MBO at Scotland’s number one independent recruitment firm

22/03/2023
Managing Director Nikola Kelly (centre) with the Be-IT team

IT RECRUITMENT specialists Be-IT are set for an ‘exciting and bright’ future after a multimillion pound management buyout was completed.

Set up in 2013, with offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Be-IT has established itself as Scotland’s number one independent IT recruitment firm.

Managing Director Nikola Kelly secured the deal to take control of the business and will now lead her team of highly skilled recruiters forward. 

She said: “I attribute a lot of our success to the fantastic culture we have cultivated and the market leading training we provide for our staff.

“There is huge demand for highly skilled individuals in the industry and we have built a team to help both tech professionals and tech businesses be all they can be.

“We are proud to be leading the business through the next phase of its growth and we’re all excited to be playing a part in thousands of career moves working with the biggest names in the sector.

“This change offers us an exciting and bright future.”

Be-It has delivered strong revenues year on year since 2017. It has led the way in IT and Change Management recruitment, providing permanent, interim and contract roles across the full spectrum of IT including digital transformation, business change, software development, cyber and data disciplines.

In 2020 the group’s offering diversified further with the launch of a specialist resourcing consultancy arm – Be-IT Projects. This division of the business partners with clients to manage and deliver significant IT and change projects.

Co-Founder Gareth Biggerstaff, who is stepping back from the business said: “I’m extremely proud of the business we created. It has gone from strength to strength and thrived through difficult periods.

“The time is right for this change, and I look forward to watching the next chapter unfold for Be-IT.”

The business’s team of 27  technical and highly skilled recruiters, utilise a proprietary Recruitment Business Intelligence Tool (“RBIT”) to streamline candidate identification, interview preparation and offer management. 

This increases speed of delivery, with the expert team placing over 50 candidates at major employers across Scotland’s booming tech sector each month. 

Nikola Kelly added: “I want to focus on building a business that means putting people first – both with regards to our team as well as those we work with.

“The MBO will allow us to further develop our successful business model as well as provide certainty in the Groups future strategic direction.”

ThinCats, the leading alternative finance provider to mid-sized SMEs in the UK, provided the funding to facilitate the management buy-out.

Ben Kimball, Director Business Development, ThinCats said: “We are delighted have supported Nikola and her vastly experienced team.

“It is particularly gratifying to work with a business that not only place so much value on fostering a strong culture, but one that is also having such a positive impact to the tech industry in Scotland and beyond.”

AAB also supported the deal and provided advice.

Chris Thompson, Corporate Finance Director, AAB said; “Be-IT has built a fantastic reputation in the market for its positive culture and expert delivery.

“Under the leadership of Nikola and the MBO team, the business has gone from strength to strength. ThinCats have been the perfect partners and we look forward to working with them on future transactions.”

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