Contact us
  • België
  • Deutschland
  • France
  • 日本
  • Nederland
  • UAE
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Nederland
English
 Engineers, scientists and developers analyzing Industrial Engine Design around an illuminated conference table. Close-up by hand

Our leadership

Executive Committee

Headshot of Timo Lehne - CEO, SThree

Timo Lehne, Executive Director, member of the Board

Chief Executive Officer 

Timo Lehne was appointed CEO in April 2022 after joining the board as interim CEO and Executive Director on 1 January 2022. As Senior Managing Director he held full responsibility for the day-to-day running of SThree’s largest region, DACH, which comprises of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Timo studied International Economics in the Netherlands before joining our Progressive Recruitment business in Germany as a sales consultant in 2006. He was appointed Senior Business Manager in Düsseldorf for SThree in 2009, quickly turning it into our fastest growing business and growing the city’s share of net fees within the DACH region from 4% in 2009 to 27% in 2012. He was promoted to Senior Sales Director in 2013, taking joint responsibility for the running of the overall DACH business and in 2017 became Managing Director for the region, where he was responsible for the overall DACH business of SThree accounting for over 33% of the Group’s revenue and more than 1000 employees across 10 locations.

Headshot of Andy Beach

Andrew Beach, Executive Director, member of the Board

Chief Financial Officer

Andrew Beach was appointed to the SThree Board in July 2021, joining from Hyve Group plc, a global exhibitions business. As CFO he holds full responsibility for the financial strategy and financial activities across the SThree Group. He is an accomplished CFO with more than 13 years’ experience in listed companies. He has global experience of business transformation, funding and M&A in fast-paced and high-growth companies and has extensive experience of working alongside Boards and senior leadership on company strategy and direction.

 

As CFO of Hyve, Andrew was instrumental in leading the company through a period of significant transformation and rapid international growth, which resulted in its promotion to the FTSE 250. Previously, he held a number of roles at Ebiquity plc, joining as Group Financial Controller in 2007 and quickly being appointed as CFO in 2008. In 2014 he was promoted to Chief Financial and Operating Officer. Andrew trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PwC, working with them from 1998 until 2007.

Headshot of Kate Danson

Kate Danson

Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary

Kate Danson joined SThree in 2021. She is responsible for the provision of legal services and its operations across the SThree Group and is the PLC Company Secretary. Prior to joining, she was General Counsel, Group at Johnson Matthey plc, responsible for leading the provision of legal services across the global group functions. She had previously worked in a variety of senior global roles within Johnson Matthey.

Kate brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in complex global legal, ethics and compliance, business and risk management issues. She is a qualified solicitor and started her career in private practice at the international law firm Ince & Co.

Kate completed a degree in Religious Studies at Kings College London before studying at the College of Law between 2002 and 2004.

Headshot of Nick Folkes

Nick Folkes

Chief Operations Officer

Nick Folkes joined SThree in 2021 and was appointed COO in September 2023. In his role he ensures consistent leadership and strategy delivery in technology, Transformation, and business operations across the SThree group. Nick is a highly experienced technology leader, with a breadth of experience in services and in-house environments. He has delivered major transformations in his previous roles, most recently was the Group CIO for G4S, the global security company operating across 85 countries.

Prior to joining G4S in March 2014, Nick served as director for IT Operations and Infrastructure at Tesco and as IT director for MSCI, a global provider of critical decision support tools and services for the financial investment community. Nick has also been a director at both Deloitte Consulting and Cable & Wireless and has more than 20 years of wide-ranging experience within the IT industry.

Nick holds a BSc in Cybernetics, Control Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science from the University of Reading.

Jelte Hacquebord Small 2

Jelte Hacquebord

Chief Commercial Officer

Jelte Hacquebord was appointed Chief Commercial Officer in September 2023. He has been with SThree since 2007 and has made a remarkable journey from trainee to Chief Commercial Officer and a member of the executive committee. In his role as CCO, he is responsible for all revenue channels including the overall sales function and marketing across all regions in the group, while steering the direction of business growth and overseeing the market investment strategy.

Jelte’s extensive experience and global SThree career, working in more than 10 countries across all continents, has earned him several accolades, including the prestigious SThree Plc Global Director of the Year Award in 2018. As an international leader he represents the company in various locations around the world.

Outside his work at SThree, Jelte is dedicated to making a positive impact in the world as a dedicated investor with a broad portfolio, all with a clear focus on generating growth and continuous progress. In addition, Jelte is committed to giving back to the community as the Chairman of the Touzani Foundation, a charitable organisation that supports children and provides opportunities for a better future. He holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Granada, a BSc in International Business from Groningen University and has completed the Business Leaders program at Henley Business School.

Sarah Mason

Sarah Mason

Chief People Officer

Sarah joined SThree in 2023 for the second time, having previously worked for the group between 1998 and 2008, in sales and then senior HR roles. Sarah is responsible for leading the global People function, which provides performance, reward, DEI, learning and development, people experience, ESG, and talent acquisition frameworks, HR business partnering, and Property services.

Sarah has spent most of her career in the recruitment industry, although her most recent role was Chief People Officer at Foxtons, a large estate agency plc in the UK. She brings with her a wealth of HR experience, as well as a deep knowledge of psychology – both of which she draws on and applies to enable effectiveness, engagement, and the right outcomes.

