The Judges

Kai McCabe

At the end of 2007 Kai sold her share in Search Consultancy back to the business and left the recruitment industry to pursue other business interests. Kai recently launched wish4a – an online lifestyle site. Kai through her consultancy also advises a number of businesses in both the Private and Public Sectors.

As Managing Director of Search Scotland, Kai became part of the management buy-in/buy-out team in February 2000, Kai played the key role in developing Search’s successful business model within the Scottish market. Whilst firmly establishing Search as the leading independent player in Scotland, the successful foot print was rolled out south of the border opening locations in Manchester, Crawley, Leicester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and London, and increasing staff numbers from 170 to over 600. As a result, Search is now recognised as one of the UK’s 100 fastest growing private companies in a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers’ ‘Profit Track 100’.

The company turnover on exit (2007) was over £120M and NFI had grown at 20% year on year for the previous 5 years.

Kai joined Search in 1995 as Director of their Edinburgh operation and within 3 years was appointed Managing Director for the overall business in Scotland.

Kai, who has an MBA from Edinburgh University Management School, joined the recruitment industry in 1987 and rose to Sales Director of a market leading pharmaceutical consultancy before joining Search.

In 2004 Kai won the Business Insiders Elite Readers Award. Kai also raises funds for the Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

Jean Cousins
MA (Hons), DPM, Chartered FCIPD, FHEA

Jean initially worked for seven years as an HR officer in a blue chip international company. She then moved into higher education, lecturing and supervising research in Human Resource Management, with a focus on resourcing and reward issues.

Her research interests include assessment methods used in selection and in education, and she has published in various HRM journals, case studies and texts.

Jean was also Programme Leader for the CIPD accredited Masters in HRM at Glasgow Caledonian University. Jean is now an independent consultant, providing advice and training in both the private and public sectors, with particular focus on competency based interviewing skills.

Jean is a Fellow of the CIPD and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Ian Macleod

Ian MacLeod established Odgers Berndtson's Scottish business in July 2000. He has recruited in most of the principal business sectors in Scotland with particular experience at board level in the sport, utilities, financial services and public sector arenas. He began his career in the Civil Service with the Department of Employment where he spent 10 years, eventually running Professional and Executive Recruitment (PER) in Scotland, the Government's executive recruitment agency. He moved to the private sector in the mid 80's with Austin Knight and then joined Norman Broadbent, latterly managing their Scottish offices.

He has a strong knowledge of the commercial, political and social scene in Scotland and has successfully completed many assignments involving candidate relocation to Scotland. He is fully qualified in the use of Saville and Holdsworth psychometric assessment techniques.

Ian has a passion for charitable work and fundraising and is an Ambassador for both the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice and the Ocean Youth Trust Scotland. He is also an organiser of the Great Wilderness Challenge and is an active fundraiser for the Great Wilderness Annual Charity Ball.

Alison Denton

Alison Denton is the founder and Managing Director of Presence, a Scottish based Coaching and Organisational Development Consultancy. www.presencecoaching.co.uk

She established Presence after 8 years as HR and OD Director at Scottish legal firm Pagan Osborne. Prior to this she worked for Marks and Spencer, joining as a graduate trainee and working in several roles, latterly as Head of HR for the Gyle Region in Edinburgh.

Alison has an MSc in People and Organisational Development and is a qualified coach. She is currently the Programme Leader for the MSc in Coaching at Edinburgh Napier University and sits as a lay member at Employment Tribunals.

Alison lives in St Andrews with her husband and four children.