Management team

Kelly Robinson

Position: Founder & Chief Executive
Connect: Click here

Kelly has long had a love for recruitment. Using his interesting leadership style, he once managed six different recruitment agencies before founding a company based on a new job posting distribution technology. Originally called Firebean, it became Broadbean Technology Limited after consulting with the other love of his life – his lovely wife. Broadbean was and is a reflection of Kelly’s passion for technology - a tech business that would fill the gap within his own company, and ultimately within the industry. It was a little idea that continued to grow at every turn.

Kelly’s fascination with how businesses operate began when he was still at school. While some people study blueprints of buildings, Kelly focused, instead, on the blueprint of a radical new business, including how to develop a team that would deliver ideas. as well as craft and build a successful business around those ideas.

Our Chief Exec constantly tries to make life at the Bean fun while still getting the job done. He is brilliant at taking work issues by the scruff of the neck and fixing them. Kelly pushes, drives, and challenges the Bean team every single day. His leadership style unites and motivates his employees and with his constant encouragement, people are given every opportunity to succeed. ”I love creating new products and solutions for the industry. Success benefits everyone,” he says.

Recruitment can be a lucrative industry for the right people. Kelly regards it as still the only industry where you can legally make six figures from a standing start without any experience, and have fun doing it. He loves the industry and firmly believes that people are a reflection of the companies for which they work. He often thinks about Tony Burns, a Recruitment Trainer in the U.S., and reminds himself consistently what he learned from Tony about the job and the industry.

When he’s not creating a new product or defining a new approach, Kelly devotes some of his rare spare time to coaching kids’ football/soccer. And when he isn’t coaching football, he is either playing it himself or snowboarding with family and friends.

“I think people are completely overloaded with technology, including social media. There will be clients who want real people; I can see a switch back to solid face-to-face recruitment. We know that social networking can build the biggest database in the world; somehow, this is a game changer. I think there will be a shift in the overloaded hiring manager to actually paying for qualified candidates. It will be interesting to watch what happens next.” – Kelly Robinson, Founder and Chief Executive.

Dan Martin

Position: Managing Director
Connect: Click here

Dan Martin took the helm at Broadbean in September 2010. His previous position as Digital Business Development Director for Daily Mail and General Trust, and his work with the various digital businesses in the portfolio, have primed him well for his role at the Bean. Dan’s involvement at this crucial stage in Broadbean’s business development is significant. As important financial decisions are required, and established relationships deepened and new ones built, Dan’s strategic background is invaluable.

Dan was delighted to join the business and states, "Broadbean is a quality business with a market-leading product. This, combined with a unique company culture for which we have to thank Dan McGuire, our former Managing Director, and our Founder and Chief Exec Kelly Robinson, makes Broadbean a really exciting proposition".

Career opportunities can come along unexpectedly, yet Dan feels that the timing of this opportunity was perfect. He had long looked for an exciting operational move, and Broadbean was a business he knew well (having previously been on its board). The opportunity to help take the company to the next level proved to be just the challenge he needed. His decision to join the Bean was based on three key factors: product quality, the Bean team, and the brilliant opportunity for career progression. In a market that is constantly changing, Dan aims to continue to uphold our company ethos, strengthened by his strategic insight and enthusiasm to make a difference.

Dan believes strongly in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and occasionally manages to achieve it! Golf is his biggest weakness, both in terms of his obsessive focus and lack of talent, but he is also interested in a wide variety of other sports. Increasingly, watching is becoming more common than playing, but he still hasn’t given up hope that he will receive the call from Kenny Dalglish to don the red of Liverpool FC.

Dan concludes, "There are exciting times ahead for us at Broadbean, as well as for our clients. Information on potential candidates is becoming more readily available, and yet at the same time, the sources of this information are becoming more fragmented. Broadbean will play an important role in bringing order to potential chaos. Our role is to help our recruiters become more efficient, which in turn will help more candidates find their dream jobs – it doesn’t get much more exciting than that!"

Alex Charles

Position: Chief Technology Officer
Connect: Click here

Broadbean enthusiastically welcomed Alex Charles into its fold in June 2010. Alex had extensive experience in HR and banking software development (he built HR, financing, banking and management systems for companies including the Bank of England and NatWest.). Armed with this expertise, Alex founded iProfile in 2000. Over the next 10 years, his company gained a reputation for innovative technology and leading software development in line with the exploding world of online profiles and ongoing changes in candidate behavior. Alex also brings in-depth knowledge of corporate best practices and one of the brightest minds in the business to our senior management team.

