Executive search agency Eden Scott has announced a 43% increase in turnover for the first six months of this financial year, 2025/26, driven primarily by strong contractor revenue in the renewable energy sector.
Despite the tough economic conditions and challenging growth forecasts, Eden Scott have again adapted their business to drive growth.
Mirroring an industry-wide picture, permanent placements saw a modest increase in revenue of 1.6%, while the contractor revenue, which was a strategic focus for the business, rose by 55% to just over £10m. This is in part a reflection of the uncertain nature of the renewable sector in Scotland as innovative early-stage businesses and larger, more established organisation struggle to secure the investment they need.
Eden Scott has continued to grow its executive search service, entrusted with placing several high-profile roles across a range of industries including, among others the CEO of Data Lab, CEO at Scot Bio and CIO at Ashtead Technologies. They have also continued to support the public sector, and in particular, the NHS, to source the talent needed in this vital public service.
While the company turnover has improved, overall costs have also increased, up by 4.5%. The bulk of that rise has been staffing costs, up 3%, with general overheads also increasing 5.5%.
Despite the increase in turnover, the cost pressures have impacted the profit levels reducing pre-tax profits by 6.7% for the period.
In Case You Missed It:
Michelle Lownie, CEO and Co-Founder of Eden Scott, commented:
“Eden Scott’s growth in the renewable sector, adapting the business to suit the needs of our customers has shown how we tackle tough markets. I have full faith in the team at Eden Scott to find the best solutions for our customers across all nineteen different sectors, ensuring the long-term prosperity of our business.
We have focused relentlessly on good practice across our team, and while costs have risen, we will never stop investing in their skills through training and development and exploring how we can fit innovative technology into our business to make us even better. So, despite the outlook from many commentators, we remain positive that the people at Eden Scott will find a way to deliver for our customers.”
