About Richard White

Introduction:

Richard graduated from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and commenced his career in London. His journey led him to an exciting global contractor recruitment agency in London, where he honed his skills. Shortly thereafter, Richard made the internal move to their Saudi-based office, (Riyadh) experiencing a significant acceleration in his learning curve.

For three years, Richard served clients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, providing support with technical project consultants (contractors). Following this tenure, he made the strategic move to Dubai.

Professional Expertise:

Throughout his career, Richard has specialised in supporting clients with mid and senior consultants (contractors), predominantly within the realms of technology, change, and transformation.

Career Summary:

Richard has played a pivotal role in supporting numerous clients' large-scale transformation programs by providing senior project consultants who provide experience, and high level expertise and can really impact change. Being a regional expert means Richard possesses extensive knowledge of outsourced resources and the complex VISA and labor laws in the Middle East.

Why Recruitment?

As a people person with a passion for fostering relationships with international candidates, Richard finds fulfilment in placing consultants on exciting international programs and projects across multicultural environments. His enthusiasm is further fuelled by the fast-paced, dynamic, delivery-led environment that aligns with his energy, determination, and drive.

Industry Insights:

The Middle East has undergone significant transformation and change in recent years, spend from both the government and the volume of enterprise being spawned in the private sector has accelerated technology, change, and transformation projects.

For instance, in 2023, KSA announced an additional US$6.4 billion investment in future technologies and entrepreneurship. The region is looking at a potentially huge economic impact from AI – $320 billion by 2030, according to data from PwC.

Alongside technology transformations, clients face challenges in business transformation, process and change management, so skilled resources in this space is increasingly in demand.

Success Stories:

Richard has successfully built one account to over 100 consultants across Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

He has played a key role in supporting three regional launch projects, providing hosting, senior-level interim appointments, and even has worked on-site with clients to support and accelerate delivery.

Richard has placed senior transformation heads on dozens of programs and supported those programs with technical and business consultants who help drive the project objectives forward.

Fun Facts:

Apart from living in Riyadh and Dubai, Richard has a ski season in Tignes, France, under his belt and has also lived in Spain.

Richard has now hung up his football boots and now is a gym goer, he has accomplished a marathon in Dubai, the Argus bike ride in Cape Town, South Africa, and competed a Half Ironman distance triathlon in Dubai. Recently, he joined fellow Director Mark Hughes (Phelpsy) in completing a 10k ocean swim, earning the title of 'Oceanman.'

Why Aventus:

Aventus stands out as a dynamic and fun place to work, emphasising a fast-paced, delivery-focused environment. Team cohesion is paramount, with amazing people contributing to the creation of a fantastic culture that fosters collaboration and high performance.

Testimonials:

"Richard demonstrated exceptional support in fulfilling our specialized technology requirements. While other suppliers struggled to meet our quality standards, Richard went above and beyond to ensure we procured the right resources, ultimately meeting our business requirements. He was attentive, proactive, and dedicated." - Head of HR, Consultancy, UAE