The opportunity to oversee product strategy through product launch, which represents the crucial next stage of growth at the Bean, was an incredible lure for Alex and closely related to his work at iProfile. He enjoys the intellectual challenge and matches our people in his passion for business and growth. Alex has found the truly global reach of Broadbean’s product suite and its widening strategic development to be the most interesting aspect of his job. Plus, he gets to brush up on his business French!

When he doesn’t have his eyes glued to a computer at the Bean, Alex enjoys extreme skiing and spending time with his children. He is excited about the opportunity to combine these two activities as his sons grow and he can share his love of skiing with them. Time with his sons has also included more than the usual element of danger as they explore the world of firework-propelled rockets together!

“Individual job seekers are taking ownership and control of their own information and this changes the game. Recruitment is all about people and relationships – putting people in front of the process, instead of technology. Fundamentally, we have not seen a lot of changes and I think we have just hit a new decade of change.” – Alex Charles, Chief Technology Officer

Stuart Passmore

Position: Chief Operating & Financial Officer
Connect: Click here

Stuart Passmore began his Bean journey in February 2006. He started his accounting career at the unbelievable age of 16. By the time Stuart was 21, he had gained his CPA qualification, a further specialist tax qualification and had built a successful practice of twelve staff and 250 clients. He also became firm friends with Broadbean’s Chief Executive Kelly Robinson, whom he played football with, and joined the company on a two days a month contract. Before long, this grew to two days a week before Kelly eventually offered Stuart a full-time role which he accepted. From the beginning, Stuart brought a calm presence, a voice of reason, and commercial acumen to a burgeoning team on the edge of significant growth. Broadbean has been growing ever since, leading the market and continually evolving as the industry does.

The very real potential and excitement of global market domination keeps Stuart active and involved in further company development. There are still many challenges ahead for Broadbean which drive Stuart daily. No two days are ever the same at the Bean and this variety further motivates Stuart whose passion and commitment to the business is a hallmark of the leadership team as a whole.

When not leading the way operationally at the Bean, Stuart falls back into his role as a devoted father of four and enjoys playing golf and football. He fondly sees Broadbean as having a stabilizing influence on his rich and very full life.

“For recruiters, the future is going to be meeting the challenge of finding and staying in touch with candidates. Social networks have forever changed the monopoly of job boards. They won’t go away, but neither will social media. It will continue to evolve as the jobseeker evolves. We may see multiple sub-networks develop. All in all the future looks pretty interesting for Broadbean.” – Stuart Passmore, Chief Operating Officer.

Luke Hopkins

Position: Technical Director
Connect: Click here

Luke began his Broadbean journey in 2002, bringing with him the knowledge and experience he gained as a Network Engineer in the mobile phone industry, long before Smartphones had entered the marketplace.  The decision to join Broadbean was a simple one and Luke was eager to share his expertise with such an unusual company.  With the feel of a start-up and its burgeoning entrepreneurial environment, Broadbean was not only logical, but the perfect match. It was a culture that is still very much alive today in Broadbean’s unquenchable thirst for development and online innovation.

After several years with Broadbean in the UK, Luke had the opportunity to head up the tech team in the US. It proved to be too good to pass up, and he moved there with his wife and two young children in 2010. He relishes the exciting challenges of leading a young tech department that welcomes his quiet leadership style. He also thrives in Broadbean’s informal atmosphere and embraces its lack of bureaucracy. With year-to-year industry changes and endless tech development, there is always something new to work on. You can bet that technology is the reason Luke has stayed at Broadbean.

Time with his family is very important to Luke and when not at the Bean, they enjoy exploring the many beautiful local beaches that Southern California has to offer. And as he really likes cars, the occasional car show provides an equally enjoyable alternative.

“Consolidation of data represents a very interesting proposition. So many people and companies have tried it and failed. I’d like to see more effective data exchange between the vendors that occupy the space. None of them are offering everything, I think they all work a bit too independent of each other, perhaps collaboration and exchange will make the difference.” – Luke Hopkins, Technical Director

Rayanne Thorn

Position: Marketing Director - North America
Connect: Click here

Prior to joining Broadbean in October 2009, Rayanne had worked for years as a Corporate, Independent, and Executive Recruiter before starting her own search and business consultancy. It was these specific experiences, as well as her extensive writing specific to the recruitment industry, that prepared her for a marketing position at the Bean. She knew that Broadbean was new to the American market and arranged to meet Broadbean’s Chief Exec Kelly Robinson for lunch. Quickly intrigued by the Broadbean story, the commitment to customer service, and constantly evolving technology, Rayanne happily joined the Bean Team as Marketing Director. As an early adopter of social media, she brings a clear understanding of its impact on traditional marketing methods and on the recruiting industry, as a whole.

