Gareth Bennett-Coles

A lawyer by training, Gareth has some 35+ years’ business experience.

He was a director of his own company, before deciding to pursue a career in Human Resources. He then worked as a recruitment consultant for ICL and later joined ICL Dataskil (effectively the largest software house in the UK at that time) as recruitment manager. Other jobs followed, including manager of International Assignments Unit responsible for ICL’s UK expatriate staff, until eventually, owing to a downturn in the company’s fortunes, Gareth became responsible for what is now called “outplacement”.

Recognising that this whole area was badly served, in 1982 Gareth joined with Brian Sullivan to set up Hay Career Consultants in the UK, in order to introduce a methodology, which had been pioneered in the USA, to facilitate career transition. During this time Gareth got involved in other high profile assignments such as successfully implementing performance management at Lloyds Bank, conducting assignments on competency and skills analysis for organisations such as South East Thames Regional Health Authority, as well as managing and regularly participating in group courses focussing on career transition and self-marketing for such organisations as the London Residuary Body.

In 1990 Gareth joined the MSL Group, which was later taken over by the American Company TMP Worldwide to develop the HR Consulting Unit. In addition to individual and group career transition work, he undertook assessment and development work and senior manager/ director mentoring. Later in his career, Gareth carried out senior level recruitment assignments for organisations as diverse as the MCC and English Heritage and Eurodata plc.

In 2000 he formed his own Company, Bennett-Coles Associates Limited, and latterly as Associate Director of BCHR Ltd where he undertakes a variety of work ranging from senior recruitment assignments and HR Advisor work, to individual career transition, coaching assignments and mentoring support to individual directors and senior managers.

He has devised and run seminars on HR related subjects for various organisations, such as DFES and WWT for example.

A past member of the British Association of Counselling and a qualified counsellor, Gareth is also a past Chairman of the Recruitment Society.