently you very rarely get mismatched candidates. There is also a quick turn around on new requests and always a positive response, which means a lot."

Outline of Case Study

• Acumin has worked with Christopher Frampton, Principal Consultant - Continuity Integration for ATOS Origin for over 6 years.
• Chris has worked with Acumin both in a client and a candidate capacity
• Acumin have assisted Chris in his move to ATOS and have also worked to recruit world-class consulting teams for Chris.

Acumin Consulting have worked with Christopher Frampton for over 6 years, initially helping him grow his Business Continuity Team at EDS, to over 20 strong. Acumin then worked with Chris placing him into a global role within a leading Risk Management Consultancy. Following on from Chris’ placement here, Acumin then helped him to strategically build up a world-class consulting team.

After a successful time building the Consultancy’s Business Continuity capability, Acumin subsequently placed Chris again, in a global role with ATOS Origin where he continues to use Acumin to strengthen and build yet another significant BC practice.

Chris explains the reasons why he uses Acumin: “the level of service has been excellent, as is their ability to select the right mix of candidates to meet my needs... this has dramatically reduced the recruitment time and cost as inappropriate or unsuitable candidates are removed from the process before the first interview phase.”

The cost-benefit of the service that Acumin offers is clear. Chris continues: “The main benefits of using Acumin's service include 1) Their level of Market Knowledge 2) Their depth of Candidate Knowledge and 3) The excellent follow up service you get”.

Acumin pride themselves on their proactive approach and excellent levels of service and will also reverse-market candidates where appropriate. Clients often find this very useful, as it reduces the amount of time required to search for candidates and also allows them access to  “the cream of the crop”, as and when candidates become available. Acumin makes every effort to become accustomed to the culture of each company they work with, thus allowing them to proactively approach organisations with well-matched candidates.

Outline of Case Study

• Acumin assisted Paolo in the proactive search for a new position in EMEA.
• The use of reverse-marketing techniques coupled with Acumin's extensive knowledge of the market place and key players within it helped with sourcing a suitable placement.
• Paolo now uses Acumin to source his staff across the UK and EMEA.

Acumin have worked with Paolo Ardemagni for several years from both a “Candidate” perspective, whilst he was looking for a placement and as a “Client” when he was looking to source new staff.

Paolo initially came to Acumin in search of a new challenging role in EMEA. Already a key player within the Security and Networking arena, with over 20 years experience, Acumin were keen to ensure that Paolo was exposed to the Key Players in the Industry. Based on their experience and existing contacts, Acumin was soon able to kick-start the process, arranging interviews with some of the leading security vendors in today’s market. Paolo says of his experience in working with Acumin: “It felt like they were working for me - they acted like a bridge between me and the companies I wanted to get into. Their approach was consistent, and they were always reliable - if they said they were going to do something, they’d do it - they stuck to their word.”

Paolo has also worked with Acumin as a “client”, when he was looking for a new territory Manager for the UK. Paolo explained “Acumin are a very professional company and experts of the security world - they know everyone and were able to present me with several top-class candidates.” He continues “they are a very pro-active company - and I value the good relationship that we have built. Communication is always timely and honest which is important”.

When asked what he thought the main benefits of working with Acumin were, Paolo explained:

           1) Speed - Acumin are very pro-active
           2) Execution on names – i.e if I say I need 5 names of top players in the field I know I’ll get a good response from them, with at least a couple who fit my needs perfectly.
           3) Reliability - I don’t need to worry - communication is always timely so I know what is going on and from    being on both sides of the fence, I know that Acumin are very experienced in what they do - they know their market.

Paolo Ardemagni is currently working as Regional Director Southern Europe for the market leader in the worldwide enterprise firewall, consumer Internet security and VPN markets. The company delivers a unified security architecture for a broad range of perimeter, internal, Web, and endpoint security solutions that protect business communications and resources for corporate networks and applications, remote employees, branch offices and partner extranets.

Outline of Case Study

• Acumin has worked with Sarah Bailey, Director of HR, EMEA, for several years.
• Acumin are NetIQ’s preferred supplier for recruitment services.
• Sarah uses Acumin for their specialist knowledge, quality of candidates/CV’s and the level of understanding they demonstrate

Acumin Consulting are NetIQ’s preferred agency for recruitment, working with Sarah Bailey, HR Director for EMEA at NetIQ to fulfil a number of roles including Enterprise Sales Management, SI Partner Management, and Director level roles.

Speaking of why she chose Acumin, Sarah says: “I came across Acumin from previous companies I had worked for. They have  always been spoken very highly of by my colleagues and directors and so as soon as I came to NetIQ I made contact with them.” She continues “I liked the level of responsiveness you get, their knowledge of the marketplace, and the quality CVs – you get well qualified, targeted candidates. Acumin really know and properly qualify their candidates.”

