Team

CEO

Simon Dear

Responsible for all Tangent Operations (UK and Overseas). As likely to be seen meeting with customers as with company advisers. 20 years Technical recruitment experience, working on 5 continents. Maintains an ultra keen interest in finding local and compliant solutions to international opportunities. Educated at Brighton College and Reading University (Bsc in Economics/Geography/Regional Science). After an early career in finance (trading, market making), Simon’s first foray into recruitment was with Parity, a mainstream ICT recruiter. Subsequently hired by Tangent to develop operations in Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. Specialities: IT, Telecoms, Bids & Proposals, Sales/Company Management, M&A, Strategy, Overseas expansion

Sales Director

Kristian Martin

Tell us a little about yourself:
I have worked within recruitment globally for 25 years. In that time I have delivered over $750 million worth of services to tech & communications companies in over 150 countries. My 25 years’ experience has provided me with valuable insights into how to solve organisations talent-related issues including locating, retaining as well as developing bespoke solutions for international workforces.
Which areas do you work in?:
My role as Sales Director means I am privileged in sitting across all areas of sales and solutions at Tangent.

What excites you about tech & comms?:
– The sheer pace of the industry, when I joined I began to recruit Cobol developers, then made the switch to comms focusing on GSM & GPRS rollout. Now I get to work with some of the worlds best recruiters in areas like Cyber, Meta & Blockchain, NGN, tech in renewables and many many more.
What do you love most about your job?:
There are loads of things I love about my job but if I had to pick a few they would be;
– Delivering a successful solution to customers that they never thought possible whilst also changing candidates lives with opportunities they never knew they would be able to get
– Watching new starters complete our training programme taking them from zero to what the industry would call big billers in just 6 months
– The fact that as a company we made zero redundancies, never furloughed and took no government support during Covid, supporting all of the Tangent family whilst continuing to be profitable as a business.

What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned?:
That our job is to give customers what they need not, what they want – our knowledge and experience mean we can work with customers to help them find realistic solutions.
Tell us one thing we wouldn’t know about you?:
In an earlier life I was quite a successful DJ working on Kiss 100 and had regular slots at some of London’s biggest clubs.

What do you do outside of work:
Try to be an amazing father and husband – I don’t really have much time for anything else!

Finance Director

Will Wright

Tell us a little about yourself:

I became an ACCA-qualified accountant in 2010, and have since worked in various industries with a particular focus on commercial/management accounts.

Which areas do you work in?:

I joined Tangent International as Finance Director in 2022.

What excites you about tech & comms?:

I enjoy learning new things so working in this fast-paced industry certainly allows for this!

What do you love most about your job?:

I love working with colleagues throughout the business to help bring the results to life, seeking to improve results going forwards rather than purely reporting the numbers.

What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned?:

To be inquisitive, particularly when something doesn’t feel right.

Tell us one thing we wouldn’t know about you:

I represented the county in athletics & cross country running in my younger years.

What do you do outside of work?

I enjoy going to the gym, spending time with the family and generally following sports – I am a big F1 fan.

Director - Operations & Compliance

Nadene Chaplin

Nadene has worked within recruitment for over 20 years. In that time she has worked across the US and Europe. Today Nadene is responsible for Tangent’s operations including our Logistics & Candidate Care, ensuring we continue to deliver WOW through service to our candidate community.

Divisional Director

Joseph McNulty

Tell us a little about yourself: 
I’ve worked in the technical recruitment industry for nearly 15 years now, starting in a candidate focused role to now leading and coaching a contract sales division. My 10 years with Tangent has been eventful and I’ve worked with some wonderful customers in that time globally. I’m looking forward to what the next 10 years hold for us all.

Which areas do you work in?:
I head up the contract sales division working with an amazing team of Account Managers, Customer Success Managers and Candidate Success Managers.

What excites you about tech & comms?:
The opportunities we get to work with some amazing companies and candidates who are developing technology for the future is amazing!

What do you love most about your job?:
Every day is different. I’m blessed to have an amazing team and we’re able to work with different personalities, cultures and niches day-in-day-out.

What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned?:
To be prepared to fail and keep moving forward.

Tell us one thing we wouldn’t know about you:
I love music! I play both guitar and drums to a good (some would disagree) level, I’d love to learn the piano at some stage.

What do you do outside of work?:
Spending time with my other half and our young daughter, making music and I’m into my PC gaming too!

