HeadFirst Global names Simon Blockley as Europe boss

HeadFirst Global has appointed Simon Blockley as Regional Chief Executive Officer for the UK and Europe, bringing its businesses in both markets under a single leadership structure.

Most recently Chief Executive Officer for the UK and Ireland, Blockley takes on the expanded role following the merger of HeadFirst Group and Impellam Group. The move is intended to create a more joined-up approach across the two markets.

The appointment comes as staffing and workforce businesses face shifting client demand, with employers reassessing how they use permanent staff, contractors and other specialist talent. HeadFirst Global says the combined regional structure will help align market expertise, talent networks and technology across the UK and Europe.

Blockley has spent more than 12 years with the organisation and has more than 25 years of experience in resourcing and managed services. He has also appeared on Staffing Industry Analysts' Staffing 100 Europe list for six consecutive years, according to the company.

HeadFirst Global operates in more than 80 countries and says it has a talent community of 1.5 million people. It also reports more than EUR €12 billion in gross invoice value across the UK and Ireland, Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.

The business was formed through the combination of HeadFirst Group and Impellam Group, bringing together a workforce services company with a broader technology and data platform. The latest management change indicates the group is still reshaping its regional leadership following the integration.

Regional remit

The new structure places responsibility for the UK and Europe under a single executive as many multinational clients seek greater consistency across borders. For staffing groups and managed service providers, that often means standardising how talent is sourced, managed and governed while still reflecting local labour market conditions.

HeadFirst Global says the regional model will strengthen its ability to help clients redesign, access and govern the workforce they need across a more blended employment landscape. That includes employed staff, contract workers and specialist talent, an area that has become more complex as companies seek greater flexibility while navigating regulation, skills shortages and cost pressures.

In the UK and across continental Europe, workforce providers are also adapting to the wider use of artificial intelligence in planning and service delivery. HeadFirst Global linked Blockley's appointment to those changes, saying clients are increasingly focused on outcomes rather than simple headcount.

Edzard Overbeek, Group Chief Executive Officer at HeadFirst Global, commented on the appointment and the group's view of market change.

"This is a pivotal moment for HeadFirst Global. Organisations are shifting from roles and headcount to outcomes, and asking how human expertise, specialist capability, and AI can work together to deliver them. Simon understands that shift deeply. He combines strong market experience with a practical understanding of what clients need to thrive in the intelligence era, and I have full confidence he will deliver our bold vision across UK and Europe through this next phase of innovation and growth," said Overbeek.

Integration phase

The appointment follows a period of continued integration after the merger that created the current group. Combining regional operations is often one of the clearest signs that a merger is moving beyond transaction and branding into operating structure, with leadership lines redrawn to support larger client accounts and common processes.

For HeadFirst Global, the UK and Europe are major parts of a business that spans several regions and serves organisations with large or complex workforce needs. The company's scale, measured by both gross invoice value and the size of its talent community, places it among the larger players in a market that has seen consolidation as providers seek broader geographic reach and deeper service offerings.

Blockley's move signals continuity as well as change. Rather than bringing in an external executive, the group has turned to a long-serving leader who has already run the UK business and worked within the organisation through a period of transformation.

In his comments, Blockley pointed to the company's existing teams and client relationships as the foundation for the broader role.

"I'm proud to take on this expanded role at such an important moment for HeadFirst Global. After 12 years with the business, I know the strength of our teams, our client relationships, and the vast opportunity ahead. Bringing the UK and Europe together gives us a stronger platform to help organisations access the right capability, embrace new blended ways of working, and deliver better outcomes," said Blockley.