Alexander Mann Solutions

We identified Rosaleen Blair, the founder of AMS, as a highly talented CEO with a unique vision in recruitment process outsourcing and talent management

In December 2007 Graphite Capital led the £100 million management buy-out of AMS, the World’s leading provider of talent acquisition and management services. The company had long-term contracts with a diverse range of multinational blue-chip customers, including Vodafone, Microsoft, Siemens, HSBC, Rolls Royce, Origin, GE and Citi Group. Shortly after the buy-out, Graphite backed AMS in acquiring Capital Consulting, the UK’s second largest RPO provider. Headquartered in London, AMS opened and operated low-cost service centres in Poland and the Philippines under our ownership.

The transaction represented an opportunity to further improve the efficiency of the business model and to increase the company’s operational flexibility. As a result, the EBITDA margin increased from 13 per cent in 2008 to over 20 per cent in 2013. This was principally driven by the more effective use of the company’s low cost offshore delivery centres. The proportion of employees deployed in these units increased from 30 per cent to nearly 50 per cent over that period.

Key Business Achievements

More than doubled EBITDA to over £20 million and NFI to over £100 million

Increased staff numbers from 900 to 2,000

More than doubled the number of blue chip clients to 65

Significantly increased its sector diversification, winning long-term contracts in the energy, life sciences and pharmaceutical industries

Increased its range of services, refined its business model and expanded its global infrastructure

3.6x

return on Graphite's investment

Business Exit

In 2013 AMS was sold for £260 million to New Mountain Capital, generating a money multiple of 3.6 times and an IRR of 24 per cent.