Divisional Director

Troy Mainstone

Tell us a little about yourself:
I’ve been working at Tangent for almost 9 years. I moved to our Dallas office after 2 weeks of walking through the UK office doors which was completely unplanned. I placed candidates into a number of different tech & Comms positions across the globe, and after 2 successful years, I decided to call the UK my home to start the Permanent 360 team.

It turns out this reactive decision to move there was one of the best things I’ve ever done, I gained invaluable experience of being an international recruiter, I got to work with some great people, understood different cultures and environments and much, much more.

I still lean on these experiences and lessons, I walked through the door with a fraction of the knowledge I have today and I continue to put myself out of my comfort zone to gain better experiences and stories to pass onto my team.

Which areas do you work in?:
I’m currently the Divisional Director for Permanent recruitment at Tangent. I own responsibility of an individual target as well as an international team target spread across the UK, Middle East and U.S.

I am hands-on with winning new business opportunities and maintaining client relationships whilst managing the entire recruitment process from initial candidate search and selection through to close with a focus on Data & Analytics, Master Data Management (MDM), Product Information Management technology positions across the globe.

I am directly responsible for coaching, leading and managing the international 360 Permanent Sales division which covers many different technology niches. I work to ensure the team are driven to achieve their personal and team goals, as well as assist the wider organisation to accomplish our strategic objectives.

What excites you about tech & comms?:
That the opportunities are truly endless. I have a keen interest in technology so coming to work each day doesn’t actually feel like work. It’s incredibly fast-paced and I’m excited to learn how this will affect clients, candidates and the recruitment industry in the not too distant future. There has never been a better time to be in Technology & Communications!

What do you love most about your job?:
I couldn’t pick one thing so here goes… I love speaking with people every day. I love the fact I’m helping shape the world we live in today by placing top talent into growing technology organisations. Pre Covid I got to travel the world meeting clients, I lived and worked in the US, I built a career and met my now fiancée and started a family. I owe a lot to Tangent, they have genuinely changed my life!

What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned?:
To listen more than you speak. It’s sometimes overlooked to truly listen and understand what the other person is saying or is trying to say. I used to be the worlds worst for trying to finish sentences or thinking about the next question or thing to say, once I slowed down I really saw the value in being a better listener, I only wish I realised this when I was a lot younger!

Tell us one thing we wouldn’t know about you: 
I’m not sure how much of a secret it is but I am a massive tech, metaverse, NFT, Crypto, computer game playing, Warhammer painting nerd. Fair to say I got some stick over the years!

What do you do outside of work?:
I’m very much a family man, I have a beautiful fiancée, we have a Five-year-old daughter and another, Rosa of 7 months who was born on my birthday January 20th (I’m surrounded!). When I’m not covered in makeup, out shopping (carrying their bags) or playing Barbies I get out on the golf course, watch and play football plus be an all-around nerd playing computer games. I don’t get too much time to myself and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Divisional Director (MEA)

Andrew Smith

Andrew has over 12 years experience working in the fields of IT and Telecommunications. He joined Tangent in 2011 in our UK office and was initially brought in as a resourcer to identify candidates in niche IT and Telecoms markets and on complex assignments. Andrew worked in our Dallas, USA office for a period of time where he furthered his knowledge and experience in these fields.

Currently sitting in our Dubai, UAE office, Andrew is currently managing some of Tangent’s most important customers internationally and has placed candidates of over 80 different nationalities in over 60 countries across the globe. His current main focus is in the telecoms and  cyber security area, supplying resources to several major clients in this field, whether this be SOC engineers for a 3 month project or solution architects for long term contracts.

Divisional Director

Nicki Lee

Tell us a little about yourself: 
I have worked within the Telecommunication/Recruitment industry for 20 + Years. In that time I have been lucky enough to travel to various locations around the world and help deliver over 100 Million + in Services ranging from project-based to turnkey solutions. My 20+ years of experience has provided me with in-depth knowledge for internal recruitment solutions along with recruitment insights. I have been involved in some major projects. This includes being one of the first in the USA  to deliver UMTS and LTE talent for some major Operators.  This insight has helped me understand placing talent along with bespoke solutions for the various projects I have been involved in.

Divisional Director

Joanna Lee

Joanna has worked in Tangent for over 6 years now and has enjoyed every second in here.

She manages one of the busiest account in Tangent crossing whole Africa and some Asian countries, having over hundreds of consultants working over 50 countries.

It’s a great challenge for Jojo as her role enables her to use her Chinese speaking ability to liaise and network with a wide range of candidates and clients on a daily basis, and placing the right candidates in a position.
It opens her horizon towards the world by travelling around the world and learning a huge amount everyday.