Meet the Team

Our Team

Our small team has hands on experience of working in the motor industry at all levels and finding the right people for jobs in the Motor Trade. We understand what you need from a recruitment agency. All of us have worked in the Motor Industry for several years and have the experience to understand what you are looking for in a new job, or when you have jobs to fill in your business.

We select candidates for vacancies based on the criteria our clients specify; speak to each of them individually; assess their suitability for the job and only put forward those that we genuinely believe will add value to your business. As an employer that means you will only be sent CVs for the right candidates for your business. As a candidate you can be confident that your CV will not be sent anywhere without your knowledge.

Chris Highfield – Director

Chris Highfield

Having trained as an Accountant, Chris became involved in the Motor Industry in 1985 joining Trimoco as a Salesman. He progressed
through the ranks of Business Manager, Sales Manager and Dealer Principal before becoming a Regional Manager for Hartwell.

In 1996 he joined the Dutton Forshaw Group and was part of the Senior Management MBO team that bought the business from Lonrho. In 1998 he joined the Osborne Group as Group General Manager before starting ARC Recruitment in 2000. In his spare time Chris is a Director of the Colchester Garrison Officers Club and is a keen tennis player and skier. You can also find him on LinkedIn.

Nick Legge – Director

Nick Legge

Nick joined the Motor Trade in 1990 working for Trimoco. After a spell as a salesman and in Group Marketing he worked in Head Office after the takeover by Hartwell Plc as Operations Manager for the Ford Division. This was followed by 3 years as a General Manager of Luton Ford and Iveco in Dunstable. In 1996 he joined Carnell/Dixon Motors as General Manager of Peterborough Motorcycles before joining the Marshall Motor Group in 1999 as Head of Aftersales for their Thermo King division. Nick joined ARC in 2002 and you can also find him on LinkedIn.. Nick looks after all of the company IT. He is married to Maria and has 3 sons and attempts to go running at least twice a week!

Anthony Radley – Associate Director

Anthony Radley

Anthony’s automotive sector experience began in the tyre industry at manufacturers Dunlop and Avon, going from Office to Service Engineer and moving on into Field Sales, eventually reaching National Accounts Management. This was followed by a period in tyre distribution gaining experience of Key Account Management, Business Development, Local Branch and Regional Management where he further developed his man-management skills. Moving into the Commercial Vehicle sector extended his management experience to Board Level with successful directorships in a mix of 10 UK and French based companies. With his experience of business (both entrepreneurial and corporate) Anthony has a strong understanding of what employers are looking for when choosing a recruiter to work with and how to identify staff that can make a real difference to an organisation. Anthony is located in South Eastern Wales near the Forest of Dean and lives with his wife and golden retriever. Not surprisingly his favourite hobby is walking although motor sport and motorcycles are never far away. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Greg Rankin – Associate Director

Greg Rankin

Greg started working in the motor trade at the age of 17 with Hartwell Ford in Luton, initially as an admin assistant/dealer transfer but would come in at weekends to assist sales executives & learn the trade from the ground up. His career developed through sales and Business Management to Regional Business Manager for Allen Ford covering 5 Ford dealerships in the Midlands and then into Sales Management. You can connect with Greg on LinkedIn.

After a 3 year spell with the Camden Group he moved into recruitment and joined the ARC team in 2012. He has a young daughter, plays 5-a-side football and for some reason supports Tottenham!

Emma Curtis – Associate Director

Emma Has been in the Motor Industry since 1987 initially with the Lex Group, which was purchased by Pendragon PLC, and after 17 years

Emma on horseback!

with the same Vauxhall dealership she moved to the Sytner Group to take up her first General Management role. Emma most recently worked with the Jardine group and has decided to hang up her dealership keys and use her knowledge in the Automotive sector with us.

After nearly 30 years Emma’s experience with different roles and franchises will be invaluable as she works to select the right candidate for the role.

On a personal note, Emma has been with Dave for over 25 years and has 2 dogs that she loves to walk and a Horse that takes up most of her spare time, however, she does still find the time to have the odd G&T with friends!

Nicola – Administrator

Nicola

Nicola looks after all of our administration, entering candidates into our database and ensuring that all candidate details are as up to date as possible. She also contacts dealers with information regarding candidates who are looking for new jobs.

Maria – Researcher

Maria

Maria is our researcher and identifies candidates who are suitable for the positions that we work on, supporting the consultants to help find the right person for your vacancy. Her early career was in Marketing and after raising a family she worked in Estate Agency before joining ARC in 2012. She enjoys cooking and gardening and is a member of a local wine club who insist on talking about books at their monthly meetings!

We provide motor trade recruitment and career advice across the country and overseas, keeping you up to date with automotive news and working to fill job vacancies in the motor trade for clients and find that perfect new job for candidates.

The automotive industry employs a real diversity of professions, including Sales Managers, Service Managers, Accountants, Car Sales People, Service Advisors, MOT Testers, Paint Sprayers, Mechanics, Technicians and Administrators.

Employment opportunities cover all levels of academic qualification, and Automotive Recruitment works to find jobs for jobseekers with a wide range of backgrounds and specialisations.

Average salaries in the automotive industry are generally between £25,000 and £35,000 with minimal salary variation from region to region in the UK, except London which does pay a premium on most job roles.

Jobs in the more technical areas of the automotive industry, such as engineering or design, require degree level qualifications but for many other positions, however, training is done on the job, and, (aside from basic mechanical aptitude), there are few requirements for entry into the field.