Tim Thompson-Essex - Proco Career Milestones

Based in our Vancouver office, Tim has been working with Proco Group for two years, developing the Process & Chemicals market in North America. As he has spent two years here at Proco, we asked him to reflect on his highlights to date and how much Proco has impacted his career. Carry on reading to learn about Tim Thompson-Essex’s Proco Group career.

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Where did you work before joining Proco? Prior to working with Proco, I was working for a small boutique search firm based in Central London called KellerGreen. At the time, it was just 7 of us within the team. However now, it has broken up into just the two original founders.

What attracted you to Proco? I was looking to make an international move and had a recommendation from a former colleague to look at Proco. The type of work the company did, (perm, 360 and nationwide) aligned very well with my own experience. Additionally, I felt that there were strong USP’s which stood out from the crowd. The additional time in market was appealing also, as I had just been with a new start-up before, and wished to gain some market presence.

What do you enjoy about your role? My role is highly entrepreneurial, I am also treated like a professional rather than a KPI machine,  which I had seen previously in a couple of other organisations in London. 

What are some highlights of your time at Proco? I have always enjoyed bringing on new clients and successfully supporting them with a difficult search. It is satisfying to add direct value – this is especially true with three clients whom we did not previously support in North America (Braskem, Loparex and Gelest). Another highlight would be working with ExxonMobil, a group that I attempted to develop in my first company and role (although maybe with less ability) and at the time I got nowhere! 

How has Proco helped you in your career development? Proco offers the right environment for consultants to flourish, and the right amount of support and guidance, without the micro management. Proco have been great in showing me that this can be done, and has ultimately turned what may have been considered just another job into a position and career for me. My business development skills have also since been sharpened, and I feel that I am a more detail-orientated consultant now, having worked with more senior client stake holders over the last two years. 

What advice do you have for prospective Proco candidates? If you are wishing to have more ownership of the work that you do day-to-day, then get in touch and have an introductory conversation with the team. You won’t find a more entrepreneurial environment with the established platform that Proco can offer.  

What are three words that you would used to describe Proco? Ambitious, Niche, and Engaged 

Has your idea of recruitment changed since joining Proco? The last 2 years have been a good demonstration of how to do recruitment right. I think that my understanding of what a good company should look like and how to do good business has remained the same, but there is a direct visible example of this now.

What do you think sets Proco apart from other search companies? Proco is niche in focus and not trying to be everything to everyone. We are still privately owned and there is an ambition to grow, but also an expectation that this will not happen tomorrow. The company practices what it preaches and invests in consultants and the industry, in order to maintain and grow its position as a leader across our focus areas.

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