Rayanne loves the recruiting industry and knows how important it is to have a quality product supported by incredible client services. This balances nicely with a senior leadership team that recognizes the need to constantly improve its product, bringing new options to current and future clients. She regards the people and the product as her reasons for loving her work at the Bean, knowing that she is surrounded by the best in the space and that her work and interests are appreciated.  Rayanne is constantly surprised by how quickly Broadbean products are developed and enhanced. Her energy and enthusiasm are kept fresh by keeping up-to-date with an evolving industry and by promoting the unique advantages Broadbean offers.

When not at the Bean, Rayanne spends most of her time with her family and has a new found love of travel. She enjoys discovering new outdoor places to hang out and is known to click a pic or post an impromptu video to Facebook or Twitter at the drop of a hat. She is also a big fan of theatre, being both a producer and consumer of the art. Rayanne willingly confesses her addiction to social media, one of her favorite places to hang out.

“I have watched social media take a big chunk of attention away from good ol’ cold calling and be implemented successfully as a recruiting tool. Google's step into the social space proves its lasting relevance. I have watched mobile start to build as a viable and necessary part of online recruitment. I think the future rests in location-based web technology. The reputation of recruiters will begin to improve as job boarding continues to evolve and the average job seekers become more tech-savvy, taking control of their virtual professional profiles.” – Rayanne Thorn, Marketing Director, North America

Jon Flahive

Position: Global Alliances Manager
Connect: Click here

One of the earliest hires in Broadbean’s US launch, Jon Flahive began working with Broadbean in January of 2009. His background in Applicant Tracking Systems, having worked as a Technology Partner Manager with PeopleClick, served him well as his role at Broadbean evolved during his first year in the US. The opportunity to work in a new marketplace for a truly international company proved to be a dream come true for Jon. He viewed Broadbean as a significant leader in the space “A great company with great people and a great logo”. His experience with Broadbean from the other side of the fence while at PeopleClick convinced Jon that Broadbean was one of the best and most effective partners, with a strong desire to be true to its clients and valued partners alike.

Jon brings strength in managing partnerships to the Bean team. His ability to work out the best way to establish relationships, by understanding the needs of all parties makes him a valuable asset to the leadership team at Broadbean. His broad perspective is a result of his work across the US with recruiting tech vendors, clients, candidates and in the industry, as a whole. Enjoying the work and the people with whom he works are key factors to individual success. Fast product evolution and providing a world-class solution to Broadbean clients create the outlets for Jon’s considerable company devotion and passion. Learning about the needs of recruiting professionals around the world and gaining a strong understanding of global hiring practices have been instrumental in product development. ”I like to think of Broadbean as the road builder, as opposed to the map maker” says Jon, “and the roads are being built quicker than the maps are being made!”

Jon fills his time away from the Bean kayaking (yes, his kayak is appropriately colored green). He also enjoys travelling and would love to kayak on the world’s waterways, whether they be rivers, lakes or oceans. So, he has a global focus, even outside of the office? You bet!

“Candidates are making themselves their number one priority; they will be the drivers of the process. They have learned where and how to market themselves as jobseekers; about their qualifications and where they fit in. As candidates continue to make their own employment the most important thing, they will continue to place themselves. They will target their own objectives, they will talk to the right recruiters more often and they will land more squarely where they fit.” - Jon Flahive, Head of Global Partnerships and Alliances

Lee Anne Davey

Position: Client Services Director
Connect: Click here

Prior to joining Broadbean in 2005, Lee Anne worked in sales and accounting for a Volvo dealership, where she even did mechanics! Her varied role in this traditionally male environment was good preparation for her to work with “unruly boys” that make up sales teams. She feels there is something very special about working with a small but successful company. After seeing her resume on Monster, one of Broadbean’s key job board partners, Ricky Wheeler (European Marketing Director) contacted Lee Anne. Shortly afterwards, she interviewed with Ricky and Dan McGuire, Broadbean’s former Managing Director whose combined enthusiasm and infectious excitement about Broadbean won her over.

Lee is eager to state that, “Broadbean would be an awesome place to work even if your job was to clean out the cupboard.” She has a flair for organization and coordination, remembering placing the company’s first order for office equipment, and loves the team growth she has witnessed over the years. With the launch of the US office in 2009 and Australia operations in 2010, her responsibilities increased considerably as training personnel in different time zones presented its own set of challenges. To her credit, Lee Anne dealt with the situation brilliantly and continues to be one of the most valuable assets of the Bean Team.

