Joep Maussen

Joep Maussen

How did you end up working for Redfox? Have you always been involved in the recruitment industry?

I have been involved with the fresh produce industry for a good number of years now. I worked for a large German company for five years, selling to supermarkets and handling growers. I also spent five years in Spain and two years in South Africa, and was instrumental in setting up a trading office in Brazil for my German employer in January 1997. I have always travelled a lot with work.

Max MacGillivray from Redfox and I got in touch towards the end of 2003, when the firm’s Asda tender was finalised. International Produce (IP) and Asda needed new talent with proven track records to “deliver the promise to Asda”. The transition period within IP was fascinating, with very competitive service level agreements with Asda in a rapidly changing environment.

After two and a half years I was looking at a significantly consolidated position for IP and Asda and an accumulated track record of 15 years in produce on three different continents. It was then just a small step to approach Max and discuss the opportunity to expand Redfox’s business on the continent.

My background is a mix of business administration and psychology, which often proves to be an asset in recruitment. I actually have an Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, and so saw recruitment as a good way of combining my people-related training with my knowledge of the produce trade.

I am Dutch and can also speak English, German and Spanish, which of course is also useful in both the recruitment and produce industries.

Redfox opened an office in Madrid in September 2006, so you are now nearing the first anniversary of the branch. How is this venture progressing to date?

The Spanish initiative kicked off quite quickly. I talked to a mix of existing Redfox clients in the UK and also utilised my industry contacts. At the moment it is just me working here in Spain, and I am using the admin and finance support staff from Redfox’s UK base.

I have my own virtual private network connection to the UK database, so am hooked up to the system as if I am actually in the UK office.

We are delivering recruitment solutions to our existing UK client base with international operations - at the moment in Spain and in the Netherlands - and enabling my fresh produce contacts on the continent and in the southern hemisphere to get international coverage for their recruitment needs. Redfox recruits across the whole supply chain. We also facilitate high-level networking within the industry on a confidential basis.

We place emphasis on understanding the culture of the companies we work for across the food and drink industry. Only when we have a good understanding of an organisation’s culture are we able to deliver a quality shortlist with the candidate our client is looking for.

What is the benefit for Redfox of having a European office and how are you looking to further this side of the business?

Ideally, you run a recruitment office in every large business region to add a ‘cultural fit’ to your service offerings. So if you decide to invest in growth outside your home market, location is important.

With the internet nowadays, distance is virtually non-existent, but face-to-face connection with clients is still very important. The recruitment industry is all about confidence, and it is important to build upon and grow client relationships.

Spain is often called Europe’s fruit and veg garden, and not without reason. For most European produce companies, Spain is the single most important supplier of fresh produce. It is therefore no surprise that we chose to locate the office in Madrid, the country’s business and network centre.

We are now looking for an additional recruiter to work with me in Madrid, to focus purely on the Spanish side of the business. We are also looking at the Dutch and German markets and are hoping to get full-time recruiters on the ground there too.

What plans are in the pipeline for Redfox Executive Selection?

At the end of this year and the start of 2008 there will be plenty of expansion afoot, which Max and I are working on right now.

Our aim is to grow with our customers, and we have started to look at a mergers and acquisitions service. Most of our clients have above average growth, as they manage to attract the best people and growth opportunities. We believe we can enable our clients to not only find the best candidates, but also the most interesting opportunities for expansion.

We will be at Fruit Logistica in February of course, but the most important thing is to establish people on the ground to encourage further growth.