Gary Dexter

I've spent 20 years hiring specialist and hard-to-find talent across regulated, complex environments. Pharmaceuticals, automotive, defence, aerospace, financial services - the common thread is that these are markets where the roles are niche, the candidates are passive, and most recruiters don't have the credibility or the process rigour to do it properly. I've hired across technical, commercial, operational, and leadership functions, from graduate to VP level, across the UK, Europe, the US, Singapore, and the GCC.

The roles have always been the ones other recruiters struggle with whether that's because the talent pool is small, the function is specialist, or the market is immature. For the last few years I've been based in Dubai, building a specialist TA practice in the GCC largely from scratch. I've set the strategy, designed the process, and done the delivery across multiple geographies.

I know what a well-run TA function looks like because I've had to build one without the infrastructure most internal teams take for granted. I'm now looking to move in-house, into a Head of TA or TA Director role where I can build something properly: the function, the team, the process, and the standards. My starting point when joining any organisation is always the same: talk to the hiring managers first.

What has slowed hiring down historically? Where has communication broken down? Have requirements been clearly defined before a search starts? Historic time-to-fill tells you a lot about where the real problems are, and fixing those relationships and processes early is what makes everything else work.

Managing Consultant - ARM International - Dubai, UAE

(2025-10)

ARM International is a specialist technical recruiter covering defence, aerospace, energy, and life sciences. I run the specialist practice for the GCC, responsible for the full recruitment process from initial briefing through to placement, across multiple sectors and geographies simultaneously.

• Sole recruiter covering pharma and life sciences manufacturing across the GCC, handling everything from role briefing through to offer
• Work directly with plant directors, site heads, and engineering managers on role requirements, candidate profiles, and hiring decisions
• Build and maintain candidate pipelines in markets where active candidates are rare, using multi-touch outreach via SourceWhale, LinkedIn Recruiter, and Apollo alongside direct calling
• Develop multi-touch outreach strategies targeting passive candidates across Europe, Asia, and the GCC for specialist roles across technical, commercial, and operational functions

Director - Blackfield Associates - Portsmouth, UK / Dubai, UAE

(2022-01 - 2025-09)

Ran specialist recruitment across regulated industries in Europe and Singapore, operating from Dubai as a central base. Responsible for full-cycle delivery across two international markets simultaneously, including sourcing strategy, process design, and senior stakeholder management.

• Led and developed a team of six consultants, running regular 1-2-1s, team meetings, and performance conversations to keep standards high and support individual development
• Recognised as a Millionaire Club biller, generating over £2m in fees and billing over £500k in each of four consecutive years, representing 30 to 40 specialist placements annually at senior and niche technical levels, with multiple top biller and high achiever awards across this period
• Worked directly with senior and C-level stakeholders to understand hiring requirements, challenge briefs where needed, and give honest advice on what the market could deliver
• Built candidate pipelines for pharma manufacturing roles in two separate international markets, in sectors where most candidates weren't actively looking
• Built sourcing and assessment approaches for highly specialised roles, drawing on genuine knowledge of the functions to screen properly rather than just matching keywords
• Maintained strong hiring manager relationships across pharma, defence, and industrial manufacturing in Singapore and Europe over a number of years
• Supported US-based clients on contractor engagement models including W2, Corp-to-Corp (C2C), and 1099 arrangements, advising on compliance and classification requirements

Lead Consultant / Senior Consultant - Blackfield Associates - Portsmouth, UK

(2018-07 - 2022-01)

Progressed from Senior to Lead Consultant, taking on growing responsibility for key accounts and multi-hire programmes across specialist engineering and technical functions.

• Managed complex multi-hire talent programmes for engineering SIs, CDMOs, and pharma manufacturers
• Built candidate screening and assessment processes for niche technical roles where most recruiters lacked the background to assess fit properly
• Primary point of contact for hiring managers across several long-standing accounts

Senior Consultant / Consultant / Automotive Consultant - Stream (STR Group) - Portsmouth, UK

(2012-09 - 2017-09)

Technical recruitment across automotive and engineering, progressing through three consultant grades. This is where I developed my direct sourcing approach and learned how to run a genuine 360 desk in competitive niche markets.

Senior Resourcer / Account Manager - Advanced Resource Managers (ARM) - Havant, UK

(2006-09 - 2012-09)

6 years at ARM covering end-to-end talent acquisition across defence, aerospace, and automotive. Responsible for candidate sourcing, telephone assessment, client liaison, and vacancy management.

Sales & Service Representative - Zurich Insurance - Whiteley, UK

(2004-04 - 2006-06)

Customer-facing sales and service role within financial services.

Secondary Education - Horndean School