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Why did you choose to join Hamlyn Williams? Meeting all the managers was important to me, in most interviews I’ve been to you don’t really get to meet directors or the CEO and that really stuck with me throughout. They take recruiting and hiring very seriously and that alone made me feel even more determined and valued when I got the role. The managers made quite an impression on me and they were definitely people I wanted to work with. I knew they could help me further my career. The niche specialisms that they operate in also stood out to me, in particular, life sciences and the pharmaceutical sector. Also, the location is great! Based In the heart of London, there’s always something to do as it’s an amazing city. Describe your journey so far, what do you like about the role and also the team? My journey so far has been great! It’s down to a combination of my own hard work and also the team, in particular, my managing director and colleagues who have been supportive with me every step of the way in the beginning. In general, it’s a great environment for me. It’s a competitive, hardworking and vibrant environment which I thrive in. I really like to be in those types of places with that buzz and personality. The teams great, we often go for team meetings, team lunches, and because it’s quite a small close-knit team, there’s a real connection between the colleagues. You can sense that when you enter the office. What would you say to someone who’s thinking of joining Hamlyn Williams? Well if you’re a hardworking, entrepreneurial, ambitious graduate or person in general, that wants to be part of a company that really cares for you and has a platform for you to progress, then I think Hamlyn Williams will be the best place for you to succeed and start your career.

In 2015 Ali Sharaki moved out to Hong Kong to set up the first of many offices in the APAC region for Hamlyn Williams and so far it has been a major success story. Ali accompanied by Will Brown (now Head of Compliance North America) had the arduous task of building out a team from scratch with no consultants, no clients and no business. Nearly four years later the team has grown to 18 consultants, exceeded budget 7 out of the last 8 quarters, and amassed an enviable client list with KPMG, Accenture, Alibaba, Bank of America and Estée Lauder to name a few. This hasn’t been without struggle though and resilience has been the key. Originally the main focus of the business was Corporate Governance, however now our Financial Services desk has a burgeoning Front and Middle office representation and our Tech desk has branched out successfully into Software engineering, Cyber Security, Data, DevOps and Digital. With this growth in markets Hamlyn Williams HK managed to double its revenue in 2018 compared to the previous fiscal year, and we are looking on track to increase that again by 50% in 2019. Hong Kong is the ideal springboard for our growth in Asia with immediate plans to move into Shenzhen and Singapore on the horizon. The middle-long term plan is to build out our presence in China with an eye on Tokyo and Sydney thereafter. Significant excitement is already building for the Shenzhen office as we a looking to align with some of our major clients who have growth plans in the Greater Bay area. On top of this, we have recently made a senior contract hire to complement our perm desk so we can offer an even more comprehensive recruitment service. Hamlyn Williams is proud to say that we have a very diverse leadership team with a combination of local and expat talent at the top of the tree. All of whom have come through the ranks in some way or another. Our humble Director Ali Sharaki managed to achieve a staggering 7 promotions in 7 years and doesn’t want to stop there with his sights on managing the regional expansion of HW. Senior Business Leader Chris Bolton, who had significant experience in London and Singapore prior to joining Hamlyn Williams, has proven to be a wizard in training up young consultants. Long may it continue as we will need these attributes for further growth. Stephanie Liu VP of Risk, Legal and Compliance has continued to build her career in sensational fashion. Starting off with high volume hires at a mass market recruitment firm, Steph made the brave jump to join HW very early on and it turned out to be the best decision of her career. With no exaggeration from a 180˚ consultant, Stephanie has become within her niche one of the most high profile and prolific 360 ˚ consultants in Hong Kong. After building out her brand she decided to add another string to her bow and taken on a small team which is already starting to blossom. Another VP who must get a mention is Rebecca Moopen who joined us as a Consultant just under 2 years ago. With five years of recruitment and sales experience behind her, Rebecca was determined to find a platform that fulfilled her desire for long-term growth and that she did. Before too long Rebecca became a super biller and earned two promotions in quick succession. Now the goal is to manage the leading tech function in Hong Kong. Bring it on. Rebecca would be the first to say that promotions haven’t been the only benefit of becoming part of the HW team, but her compensation too! Thanks to the generous commission scheme on offer I think she would advise any young money-motivated entrepreneurs to get into the recruitment game ASAP. All these people I’ve mentioned breathe our company values, our culture is important to us and you will need to reflect these values of Resilience, hard work and going the extra mile. Read more on the Hamlyn Williams vision and values here. The platform we have built in Hong Kong creates a massive opportunity for those looking to join the recruitment industry. A highly competitive base salary for Associate Consultants and fresh graduates, plus a commission scheme that tops out at 40% (industry leading), are only 2 of the many reasons why a career Hamlyn Williams is sought after. Nothing better than that first commission check! With new offices opening there is inevitably room for leadership roles in Hong Kong in the pipeline, so for ambitious individuals looking for rapid career progression this could be the place for you! As consultants start to progress it is not rare to see 1million HKD quarters and at least one promotion a year. Without sounding too cheesy the incentives are endless. After smashing budget in Q3 last year the whole team was taken on an all-expenses paid trip to Tokyo, which by all accounts was amazing. It’s not every weekend you get a free trip to Japan. And if that wasn’t exciting enough the top billers globally are getting taken on a luxury trip to Hvar, Croatia. Not bad hey. There are also five-star fine diners clubs, team socials and deal prizes. There is serious energy about the office in Hong Kong, the culture is energetic, ambitious and focused on our goal of becoming the most successful recruitment brand across regulated markets in the region. If you want to become part of this success story at any level please feel free to reach out to our Director Ali Sharaki at a.sharaki@hamlynwilliams .com or myself at c.higsonsmith@hamlynwilliams.com.