When asked what she liked about Acumin over other services, Sarah said “Not only are they [Acumin] very helpful and friendly, they have a good understanding of their marketplace and even more importantly, a good understanding of how to work with me.”

Acumin has worked for Sarah on a number of job roles and has most recently placed a European Head of Marketing. Acumin presented a number of very highly regarded candidates in the market. This was to be a tough hire - despite the role being primarily UK/EMEA based, the US Executives were very involved, as was the VP of EMEA. After a comprehensive search Acumin presented a final candidate for the role – she went through an in-depth interview process, resulting in an offer and acceptance. Although relationships were also built with other key contacts at NetIQ during this process, Sarah remained the main point of contact throughout for Acumin.

Sarah says of her experiences of working with Acumin so far:
“I would definitely recommend Acumin for their specialist knowledge of the market, the quality of CV’s that you will receive, and their overall knowledge of their candidates.”

Outline of Case Study

• Anthony Howe, Delivery Manager, UK has been using Acumin Consulting for just over a year.
• CA are the world’s leading provider of infrastructure solutions, including storage and security.
• Acumin has now successfully placed 3 architects within Anthony’s team, to focus on Identity Management, E-mail Archiving and Storage

Anthony Howe, Delivery Manager, UK at CA, has been using Acumin Consulting for just over a year.

Anthony initially came to Acumin following recommendations he had received from colleagues and from CA’s HR Department. Since this time, Acumin has successfully placed 3 architects within Anthony’s team, to focus on Identity Management, E-mail Archiving and Storage. These candidates are all specialists within their fields, supplying CA with gravitas and respect on high-end delivery projects.

When asked what he likes about Acumin’s service, Anthony replied “I like the quality of candidates that I get through from Acumin. I also appreciate the way that Paul [Specialist Consultant at Acumin] has adapted to my way of working. This makes a real difference.”

Acumin managed the recruitment process from initial search and selection, to final negotiations, ensuring that both the candidates and Anthony were kept fully-informed at all times throughout the process.

Anthony continues, “The benefit for me of working with Acumin is that they are able to provide quality candidates across the breadth of CA’s security and storage product portfolio – not many agencies can do that – you tend to find agencies who present you with a few high quality candidates but only in selected areas, or agencies that offer to service all areas of the business, but without the specialist, high quality candidates. I also like the fact that working with Acumin does not take up too much of my time – we work well together.”

Outline of Case Study

• Colm Fahy is a contractor, specialising in the field of Information Security.
• Acumin worked to find Colm his role as Information Security Manager at one of the UK’s leading Utilities Companies.
• Acumin now undertakes all invoicing, admin and payroll for Colm.

Colm Fahy is a contractor, specialising in the field of Information Security. Colm speaks about his search for a specialist agency to support him in the search for new contracting positions: “Acumin gave a good impression when I first spoke to them on the phone and they were Information Security Specialist’s, which was the key factor for me – this is what separates them from other agencies”.

Acumin undertook an extensive search to find suitable contracting opportunities which would match both Colm’s personal requirements, and also his specialist area of expertise within the security field. This resulted in a long term contract role as an Information Security Manager with one of the UK’s leading Utilities Companies.

Colm says of his experience with Acumin to date: “Scott is personable and courteous and seems unusually pro-active on behalf of candidates/contractors for the recruitment sector.” He continued:

“There are three reasons why I would not hesitate to recommend Acumin to any contractor looking for work, or candidate for that matter:

1)  True Information Security Specialists

2)  Excellent market contacts with knowledgeable individuals

3)  Prompt invoicing/payment and efficient administration”

Acumin Consulting are renowned for their specialist knowledge of the of the Information Risk Management market place – including information security and business continuity. Acumin offers an efficient and effective service to Contractors following their placement, ensuring invoicing, payroll and surrounding administration is proactively taken care of.

For more information about Acumin’s services please call 0870 899 3050 or e-mail info@acumin.co.uk.

Outline of Case Study

• Acumin worked with Postini to source a Senior Director of Sales for Europe.
• This was a very high-level hire for Postini - the first of it’s kind in Europe.
• After a very rigorous process, Jesper Frederiksen was selected for the job, given his level of experience and skills set.
• Jesper is now using Acumin to facilitate the growth of his European team.

Acumin Consulting was commissioned on a retained basis by Postini’s Worldwide Head of Sales, to manage the search for a Senior Director of Sales for Europe. Postini is the global leader in integrated message management, providing more than 35,000 businesses worldwide with on-demand services that protect, manage, improve compliance, reduce risk and increase productivity from email, instant messaging (IM) and the web.

