Chris Keeling, Managing Director

Chris joined Torres and Partners in 1996, having spent 12 years in HR for a variety of companies and organisations. He graduated with a degree in Business Studies and joined Land Rover to take his first steps in a career in HR. He then left to join the NHS, where he was responsible for setting up the personnel function at unit level. Ultimately, he became Head of Organisational Development and Deputy Director of HR for the largest non-acute Trust in the country.  Chris initially joined Torres and Partners as a Consultant and became a Director in 1998. He has been instrumental in the company’s growth over the last few years.  In 2003, he led the management buy-out when he and two other directors acquired the business from the previous owners.  Chris has received a business leader award from the North West Insider and was invited to be a judge on the CIPD’s People Management Award panel.

Alison Diamond, Director

After an early career in HR Management at Marks and Spencer, Alison joined Chambers and Partners, a specialist professional services recruitment consultancy in London.  She subsequently opened and managed the company’s only regional office, managing a full range of professional services recruitment as well as becoming involved in mergers and acquisitions. Alison joined Torres and Partners in 1997 to specialise in executive search and selection.  Since joining the company, she has provided consultancy support and managed a range of assignments, both advertised and search, for a number of blue-chip organisations and practices. Roles include the full range of professional appointments, embracing board level, management and key personnel across a variety of functions and sectors, including life science and pharmaceuticals.  Alison was awarded Recruitment Personality of the Year 2003 at the Recruitment Business Awards for contributing to the profile and stature of the recruitment industry, in addition to having a positive impact on colleagues, clients and candidates alike.

Ben Wood, Director

Ben is the Practice Leader for the Healthcare Team. He joined Torres in 2001 and has over 12  years recruitment experience at a European level, both externally and in house. His main area of expertise is senior management positions within Commercial / Operational Management, Regulatory Affairs  / Vigilance and Government & Public Affairs. His industry knowledge combines both the  MedTech and Pharmaceutical sectors respectively.  Prior to joining the industry he served as an Army Officer and  was the Country Manager for the HALO Trust  in Angola.

Anthony Smith, Director

Anthony heads up the Communications Technology Practice. Joining the business shortly after the de-regulation of the telecoms market, Anthony initially amalgamated two separate areas within this market space – and in doing so built a reputation as an effective and knowledgeable recruiter. Since playing an active role in Torres’ MBI during 2002, he has presided over the ICT Practice through some significant market shifts. His partnership approach to the delivery of executive search projects with clients, along with his significant experience of the sector has enabled him to source and engage with the proven top performers across the functional areas in which he operates. Entering his 3rd decade in Executive Search, Anthony prides himself in delivering retained, sometimes politically sensitive, and complex executive search assignments, within the ICT space. His skills are perhaps most appropriately honed to working with privately owned, high-technology companies whose revenues are between circa £50m and £750m. This is because technology companies of this type and size often attract investment from private equity funds and this in turn tends to shape a particular culture of growth, to which he has become accustomed to working with. Anthony’s understanding of the simultaneous pursuit of investors and growth companies – to achieve shareholder value – positions him intrinsically with clients which span both the private investment and equity funds and the technology organisations themselves. In particular, he holds an impressive track record in assisting pre-IPO organisations achieve ambitious growth, by the identification and securing of senior management talent.

William Illing, Senior Consultant

Neil Smith, Senior Consultant

Neil is an Art History & Theory graduate with a first class honours degree from Leeds.  He entered recruitment  eight years ago and worked successfully in the FMCG food and beverage markets before developing a knowledge and specialism in the international food ingredients & technology and associated sectors.  He is a recognised figure in his sector and enjoys ongoing  relationships with a number of €multi-billion international B2B manufacturers.  Neil operates at senior levels in Supply Chain and Operations, Sales and Marketing, Procurement, Sourcing, and a variety of Technical/R&D functions.  Based in London he is well established in Europe with clients based in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands Benelux, the Nordic region and Switzerland.

Magda Mirowska, Support Consultant

Magda joined the business in 2008 as Researcher / Junior Consultant within the Pharmaceutical, Life Science & Healthcare team. Originally from Poland, she graduated in Sociology and holds a Masters in Business Management and Psychology. She held a number of internal recruitment positions with firms based in Poland where she gained experience of recruiting middle management professionals across a variety of sectors. In 2005 she came to the UK and worked in the FMCG sector as an HR professional before deciding on a career in executive search.

Beatrice Vannerot, Support Consultant

Beatrice is a graduate in Psychology from the Ecole des Psychologues Praticiens of Paris.  She was previously recruiting for an IT company dedicated to the Financial Market Branch in Paris and also did several internships as a trainee recruiter in both HR departments and recruitment agencies.  Beatrice moved to London at the beginning of 2009 and joined the Food Ingredients and Technology practice at Torres where she works on Management level or above and niche assignments for international clients.

Raluca Pirvu, Support Consultant

Raluca graduated in foreign languages in Romania  and previously worked in administration for a multinational real estate Austrian company becoming the key liaison between the mother company and the Romanian subsidiary. She then moved to Procter & Gamble where she worked in purchasing until moving to the UK in 2007.  Raluca joined Torres in 2009 as a researcher within the Pharmaceutical, Life Science & Healthcare team being involved in various projects in the UK and across Europe.