A West Midland businessman has been appointed as chief executive of a multi-national recruitment firm.

Colin Birchall has taken the top job at Employment Services Holdings Group, which is one of the world’s leading providers of welfare to work, training and recruitment services.

ESH has a turnover of £150 million and holds contracts both in the UK and Australia to tackle unemployment and social exclusion.

The global business includes Birmingham-based Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG), which was acquired by ESH in September 2008 and has an annual turnover of £40 million. 

ESH board chairman Greg Smith said he was delighted with the appointment and that he was confident that Mr Birchall was the ideal choice to take ESH forward into the next decade.

“As the founder and CEO of our UK operation, Colin has successfully led Pertemps People Development Group for the past 13 years,” he said. “The organisation has a growing reputation in the industry for delivering business excellence for the benefit of local communities and broader society through a highly competent and engaged workforce.

“This appointment will enable the ESH Group to develop from a strong platform and will undoubtedly have a positive impact upon our ability to secure additional contracts in the future.”

The move comes at a time when PPDG is tendering for the opportunity to deliver new contracts on behalf of the Department for Work & Pensions and the Ministry of Justice.

In Australia, ESH merged IPC Employment, PVS Workfind and IPA Personnel to create a national group which is now the largest private employment services provider in the country.

Mr Birchall said: “There is incredible potential for us to grow on both sides of the globe and I am proud to be given the responsibility of leading the group during this exciting phase of its development.”

In the UK, PPDG works in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and other organisations, to deliver employment and training initiatives including Flexible New Deal, Employment Zone, Lone Parent mentoring, and Learndirect training programmes. More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by the company since the projects began.  It has trained 130,000 people in vocational skills, and over 175,000 people have benefitted from professional information, advice and guidance services.