Bill Hindmarsh and Douglas Hales founded Hales and Hindmarsh in 1969. Both men had served with distinction in the armed forces during World War II, Bill as an Officer in the Indian Army and Douglas as a Navigating Officer in the Royal Navy.

In 1968 Bill Hindmarsh returned to the UK after a period as a senior general manager in the tea plantations of India. Douglas Hales was at that time running a small recruitment agency specialising in the placement of ex-service personnel in local businesses. Having worked together for a number of months in this venture, Bill and Douglas recognised that there was an increasing market for managing the whole recruitment process for a company. This approach did not sit easily in a register-based agency and so in January 1969 they struck out on their own.

The original offices in Jewry Street were shared with the Halifax Building Society and the Hampshire Friendly Society but had plenty of room for the expansion that was to follow. Throughout the seventies the company continued to flourish with an increasing client base throughout the country. Bill Hindmarsh concentrated on sales development and Douglas Hales managed the increasing recruitment workload.

A new office was opened in Cheshire in 1977 and in 1978 Mike Salter, the current Managing Director, joined the company to manage the business in the north. Mike's background included senior roles in personnel management and manufacturing.

The recession of the early eighties led to the closure of the Cheshire office and the concentration of business in Winchester although the company maintained its national profile, working for clients throughout the country.

Both of the founding Directors had retired from the business by 1986 and ownership passed to Mike Salter. A new business strategy was developed enabling the company to concentrate on its core strengths in manufacturing and distribution whilst extending the project capability to include specialist Executive Search. The move to larger offices, also in Jewry Street, took place in 1987.

The international recession of the early 1990s was a very difficult time for any company involved in recruitment. Many did not survive but the in-depth relationships forged over the previous decade enabled Hales and Hindmarsh to continue.

Today the company is strongly positioned to provide a first class, customer focused service to clients across the country. Our approach is flexible. Our standards are high. Our consultants, backed by an experienced internal support team, offer impartial and objective advice.

We look forward to the next decade as we explore new opportunities and new markets. Our commitment remains the same, to work in partnership with our clients as they seek to fill critical senior management and boardroom positions.