In 1996, Sportspeople was launched with big ambition of becoming an athlete management agency.
Liz Ellis, a formidable presence on the netball court, became my very first client and I had the privilege of working with Liz, as her Agent, from 1996 and beyond her retirement in 2007. Liz’s profound influence has continued off-court, emerging as a leader, a beacon of wisdom and an inspirational role model.
In 1996 the market for athlete management was saturated with successful, established agencies, but there was an absolute void in recruiters, with no specialists for the sport sector. During this time, I found myself increasingly sought after for opinions on candidates for roles within the sport sector and invited to participate in selection panels for State and National appointments.
Sportspeople seemed like a pretty good name for a recruitment business. The guiding principles of the business were set in stone in 1996. Merit based recruitment; service excellence; respect for every candidate; focus on AU & NZ markets and remain locally owned & operated.
28 years later I’d like to think Sportspeople, now Sportspeople Recruitment, has made a positive contribution to sport employment in AU and NZ, with tens of thousands of jobs secured through our various services.
In 2024 the market is saturated with generalists and specialist recruiters offering services to the sport sector. Most, if not all, are fundamentally different to Sportspeople Recruitment. When we are unsuccessful in a quote and the search goes to another agency, over 80% of those same employers come to Sportspeople Recruitment next time they are recruiting. Over 75% of our work is with returning and long term client employers. Our placed candidates are happy to refer Sportspeople Recruitment to their new employer based on the candidate experience alone.
At Sportspeople Recruitment, our name may say “sport,” but our scope extends far beyond the field. From athlete management to recruitment, our journey has been marked by innovation and a steadfast dedication to excellence. We excel in executive placements within the sports sector, and we’re proud to highlight that nearly 50% of our executive appointments come from diverse industries. Right now were working on our 257th Chief Executive appointment and we continue to recruit across the A-Z of sport across AU & NZ and from entry-level to Chief Executive.
Importantly I hope we have stayed true to those guiding principles set way back in 1996. Merit based recruitment; service excellence; respect for every candidate; focus on AU & NZ markets and remain locally owned & operated. I hope these principles are important to you if you’re an employer thinking about recruitment, or a candidate thinking about your next career step.
Don’t be afraid to take a step into the unknown. It might be the best thing you can ever do.