Broadbean is part of Lee Anne’s family. “This is not like coming to work for me, it is like coming home.” This is evident by the fact that now, even with one hundred employees, Broadbean still has the same enthusiasm and energy as when only seven people worked here.  Broadbean is a growing company with the drive to overcome challenges and ensure that an incredibly talented multi-national workforce are happy, as well as make the hard work fun. “It’s almost like you want anyone stuck in a horrible rut to come and work here, too.” With consistent company growth, people who are valued, and innovative products, the team still strives to be better, to provide amazing quality service that is available globally.

When not at the Bean, Lee Anne absolutely adores being with her son and sharing jokes and giggles. Being at home, having story time, making breakfast and going to the park can all be counted among her favorite things. The combination of a happy home life and a wonderful job is very fulfilling for her, and that’s what it’s all about.

“I think new candidates, the Gen-X candidates, are changing the world. They are not going to want to be communicated with by job boards or even Facebook. I think these candidates will demand their own way to be communicated with. Candidates today want to be known for who they are. The roles will reverse. I think the journey, so far, has been incredible. The next two or three years will be even more amazing. It will be incredible to watch and be a part of.” - Lee Anne Davey, Client Services Director

Laura Fuller

Position: General Manager - APAC
Connect: Click here

Laura is one of the newest members of Broadbean’s management team, joining in August 2010 to launch operations in Australia and cover the APAC region. Her experience as a Senior Account Exec at Bullhorn, a valued Broadbean partner, was perfect for us, along with her years in executive search and sales. She had been looking for a career move that would take full advantage of her skills and experience. The opportunity to open a new region and grow a Bean Team came along at the perfect time for Laura.

When not building her team or selling to recruiting professionals, Laura enjoys exploring her new home of Australia with her wonderful husband, Ben. She has visited such places as Hunter Valley and Hamilton Island by the Great Barrier Reef. She enjoyed seeing kangaroos running free and recently acquired her beloved dog, aptly named Sydney.

"The future of online recruitment will be all about passive candidate sourcing. In Australia, there is a major dearth of qualified candidates; many companies look for Ex-Pats. The challenge that many recruitment firms are now facing is how to attract a targeted pool of candidates without adopting direct-sourcing methods. Companies are coming up with additional values added for niche specific sites. An online salary comparison tool will white label their product for a staffing firm, giving out free salary information resulting in great passive candidate sourcing. Candidates then receive a comparison for what the firm recruits against the data provided by the salary tool. It is a win/win for both recruitment firms and candidates." - Laura Fuller, General Manager – Australia/APAC

Ricky Wheeler

Position: European Marketing Director
Connect: Click here

When Ricky first considered joining Broadbean back in 2003, he knew it would be a tremendous amount of work: a new company in a new market and no established brand, no money and no staff. Despite all this, and knowing it would be a difficult and daunting task, he remained motivated by the challenge of working for and promoting a start-up. Ricky’s belief in the product, and his desire to build a unique marketing strategy, combined nicely with Broadbean’s enhanced customer service ideals. Consistent messaging and brand positioning has been key to Broadbean’s European success and global growth, for which Ricky’s experience in digital design and marketing consultancy has been vital.

The first thing Ricky did was create an informative website in less than a month. He developed a brand that reflected the values, fun and energy of the young team and which, over time, has kept alive the sense of belonging that makes Broadbean such a unique place to work. Ricky’s desire to keep clients informed and happy is manifested in a driven sales department and an attentive client services team.

His work constantly educates the recruiting world about Broadbean’s competitive advantage. Yet, while a message has been sent to the market and a brand established, there is still work to do as the Bean’s suite of products continues to expand and evolve. Going global, the advances in social media and mobile applications have brought a whole new perspective to Broadbean. The combination of an ever-changing marketplace and a great group of people keep Ricky’s job fresh and happily demanding.

In his spare time, Ricky can be found with his immediate family that includes a wife and two young sons, and his second family of close work friends. He is also an accomplished pianist and can cook a mean chilli con carne (it was always going to be a recipe containing beans...).

