Glasgow-headquartered recruiter Be-IT set for 'next chapter' after completing MBO

Glasgow-headquartered IT recruitment specialist Be-IT Resourcing is embarking on a new chapter after the completion of a multi-million-pound management buyout (MBO).

The business, which was set up in 2013, and also has an office in Edinburgh, says it has become Scotland’s top independent firm of its kind, with its turnover in the financial year ending this month expected to come in at £14 million. It provides permanent, interim and contract roles across the “full spectrum” of IT including digital transformation, business change, software-development, cyber and data disciplines, and notes that it also launched specialist resourcing consultancy arm Be-IT Projects to manage and deliver major IT and change projects.

Managing director Nikola Kelly secured the deal, terms of which have not been disclosed, to take control of the business and will now lead her team of nearly 30 recruiters. She said the change of ownership offers Be-IT an “exciting and bright” future, also stating: “The MBO will allow us to further develop our successful business model as well as provide certainty in the group’s future strategic direction.”

Co-founder Gareth Biggerstaff, who is stepping back from the business, said: “I’m extremely proud of the business we created. It has gone from strength to strength and thrived through difficult periods. The time is right for this change, and I look forward to watching the next chapter unfold for Be-IT.”

MD Nikola Kelly (centre) with, from left, other MBO team members Matt Druce, Freddie Kidd, Gareth Biggerstaff, Christina Hall, Caroline Ross, and Michael Phair. Picture: contributed.

Aberdeen-based accounting and business services group AAB supported the deal and provided advice, while ThinCats, an alternative finance provider to mid-sized small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK, provided funding. Ben Kimball, director of business-development at ThinCats, said: “We are delighted have supported Nikola and her vastly experienced team.”