REC announces its new Chief Executive

Gareth Osborne (50) has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, to replace Tim Nicholson who stands down in December. He is currently the MD of the internationally acclaimed London Business Innovation Centre, one of the most influential and successful businesses within the EU inspired network of 160 Innovation Centres in 20 countries. BIC has more than 200 projects under development.

Since leaving the Royal Air Force in 1981, where he served as an operational pilot and air movements officer, he has been the owner manager of a series of innovative and award-winning small businesses. He has managed companies in the United States and Middle East as well as the UK, which spanned such diverse sectors as construction, fire protection, environmental energy systems, aviation and veterinary support services. For more than 7 years he was Senior Partner of the PR Group, a leading out-of-town marketing agency, and during that time served as a Director on the Board of a County Chamber of Commerce, a Training and Enterprise Council and Business Link.

Gareth has a self-declared passion for Small Business issues and has championed a number of key projects within government, at local, national and European levels. He has recently been appointed to the Small Business Council, the panel of 23 specialist independent advisors to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the needs of existing and potential small businesses, in order to increase their opportunities for success and growth.

He has a close working relationship with the DTI and looks forward to representing the interests of the RECís members. ëëI understand how important it is for the membership to be well represented in government, at home and in Europe, to be well informed on changing legislation and receive the support needed from a truly relevant professional association. I feel I can combine the strength of character needed to positively influence decision makers with a fair and rational understanding of the legislative processesí, he said.