APSCo John Bissell

John is best known for working as a business sales agent who helps owners sell their recruitment businesses. More recently he has been advising buyers on their buy and build strategies and works as an ongoing board advisor or as a non-executive director. He also takes on ad hoc assignments if a buyer has identified a target and needs help with a valuation and the acquisition process.

You probably know me as a business sales agent who helps owners sell their recruitment businesses. I’ve been very successful at that, having sold around 350 businesses and valued around 2,000 since 1991. I do still sell businesses, but these days I’m increasingly working with buyers to advise them on their buy and build strategies. Ideally, I work as an ongoing advisor to the board or a non-executive director, so that they can really benefit from my strategic planning and execution skills, but I will also take on ad hoc assignments if a buyer has identified a target and needs help with a valuation and the acquisition process.

I started in recruitment in 1977 and joined Nestor Healthcare plc in 1979. I rose to become a Director and Group Secretary. As a key member of the Group’s acquisition team, I learned how to buy recruitment businesses effectively and safely. We completed 45 acquisitions and opened over 150 offices in the UK, Europe and the USA over a ten-year period. Nestor eventually became a fully listed, international mixed recruitment and healthcare residential care provider. On the healthcare side alone, we placed over 10 million hours of temporary work a year, and that put us third in the UK, behind Adecco and Manpower.

In 1991, I left Nestor and founded Linsey Bissell Associates, initially as a specialist consultancy advising recruitment business owners on exit planning and businesses sales. Although my core business is in the UK, I also have considerable experience in the Middle East recruitment market, where I have advised companies such as Gulf Capital and The Emirates Group on recruitment acquisitions. I am recognised as a leading specialist in the valuation of recruitment businesses across the world and have regularly acted as an expert witness in court and tribunal hearings.

I am a chartered secretary qualified by examination, was formerly a governor of the Institute of Recruitment Consultants and a founding director of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. I have spoken widely at conferences and seminars around the world and have had a long-running column in the Recruitment International magazine.

I can offer my services both to buyers and sellers. Where buying is concerned, the economic downturn presents unprecedented opportunities for those owners who are financially sound, to expand their businesses through a structured buy and build strategy in the coming months and years. My unique experience of buying and selling businesses in the UK and overseas for over 40 years ideally positions me to help owners who have the drive and resources to grow during these difficult times. I tailor my services to suit the client’s requirements and budgets, so contact me and let’s discuss how I can help you.

If you are looking to sell, there are still lots of buyers out there. I may have a buyer for you already, but if not I will look to find you one. Contact me in complete confidence using the form below.

Specialisms

• Growth Management & Business Planning - Having bought or sold over 350 recruitment businesses and opened over 200 recruitment branches, I am ideally placed to advise owners on buy and build strategies.
• Merger, Acquisition & Exit - I am the longest established M&A specialist in the UK recruitment industry. I have helped hundreds of owners to plan and execute their exit and acquisition strategies.
• International Expansion - I have considerable experience in the Middle East and Gulf recruitment markets.
• Financing & Funding Growth - Through my work in M&A, I have built an unrivalled understanding of the principles of financing growth.

Reference 1

"I have used LBA as an advisor during almost all of the 25 year life of On Target Recruitment Ltd. John has provided valuations at the point of shareholders both selling out and buying in to the business throughout that time. His reports are not purely focussed on numbers. He was instrumental in our sector diversification and was always brutally honest about all aspects of the business. More recently, he has driven my own exit strategy, enabling share sales in tranches to long-term senior management, and finally enabled me to retire in the summer of 2018. His knowledge of the recruitment sector spans perms, temps and contractors, having worked with firms of all sizes; he has a contact book probably unrivalled in the industry. I cannot recommend his work highly enough. "

Reference 2

“John has assisted me on both the buy and sale side for over 15 years. He has unrivalled experience in recruitment and specialises in the SME sector of the industry. John has for many years concentrated on selling businesses. I have bought a number of businesses through him across a range of recruitment sectors, both in my capacity as CEO and founder of Gap Personnel and as a personal investor. John is good at matching sellers to buyers and consequently I have gone on to buy almost every business he has introduced to me. Recently, John has expanded his services to include advice to owners looking to grow their businesses through a policy of buy and build. He has an excellent understanding of the recruitment sector and is ideally placed to advise owners looking to buy and build or sell their businesses. I wouldn’t hesitate to use him in either capacity or to recommend him to others.“

Reference 3

"I have had the pleasure of knowing John since 1991, when he helped me acquire a number of recruitment businesses. John was instrumental in growing the business of Corporate Services Group through deals including Pipco, ABC Contracts and Austin Benn during 1992. When I sold my business to PMP in 1993, I introduced the founder of PMP, Terry Warren, to John.  He worked with us to maximise the value and saleability of PMP over a number of years and advised us on the sale of the company to the Cordant Group on the 29th April 2006. This was not an easy sale, as the asking price was substantial and the buyer and sellers started negotiations a long way apart. There were some strong personalities in the mix and John’s calm, professional negotiating style was crucial to the success of the sale. John managed to get the deal across the line at £10.3m. Thank you John! It is extremely fair to say that if John had not been involved this deal would not have got over the line. John has an excellent understanding of the recruitment sector and is ideally placed to advise owners looking to buy and build or sell their businesses. I wouldn’t hesitate to use him in either capacity or to recommend him to others. The word integrity was invented for John. He is absolutely hones, totally confidential and authentic. There is no 'bull' with this man. I have enjoyed my relationship with John. His advice has always been sound and measured. We have done business together for 29 years it was always a pleasure. The coming years will be equally as pleasurable and rewarding I am sure, as more people look to leave the industry and there are opportunities for buyers."

Reference 4

"I have known John Bissell for 20 years, during which he has helped me with the majority of the fourteen recruitment businesses that I have acquired. John has an excellent understanding of the industry. He has a very professional approach and a really good understanding of the problems which can so easily stop acquisitions from completing. I would not hesitate to recommend John to any owner seeking help with their acquisition strategy."

Reference 5

“I am very pleased to recommend John Bissell as a Recruitment Industry expert. As a company, we have engaged the services of John over a number of years and have found his knowledge of the recruitment industry to be unrivalled. Most recently, when we uncovered a very serious problem that threatened the continued existence of our company, we asked John for his help. Our situation was particularly dire due to the fact that we had to suspend our entire accounting team and we also felt that our current auditors were not acting in our best interest. When meeting with us, John was able to use his operational, legal and financial knowledge to quickly gain an understanding of our current position and was able to present the options that were available to us in a clear and direct manner. It is not an exaggeration to say that John’s involvement that day turned out to be a turning point in the fortune of our business. I would not hesitate to recommend John Bissell to any organisation facing difficult times or to simply wishing to gain insights into best industry practice from someone with unequalled knowledge in the industry.”