The Management Recruitment Group (MRG), the construction industry's fast expanding executive search agency, has announced Robert Smith as its new Chairman.

The major industry figure, Robert Smith, was previously MD of Hays Construction & Property, an organisation that he developed from a fledgling business to become the UK's market leading company in its sector with a £300m turnover.

Having left Hays at the end of 2007, MRG represents Robert Smith’s first big venture into business since his departure and is seen by industry observers as an important move in signalling his desire to repeat the success he previously achieved.

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"This is a great opportunity for me," Robert said. "MRG has had a fantastic initial six months since being launched last summer from their Twickenham office."

He continued: “There is a fantastic team in place and they have already exceeded their initial forecast projections. For me personally it is like coming home, as once again I am working with Simon Cheshire who is now MD at MRG, a similar role that he occupied when he worked with me at Hays.

"Our Finance Director is Howard Bridgwater, who was FD at Hays, a Footsie 250 business and together they have already developed a great team working with them."

As Chairman of MRG, Robert Smith expects to help move the business into new areas and whilst the focus is on domestic expansion in the UK, he does not rule out penetrating markets in Europe and Commonwealth.

(JM)