Huntswood story
Founded in 1996 by David Brownlow and Philip Eaton, Huntswood provides a range of
services to support businesses faced with regulatory challenges involving
complex customer issues, as well as offering business performance improvement
solutions.
David started his career as a policeman before becoming a City recruiter, whilst
Philip ran a logistics business. During this time both suffered family
bereavements, which made them question their ambitions and goals in working
life. From a small office in Windsor, Huntswood was created, primarily as a
recruitment firm.
The business grew quickly to £6 million turnover and in 1999 a new opportunity
was identified that would significantly change the business. Huntswood deployed
a team of contractors to Alba Life to work on a short-term pensions review
contract. At the time the so called ‘big four’ firms were supplying teams of
financial services professionals at extremely high prices, whereas Huntswood
provided similarly experienced and skilled resources at a lower cost by taking a
reduced margin.
With demand growing steadily and David’s recruitment background, Huntswood had
access to a strong pool of associates. In early 2000 Equitable Life needed
assistance with their Guaranteed Annuity Rectification (GAR) programme and
Huntswood won the tender to supply and manage 200 contractors. This project
pioneered the direction for Huntswood’s future; not only supplying resources but
managing them too.
During the next three years Huntswood became famous for fast, flexible resource
based solutions, where quality people were deployed to assist clients with
‘pockets of pressure’. Annual revenues grew in this period to over £30 million
and Huntswood invested in a permanent employee model, which is still in place
today.
The quality of Huntswood's service offering was further emphasised in October
2003, when David and Philip sold 30% of the business to private equity firm 3i.
During 2004, the evolution of Huntswood’s service offerings continued. A
consulting function was created to blend regulatory and performance improvement
specialists to provide solutions to clients' strategic and advisory needs.
Typically, they work with several elements within an organisation including
people, process, technology, service, governance, quality and implementation
with the aim of producing a faster, cheaper and better working model. This year
also saw Huntswood move into new offices in Abbey Street, Reading, offering
27,000 feet of client space, as well as opening offices in North Lanarkshire,
both of which Huntswood still operate from today.
The success of Huntswood during this time was epitomised by David winning
‘Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year’ in the Ernst and Young awards 2005. In the
same year Huntswood was 32nd in the Sunday Times Fast Track Top 100 and a year
later saw Huntswood reach a record turnover of £51 million. It was estimated
that due to Huntswood’s transparent and highly competitive pricing, clients
realised a 65% reduction in compliance costs translating to an estimated £150m
benefit to clients in 2005 alone. The following year Huntswood was named Best
Outsourcing Services Provider at the Compliance Register Awards, and David won
the ‘Best Chief Executive’ award at the Industry awards ceremony sponsored by
Deloitte.
After six years of Huntswood being part of 3i’s Capital Growth portfolio, the
30th September 2009 saw the company negotiate a deal to regain the shares, which
sees it once again solely owned by the founders.
Leading up to the 1st October 2011 Huntswood employee Paul Wycherley broke
the world record for the Cross Channel Challenge, raising more than £100,000 for
Huntswood’s nominated charities in the process.
At the end of 2011 David Brownlow became Deputy Chairman for the Huntswood
Group of Companies and Craig Coffield took over as the Chief Executive Officer
of Huntswood. Huntswood continues to grow from strength to strength and as of
2012. Huntswood’s clients included the top six retail banks, eight of the top ten life
and pension companies, six of the top ten General Insurers and 13% of the
current FTSE 100.
Today Huntswood’s business is split into four areas:
Huntswood’s managed client service function supports clients by providing skilled
resources to help them address capacity shortfalls when dealing with specific
issues (such as complaints, new business verification, paraplanning, etc.)
involving their own customers. Typically they provide not just people but also
project management, governance and control and quality assurance. The solutions
can be tailored to deliver the work either on client site or from Huntswood's
premises in Reading or Strathclyde.
The recruitment functions provides support to clients by sourcing and deploying
individuals to help clients deal with pockets of pressure or short term gaps of
talent. Typically this is done through supplying interim managers and does not
involve any project management.
Huntswood’s people learning and development proposition enables clients to
develop the talent, knowledge and confidence of their people, at all levels.
Advisory services supports clients to improve the way they manage risk and
implement compliance measures. We draw on our team’s powerful experience at the
regulator, in regulated firms and as regulatory consultants in all matters of
conduct compliance.
Over the years Huntswood has helped firms manage critical business issues. Its
expertise and reputation has grown since the days of the pensions review and, in
2012, Huntswood is set to continue its mantra of providing tangible business
results. Huntswood is primed for growth by providing solutions for their clients
in a number of key areas, focussing on regulation and compliance risk,
performance improvement, capacity management and the training and development of
people.