“I think the most interesting thing about the future of our industry is putting peers in control of sharing information – opening companies up from the inside out. Social conversation has begun to minimise the effectiveness of push marketing and push branding and this will continue to change the landscape of online recruitment. The way people research a job is changing and the information exchange will alter where people apply for jobs. Soon the candidate will not want their profile listed everywhere and to retain the best talent, leading companies will need to engage and attract candidates with their brand, not a simple job description.” – Ricky Wheeler, Marketing Director - Europe

Richard Essex

Position: Head of Corporate
Connect: Click here

Richard's move into the world of recruitment stemmed from an old friend telling him it would be his perfect job. After a 3-month stint in the high flying world of Pilot recruitment, it seemed there were better options out there. At the beginning of 1998, he joined Chamberlain Scott International (CSi), a small, start up IT contract agency, as a recruitment consultant. Within 18 months he had started his own IT contracts team; within 5 years he became solely responsible for the successful running of the entire team of 65 consultants; and finally ran the New York office by 2003. After hitting both personal and business targets, and taking CSi to a top 20 UK contracts agency, Richard needed a new challenge. After a year's travelling around the world, he was introduced to Kelly Robinson (Broadbean’s founder and CEO) from where his career at Broadbean began.

Richard spotted that Broadbean was the new technology in the world of Internet-based recruitment. With job boards the staple diet for recruiters who needed to more and more job boards to remain competitive, Broadbean was an absolute “no brainer”. As the key salesperson for Broadbean’s larger agencies, tapping into the corporate market, and it’s need to direct source, was the clear challenge. This was precisely the kind of opportunity Richard had been looking for: identifying and developing a sales proposition for the corporate recruiter rather than the staffing agency.

It’s not just bringing companies into the future that keeps him at Broadbean; it’s also wondering what will be the next revolutionary product that we pull out of the bag. To be a part of a company that has evolved world of recruitment is very exciting.

Richard’s life out of work is as important to him as his life within work. He’s passionate about food, to the point of being fussy according to his colleagues and friends. “Well yes, I am a bit!”, says Richard, “I like good food, cooking it, or eating out. It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures. If you do something every day you may as well do it properly, right?” If he’s not eating, he’s probably out with friends, at festivals, or travelling. “Travelling is my favourite hobby. “I’ve already been to India and Hawaii this year”.

“For my sins, I’ve always been an Arsenal supporter, so I’m used to picking myself up again and again. “My favourite film is Withnail and I, well it was before I grew up”. His wife is his life now: she makes him laugh and is really the best part of his day despite her love of Eastenders. They are best friends and you can tell he really means it. He has a twin sister and a recent addition to the family, the other love of his life, is his niece Millie. “If I could come back as an animal it would have to be a turtle.” he says.

Richard admits he has a great life and wouldn’t swap it for anything. He starts at 8 and always ends late. “Sleep? I’ll catch up when I retire. It’s all about the here and now and making the best of all opportunities that come my way. Every day brings something new.”

Dan Cohen

Position: Head of Agency Sales
Connect: Click here

Dan Cohen began his career during one of the worst periods in recruitment history - immediately post - 9/11. Yet despite this brutally tough time, Dan viewed it as the perfect opportunity to dive in, learn all he could about the industry, and prove himself.

He then headed up sales for a fashion import company in London. This experience prepared him for his next step, combining his understanding of recruiting and his aptitude and passion for sales. After twenty interviews, across different recruitment agencies such as UK giants Michael Page, Harvey Nash and Hudson, Dan negotiated a fantastic deal and was about to accept an offer. But just before he did, Dan received a call from Richard Essex, now Head of Corporate Sales at Broadbean. Richard had heard the buzz that Dan was on the market. After extolling the virtues of Broadbean, Richard enticed him to stop by for a chat with Dan McGuire, our former Managing Director. By the time their conversation concluded at 10:30pm, Dan had accepted a sales position at the Bean.

Dan keeps the core Broadbean values alive and well within his sales team. His personal ambition mirrors the company's mission statement: “To post the World’s adverts.” Being a problem solver and bringing fun to sales, he motivates his team to consistently hit targets, maintaining 100% growth year by year and even 35% growth through the worst recession since 1921. He attributes the key to Broadbean’s success and growth to excellent client relations. His love for the Bean and its great diversity of people and industry sectors help drive sales and keep his team on the ball. Market dominance in the UK and Europe drives Dan’s passion for success at a global level, as Broadbean continues to expand in the US, Australia, and Asia. And with that success comes a belief in his strong leadership and ability to motivate and drive a sales team.

Dan relishes the challenge of hitting monthly targets, as well as the very nature of sales and meeting and greeting clients. Aside from the Bean, he’s a self-proclaimed car freak and loves supporting his football team, Tottenham Hotspur. He enjoys kicking a ball about and is known to join in the London nightlife.

“To succeed in today’s recruitment industry, you need to combine fantastic customer service with leading technology. That’s what we do at the Bean and with the explosion of sourcing channels, it’s definitely an exciting time for our company and industry.” – Dan Cohen, Head of Agency Sales