Colin Dean is Business Development Manager at Bermans Solicitors, a niche full service commercial law practice with offices in Manchester and Liverpool. Market leaders in Assert Finance and Invoice Finance, Bermans’ team of highly experienced lawyers provide specialists advise on a comprehensive range of legal issues including employment, corporate and commercial property to name but a few.
Colin’s honed his sales and marketing career in the professional services sector. He has worked in a number of different sectors starting with Accountancy and moving onto M&E Consultants and Architects, before settling in legal. Senior roles in firms including Linder Myers, Glaisyers and finally Bermans, as well as a stint as an independent consultant, has seen Colin refine his skills across the full marketing mix with a specialism in business development. Colin took 10 minutes out of his day to share his experience of working with Adam and tell us why he recommends us to his colleagues and associates.
Trust Built Over Many Years
Colin has worked with Lorna Meredith, Principal Consultant at Adam, for many years. Lorna helped Colin build his team at Linder Myers, and then a few years later, placed him in his current role at Bermans, where she has worked with him closely to recruit key roles. Trust in Lorna’s skills in marketing recruitment, and her knowledge of the professional services sector has resulted in her becoming Colin’s ‘go-to’ recruiter. He also recommends her frequently to colleagues and associates in need of recruitment talent.
“I first used Lorna over 10 years ago, in 2004” said Colin, “I was working as Marketing Manager at Linder Myers at the time. I was recruited there as Marketing Executive and I built the team up to give the business the skills it needed across the full marketing mix. Lorna helped me recruit a Communications Executive in the first instance, and then PR manager. Together we built the marketing team to eight people, including a contact centre that managed inbound enquiries and dealt with incoming calls from the Police Federation, one of our key contracts at the time and an audience of about one million people! We were the legal providers to the Federation, supporting police offers with a range of issues from conveyancing to litigation, which certainly kept our teams busy.”
“After Linder Myers I worked for over a year as a freelance consultant, again working within the professional services sector, before Lorna approached me with the role at Bermans. Once in place, Lorna has helped me to shape my own team here, including helping me recruit my communications assistant, Emma.”
What make’s you continue to use Adam Recruitment?
“I’ve always recommended Adam to other people in need of recruitment support, I even recommended them to my first boss! I’ve referred Lorna personally to many people, including my wife’s firm when they were looking for a marketing person. You always go with the people you like and trust. We’ve not recruited any of Lorna’s candidates who have failed, so that’s why I always go back. We’ve always got the right person. Adam always send strong candidates, and those we have taken on have all gone on to develop their own careers. “
What makes working with Adam different?
“Adam are very personal. Some of the bigger organisations are faceless and there is a lack of connection. With Adam it’s a very personal service. Lorna in particular has a real specialism in professional services and she knows all the main movers and shakers. If there’s a role in professional services and she doesn’t know about it, it’s not worth knowing. She’s always been particularly good at finding roles that suit me personally. She knows what I like and don’t like in a role. She can also be persuasive in getting me to consider opportunities and candidates that I would otherwise have ignored.“
“If junior people ever come to me who are looking to get into marketing, I always direct them to Lorna because of her experience. It’s tough to get that first job and Lorna will take those people and help them get their first roles when many recruiters wouldn’t, because they don’t think they will be worthwhile. Lorna always goes the extra mile.”
How do Adam help you find the right candidates?
“Adam are excellent at finding the right personalities that I’m recruiting for. I don’t like shrinking violets. I want people that will speak their mind and challenge me. Lorna knows the qualities I look for in a candidate and the type of people I will be drawn to.“
“The candidates I look for need to be able to grow into their roles. I believe in training people and empowering them and there are many times when I have brought people in for a specific purpose, but then helped them develop when their talents have become obvious. I look for people who can progress to absorb more of the Depts workload and develop systems and processes that they manage. I have always worked in small teams so the more workload we can share the better.“
If you’d like to work with Adam recruitment or if you’re looking for your next role, please do get in touch