Acumin met with Postini in California, where a full brief was agreed upon for the role that was to be recruited for. From here, Acumin produced a short list of candidates and managed the entire process through from initial search and qualification of potential candidates, to the final selection process. This was an important hire for Postini, the first of it’s type in Europe, hence the recruitment process was rigorous.

Jesper comments on the rigorous process that Acumin and Postini used to help find the perfect candidate: “It was a very prolonged hiring cycle. Acumin did a very good job of keeping everyone informed....I liked the professionalism of the resourcers – they pushed, but in a good way, which lead to my first interviews.”

After much background research and qualification by Acumin, Jesper Fredericksen was interviewed by Postini’s executive team. Jesper excelled in the interviews – he was up against some of the biggest names in the industry but his tenacity and determination enabled him to secure the position.

Now, as Senior Director of Sales for Europe, Jesper is working on rebuilding his team and driving European expansion  at Postini, working closely with Acumin to fill a number of key roles across EMEA. Jesper explains why he likes Acumins apprach: “A lot of headhunters are like used car sales people – Acumin take a realistic and honest, consultative sales approach...” he continues “I liked the closed communication that I got as a candidate and I know that they do a great job at screening candidates to a short list stage and then take a back seat, ensuring that the client is presented with all necessary facts to make a well-informed decision.”

Outline of Case Study

• Acumin worked with The BSI on a very specific role; sourcing a Global Product Manager (Business Risk).
• Robert Whitcher was selected as being an ideal candidate for the job, given his very specialist skills set.
• Rob has worked for BSI for nearly two years now and is still in contact with Acumin on a regular basis, attending RANT events and using Acumin for any of his hiring requirements.

When The BSI were looking to recruit a Global Product Manager within Business Risk Acumin knew that this was a very specific role which would require a candidate with a very particular background and skills set.

Acumin set about sourcing a suitable candidate for this role and after an exhaustive search, identified Robert who had the perfect mix of skills and relevant experience. Previously, Rob was a senior information security consultant with a strong background across all aspects of information security policy & BS7799, compliance and risk for one of the UK’s largest telecommunications companies.  His skills were in alignment with what The BSI were looking for, and shortly after being put forward for the role the interview process began, leading to Rob’s full-time employment with The BSI.

Talking of why he chose Acumin as his recruitment consultancy, Rob says: “I have known Acumin for a number of years, almost since they setup. They are very keen to be active in Information Security and have proven to be knowledgeable in this area.” He continues: “the thing that really separates them from other similar consultancies is their knowledge of the information security arena and the people involved – they take the time and trouble to get to know the individuals.”

Rob has now been working for The BSI for nearly two years. When asked if he would recommend Acumin for recruitment in the Risk Management and Information Security space, he replied “Yes, without hesitation.”

Acumin get involved with a number of netwroking events within the Security and Risk world and have set-up an evening called “RANT” (Risk and Network Threats) where industry specialists get together and speak openly about hot topics. Rob frequently comes to the RANT events, and continues to be in regular contact with Acumin.

Outline of Case Study

• Acumin has worked with Simon Church, VP EMEA at Verisign in both a candidate and client capacity.
• Acumin assisted Verisign  in placing Simon as VP
• Acumin now work with Simon to recruit world-class professionals to further strengthen his organization

Acumin Consulting was approached by Verisign to identify a Vice President, EMEA for  Verisign Security Services.

Acumin undertook an extensive search of some of the industry’s leading players within the European services & software market. After a rigorous search and many hours of interviews and qualification with Acumin’s consultants, a final shortlist was drawn up to present to the executive team. This shortlist contained several highly accomplished candidates who were all extremely determined to secure this high profile role. After several rounds of in-depth interviews, trips to the US and extensive due-diligence Simon proved him self to be the strongest candidate and convinced the board that he was capable of taking their EMEA business to the next level.

Since joining Verisign, Simon has been tasked with a significant expansion programme across Europe and a total organisational restructure.  Acumin are now playing a key role in assisting Simon and his teams to strengthen his organisation by finding the best possible talent across all regions and disciplines.

“Having had first hand experience of working with Acumin as a specialist recruitment company, I was impressed with their knowledge and approach. I had total confidence in retaining their services as a supplier and will continue to use them on an ongoing basis.”

He continues:

“They have an excellent candidate database and a commendable knowledge of key players within the industry.”

For strategic and senior level hires Acumin have the industry knowledge and credibility to approach the Industries leading players with whom long term relationships have been built.  Simon Church states:

“In order to build a successful EMEA technology business, you need good people. Simon and his team have helped us identify, evaluate, and close on the best candidates in the market. He’s a quality orientated recruiter and an invaluable resource for any technology company who operate in the security space. We recommend Acumin highly and look forward to working with them for years to come”.