In January 2003, six months after my son Alexander was born, I started a recruitment business and named it after him. At the time, I couldn’t have known what Alexander Appointments would become. I only knew that I wanted to build something I believed in, and that how we treated people would matter just as much as the work we did. I had come to recruitment by way of accounting. As a management accountant, I’d learned to understand a business through its numbers. But what stayed with me was what happened after the reports were finished: the conversations, the decisions, and the people asked to carry them out. Moving into recruitment gave me a different perspective on where business needs and people’s lives come together. My husband Daniel and I co-founded Alexander Appointments in 2003. In the early years, we both worked across the business, doing what needed to be done. As the company grew, so did the team and the responsibilities we shared. More than two decades on, I’m proud of the recruitment business we’ve built, and grateful for what those years have taught us both personally and professionally. Here are some of the many lessons 23 years of AA has taught us… A hire is never just a hire.. For an employer, it might be the person who helps a team find its footing, brings a different perspective, or gives a leader the confidence to move forward. For a candidate, it might be a chance to grow, to be better supported, or simply to be seen for what they can contribute next. Neither side can be understood properly from a job description or a résumé alone. That’s why I’ve always believed in taking the time to ask the right questions. What does this team really need? What is making the role difficult? What matters to the person considering it, and what would make the move worthwhile? Sometimes the most useful thing we can do is challenge a brief before we begin a search to help a candidate better see an opportunity or concern more clearly and even help clients ensure they evaluate what their team really needs in a candidate. How we chose to work Recruitment can reward individual ownership: my client, my candidate, my placement. We chose to establish a more collaborative approach. A lead consultant remains close to the relationship, while the wider team shares its knowledge and supports the search. It’s never been about making one person the hero. It is about giving clients and candidates the benefit of more people thinking carefully about the outcome. Of course, building a business over this many years changes you. You learn that good intentions need to show up in ordinary moments: returning a call, being honest when a role is not right, listening when someone is uncertain, and following through when a conversation becomes difficult. Trust is rarely earned in a single impressive moment. It is built in those smaller ones, over time. Today, Alexander Appointments works with organisations and professionals across the private and public sectors. I’m grateful for the clients who have trusted us with decisions that matter to their teams, for the candidates who have shared their ambitions and doubts with us, and for the colleagues who have shaped this business alongside us. The story has always belonged to more than just the founders. So what comes next? I want us to keep growing in the ways that matter, not simply by doing more, but by becoming more useful to the people who place their trust in us. That means helping employers think beyond a vacancy. It also means giving candidates an honest picture of an opportunity and room to make their own decisions, while giving our own people the support and freedom to do thoughtful work. The world of work will keep changing. Roles will change, the expectations will change, and the tools we use will change. We need to remain curious and willing to adapt. But I hope we never lose the instinct to pause, listen, and remember the person on each side of the conversation. Alexander Appointments began with a name that means the world to me, and the legacy I hope we leave is one that’s larger than a name: people who feel respected, teams made stronger, and relationships that last well beyond an appointment. This is still the business I want to build!

One thing I’ve seen consistently across supply chain and logistics is that a high-performing person is often viewed as the obvious next manager. It makes sense on paper. They know the operation, understand the systems and get results. They’re reliable under pressure and usually the person others turn to when something needs sorting out. So, when a team leader, supervisor, planner or coordinator role becomes available, they’re often the first person considered. But being excellent at the job doesn’t automatically mean someone wants to manage people, or that they’ve been given the support to do it well. A good operator and a good manager aren’t always the same thing Some people genuinely want to lead teams. They enjoy coaching others, setting direction, managing performance and taking responsibility for the wider operation. Others do their best work when they’re solving complex problems, improving processes, keeping customers happy, managing inventory, working through a difficult transport issue, or making sure the plan is delivered. Both of these are valuable. The problem comes when a promotion is treated as the only way for someone to progress, earn more or gain recognition. I’ve spoken with many strong supply chain professionals who’ve stepped into leadership roles because it felt like the next logical move. Some thrive. Others find themselves pulled away from the work they were best at and into people management, performance conversations, rostering, conflict resolution and administration they were never properly prepared for. That doesn’t mean they’ve failed. It may simply mean the role wasn’t the right fit. Leadership needs more than operational credibility Operational experience is important. A manager who understands the pace, pressure and practical realities of supply chain will always have more credibility with their team. But leadership also calls for a different set of skills. It means communicating clearly when the pressure is on. It means supporting people with different personalities and experience levels. It means handling difficult conversations, setting expectations, delegating effectively and creating an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions or raising concerns early. In a busy warehouse, transport operation or planning function, those things can be the difference between a team that simply gets through the day and one that performs well consistently. The strongest leaders I see aren’t necessarily the loudest people in the room or the most technically experienced. They’re often the ones who stay calm, make people feel heard, set clear direction and understand when their team needs support. Career progression shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all For employers, there’s a real opportunity to think more broadly about career pathways. Not every capable employee needs to become a people manager to progress. Some may be better suited to senior technical, continuous-improvement, planning, systems, inventory, project or specialist roles. These pathways matter because they allow businesses to retain valuable knowledge and reward capability without forcing people into a role that doesn’t play to their strengths. It also helps avoid a common risk: losing an excellent operator and gaining an under-supported manager. For candidates, it’s worth being honest with yourself before accepting a leadership opportunity. Ask what the role genuinely involves day to day. How much of the job is operational versus people leadership? What support, training and mentoring will be available? Is there a team structure around you? And, importantly, do you actually enjoy helping other people perform at their best? There’s no right answer. A career doesn’t have to move in one direction. The best outcome is the right fit A well-earned promotion should feel like an opportunity, not a test of whether someone can cope without enough support. The best supply chain teams create room for both strong leaders and strong specialists. They recognise that managing people is a capability in its own right, not simply the next step after performing well in an operational role. In my experience, the most successful appointments happen when businesses look beyond who has done the job best so far and consider who has the interest, support and potential to lead well.