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Congratulations on 10 years at Speller Jack. It’s been full of highlights; leading the team to record placements, establishing a strong relationship with Services Australia, introducing us to the game of fives and of course getting engaged and welcoming Freya. So, let’s learn more about your 10 years with Speller. 

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How/why did you join Speller? 

I was working as a .NET recruiter in Manchester, UK and was over the horrendous winters in north England. I’d spent 6 months travelling around Australia a few years previously and always wanted to move and work there. The company I was currently working for had an SAP division, so I knew of the technology and the seniority of the roles and people working within the industry appealed to me. 

After interviewing with Speller it was a great fit. I’d never been to Melbourne, but I had heard it was a great city which was a bit more laid back and not as pretentious as Sydney(Sorry Sydney Siders) 

My first impressions of Melbourne, it was hot and there were lots of house parties! My best mate from England was already here and I quickly made a good group of mates and never really looked back. 

My first impression of Speller/Australia was that recruitment wasn’t as transactional as England, it is based more on relationships and I enjoyed the change in market moving into SAP working on a broader range of technologies and more senior appointments compared to the .NET market I worked in England. Speller was and still is a great close knit team with fantastic ties to the SAP community. I was lucky enough to get to Melbourne in time for the famous Speller Christmas party and I felt it was a company that really knew the market vertical it operates in as well as a team that knows how to have fun and make people feel good which I felt were all very good signs. 

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Best things about working here? 

I’ve had great career progression, from hands on recruitment through to leadership and management. I’ve enjoyed becoming a specialist in SAP. It’s a great team and I have made some friends for life and it’s been a lot of fun along the way. I have enjoyed some great success with Speller that I probably wouldn’t have thought was possible when I left England.

What’s changed in 10 years work wise?

The market been through a few different shifts. COVID being the biggest and how businesses and individuals navigated around it. It also impacted the way in which the work force work. 5 day weeks in the office were the norm when I started. Now there has been a huge shift for candidates work/life balance, families and how companies have adapted to this. 

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What’s changed personally in 10 years?  

I have a great network, friends, both from work and personally. I joined the property ladder, got engaged, got a little baby and built a life that I am very grateful for in Melbourne.

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How’s SAP changed in 10 years? 

The biggest change I've seen has been S4 Hana. When I first joined Speller S4 and cloud technology for SAPhad littleadoption and now there are a lot more companies that have adopted S4. There has been lots of other new technologies that have also come in and we have seen a shift towards hybrid/cloud landscapes rather than solely on-premise systems. This coupled with the changes I mentioned from Covid are they key changes.

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Where will you be in another 10 years? 

Hopefully still at Speller, but maybe with one or two days a week on the golf course!

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What advice would you give yourself 10 years ago? 

Professionally – I'd give some encouragement to myself that hard work, determination and resilience are the key things in recruitment, I definitely have that in me. I just need to stick to that, and I’ll do well. 

I would tell myself to work on my communication, especially how much language and tone can influence candidates and clients 

Personally– Spend more time practicing golf, cause you’re still not very good at 37!

Also, to give yourself time to exercise and keep fit, 

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I’ve learnt a lot in 10 years and it’s been great to work alongside so many professional, hardworking and fun loving people at Speller. It’s been a blast and I’m looking forward to what the future holds for Speller.