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1st Executive - Where the Best Procurement Talent Meets the World’s Most Ambitious Organisations.
World-Class Procurement Recruitment – UK & Europe’s Market Leader
If you want compromise, you won’t find it here. If you want the best Procurement talent in the market, you’re in the right place.
When organisations need exceptional Procurement and Supply Chain talent, they turn to the undisputed market leader.
1st Executive is the UK’s largest independent specialist in Procurement and Supply Chain recruitment, setting the industry benchmark since 2003.
For over two decades, we haven’t just recruited into Procurement — we’ve defined how Procurement recruitment should be done. With unrivalled reach across the UK and Europe, deep category expertise, and a search-led approach, we consistently deliver the Procurement talent our competitors simply can’t access.
Unrivalled Heritage. Unmatched Procurement Expertise. Unbeatable Results.Our team blends genuine Procurement backgrounds with elite executive search capability across:
This specialist expertise has earned us long-term partnerships with FTSE 100, Global 500 and leading European organisations, including: Rolls Royce, BP, CRH, Inmarsat, GSK, HSBC, Adidas and Royal Mail. These brands trust us because we deliver high-impact Procurement recruitment at pace, with accuracy and consistency. | UK & Europe: Procurement Recruitment Without LimitsOur Procurement recruitment capability spans every corner of the UK — from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds to Glasgow, Bristol, Edinburgh and more challenging provincial locations. Across Europe, we deliver equally strong results, supporting Procurement hiring in:
Wherever elite Procurement talent is needed, 1st Executive delivers it — seamlessly across countries, functions and seniority levels. |
55% Repeat Business. The Deepest Procurement Network in the Market. Unmatched Access.More than 55% of our business comes from repeat clients — proof of our consistent delivery and market-leading performance. Over 20 years, we have built the deepest, strongest and most trusted Procurement talent network in the UK and Europe, giving our clients exclusive access to: High-performing Procurement professionals at every level Passive candidates other agencies cannot find A powerful referral ecosystem Real-time market, salary and competitor intelligence Leaders driving Procurement transformation across industries Partnering with 1st Executive means accessing the entire Procurement community — and the talent shaping its future. |
UK & Europe: Procurement Recruitment Without LimitsOur Procurement recruitment capability spans every corner of the UK — from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds to Glasgow, Bristol, Edinburgh and more challenging provincial locations. Across Europe, we deliver equally strong results, supporting Procurement hiring in:
Wherever elite Procurement talent is needed, 1st Executive delivers it — seamlessly across countries, functions and seniority levels. | A Search Engine for the Best Procurement Talent in the MarketOur procurement recruitment methodology combines:
From CPO and VP-level appointments to multi-role transformation programmes and complex project hiring of 30+ concurrent Procurement roles, our capability is proven, scalable and unmatched. If top Procurement talent exists, 1st Executive will find it. |
VALUES THAT MEAN SOMETHING
Our values are central to who we are – and the way we do business
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MARKET EXPERTISE, GUARANTEED
KNOWLEDGE – we know more than our competitors NETWORKS – great relationships across the upper quartile
CONFIDENCE – we banish subservience -
WE ALWAYS GO THE EXTRA MILE
PASSIONATE – about what we do
CHALLENGE – what customers are thinking
VALUABLE – every touch point is outstanding -
OUTCOME FOCUSED, QUALITY DELIVERED
ACCOUNTABILITY – we take ownership for the result and how we get there
QUALITY DELIVERY – we are obsessed with conversions
OUTPERFORMANCE – we are the recruiter of choice across our markets
here's what they say
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“People look for different things in a recruitment consultant. For me it is having an unlimited source of contacts and industry knowledge, being open and honest in their dealing with me, working for me and ensuring the opportunities they put me forward for are a hand in glove fit to my skills and experiences. Sally has all of the above behaviours and has every time worked hard with her team to source the right opportunities for me. Furthermore I can honestly say that Sally is just, and quite simply a very nice person to work with and has fulfilled my expectations of a trustworthy, honest, knowledgeable recruiter.”
Interim Procurement Unit Officer – The Home Office
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“I have enjoyed extremely professional and supportive service from Sheila and I will forever promote her enthusiasm and refreshingly open outlook on recruitment opportunities and trends. She has broadened my career through successfully promoting me for challenging roles in new industries as well as introducing me to opportunities with a wide spectrum of organisations and business environments. Forever pro-active, positive and capable of delivering a good match of candidates for clients challenging requirements, I can thoroughly recommend her recruitment management skills.”
Procurement Interim Consultant
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“I have had the privilege of working with Tom in transitioning to a new position that offers the opportunity to grow both soft and hard skills that are marketable in the new economy. He is a consummate professional that communicates frankly, follows up timely and negotiates fairly.”
Procurement Director – Revlon
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“I have worked with 1st Executive for a number of years now and have found them to be excellent at their job - both in terms of professionalism, and also how hard they work to find their candidates the right roles. They develop long lasting and high-value relationships which yield results. They are helpful, providing support across every step of the journey between identifying roles and matching them to the right profiles, and also when supporting interview prep, and on boarding candidates, and are always positive even when things get tough. I could not recommend 1st Executive highly enough.”
Senior Procurement Manager - Nike
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“Sally is a very experienced and capable director who has a great deal of common sense, integrity and a strong understanding of procurement. It has been a pleasure to work with her.”
Interim Procurement Consultant HSBC
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“I would just like to let you know that Samir has been excellent during the whole process of my recruitment phase. He has been very professional and prepared me for my interview with Inmarsat to a high level, which has led me to receiving a job offer in a very short space of time and which I have accepted. He has been thoroughly professional and a joy to work with.”
Sourcing Specialist – Inmarsat
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“During my search for a new position, I searched internationally, more specifically in Western Europe. Tom was my key go-to contact in Europe to discuss opportunities I found as well as some he presented to me. He is trustworthy, very positive, and attentive to details, as well as well informed and knowledgeable about the professional areas I was looking for.”
Head of Procurement – FMC
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“Kimberley is a recruitment consultant that goes that extra mile. She is a delight to deal with. I met with her in early January 2015. She listened and understood exactly what I wanted for my next role. It seems she also understood the profession, the personalities, and the cultures and therefore the match of the organisations she put me forward for. My success rate (therefore hers) was high and I ended up being in a position to choose. So refreshing for a Recruitment Consultant these days to consider matching the person and the organisation not simply the Buzzwords on the CV.”
Interim Procurement Consultant
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“Jim's preparation and attention to the small details were exceptional and he guided me through the different steps which resulted in a very successful outcome, with the company making an offer the same day. I wholeheartedly recommend Jim as a point of contact if you are looking for an interim role.”
Former Purchasing Specialist – Novartis
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“Samir was a great help in securing my latest position with Value Retail, from initially recommending the position and employer through to making sure that I was well informed and prepared for interviews throughout. He made a real effort to consider my career aspirations and motivations to make sure he found me a great match. Not only that, but he is a very pleasant chap as well! Highly recommended for great service and great personality!"
Procurement Operations – Value Retail
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“All of the things that disappoints people about recruiters - Rebecca was none of these things. Quite the opposite. She managed my hunt with exceptional transparently, always acting, and sharing information with me, in my interests alone. Interview prep was through and the whole process was well-organised. This makes me confident I would get a real, end-to-end recruitment service if I hired 1st Executive, rather than the all-too common stumbling round in the darkness hoping to get lucky approach that many recruiters sadly take. I am so pleased with her approach I would highly recommend both Rebecca and 1st Executive to any colleague or friend.”
Software Procurement Manager - BT
who we work with