She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and has an MSc in Management Consultancy and Organisational Change.  

Headshot of Tom Way

Tom Way

Managing Director – UK, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg

Tom is responsible for the strategy, performance, and operations of SThree and its brands across the UK, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. 

Since joining SThree as a trainee in 2004, his career has spanned some of the largest STEM recruitment markets in the world, having worked in the UK, USA, and Continental Europe. Prior to being appointed into his current role, Tom held several senior leadership positions within the group, including Vice-President of North America, European Head of Life Sciences, and Managing Director of the UK and Ireland.  

Tom is extremely passionate about people and leadership and is driven to "bring people together to achieve results", he leads by creating a purpose-led environment where strategy is developed through the lens of our customers. In 2020 he was elected to join The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) Representative Committee, guiding on their strategy’s impact on staffing firms. Tom graduated from Loughborough University in 2003 with a BSc in Geography.

Headshot of Christophe Zwaenepoel

Christophe Zwaenepoel

Managing Director – DACH

Christophe started with SThree in 2000, joining initially as a recruitment consultant in SThree’s first office outside of the United Kingdom, Brussels. In 2009 he moved to Germany to set up the Hamburg, Berlin, and Hannover offices scaling and diversifying them to multi-brand and multi-product locations. In 2016 and 2017, he consecutively won SThree’s Global Director of the Year for having the fastest-growing business regions.

In 2017, Christophe became Regional Sales Head for Northern Germany, including Duesseldorf, which contributed over 50% of the DACH business. In 2020, he was promoted to Managing Director – Head of Sales for the DACH and Nordic regions successfully leading SThree through the COVID-19 pandemic. Christophe was appointed as interim Managing Director of the DACH region and from August 2022 permanently appointed as Managing Director DACH region and member of the global Executive Committee.

Christophe has a quarter of a decade of experience in the recruitment industry, working in multiple countries and sectors. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the European University College Brussels.

The Board

Non-Executive Director James Bilefield, professional portrait photo

James Bilefield, Chair

Non-Executive Chair

James Bilefield was appointed to the SThree Board as Senior Independent Director and Chair Designate in October 2017, becoming Chair in April 2018. He is Chair of the Nomination Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.
James is a Trustee of the Science Museum Group, the world’s leading group of science museums, and a Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company.
He managed the digital transformation of media group Condé Nast across 27 countries, scaled Skype’s global operations as part of its founding management team and held senior management roles at Yahoo! during its major growth phase. Formerly CEO of global advertising technology company, OpenX, he also co-founded the UK local information business, UpMyStreet, following an investment banking career at JP Morgan Chase. James was previously a non-executive director of MoneySupermarket.com, stepping down in May 2022, and Stagecoach Group plc., stepping down in June 2022 following its acquisition and subsequent delisting from the London Stock Exchange.

Headshot of Timo Lehne - CEO, SThree

Timo Lehne

CEO; Executive Director

Timo Lehne was appointed CEO in April 2022 after joining the board as interim CEO and Executive Director on 1 January 2022. As Senior Managing Director he held full responsibility for the day-to-day running of SThree’s largest region, DACH, which comprises of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Timo studied International Economics in the Netherlands before joining our Progressive Recruitment business in Germany as a sales consultant in 2006. He was appointed Senior Business Manager in Düsseldorf for SThree in 2009, quickly turning it into our fastest growing business and growing the city’s share of net fees within the DACH region from 4% in 2009 to 27% in 2012. He was promoted to Senior Sales Director in 2013, taking joint responsibility for the running of the overall DACH business and in 2017 became Managing Director for the region, where he was responsible for the overall DACH business of SThree accounting for over 33% of the Group’s revenue and more than 1000 employees across 10 locations.

Headshot of Andy Beach

Andrew Beach

CFO; Executive Director

Andrew Beach was appointed to the SThree Board in July 2021, joining from Hyve Group plc, a global exhibitions business. As CFO he holds full responsibility for the financial strategy and financial activities across the SThree Group. He is an accomplished CFO with more than 13 years’ experience in listed companies. He has global experience of business transformation, funding and M&A in fast-paced and high-growth companies and has extensive experience of working alongside Boards and senior leadership on company strategy and direction.

 

As CFO of Hyve, Andrew was instrumental in leading the company through a period of significant transformation and rapid international growth, which resulted in its promotion to the FTSE 250. Previously, he held a number of roles at Ebiquity plc, joining as Group Financial Controller in 2007 and quickly being appointed as CFO in 2008. In 2014 he was promoted to Chief Financial and Operating Officer. Andrew trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PwC, working with them from 1998 until 2007.

Non-Executive Director Denise Collis, professional portrait photo

Denise Collis

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and Employee Engagement NED

Denise Collis was appointed to the SThree Board, Nomination Committee and Remuneration Committee in July 2016. Denise was appointed as Chair of the Remuneration Committee in September 2016 and became a member of the Audit & Risk Committee in April 2018. In October 2018 Denise was appointed Senior Independent Director and, with effect from 1 December 2018, was appointed as Employee Engagement NED.

Denise is also a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee at Smiths News plc, the specialist distribution company, a Non-Executive Director of Emis Group plc, a major provider of healthcare software, information technology and related services, where she is Chair of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit and Nomination committees, and Chair of the Remuneration & People Committee and a member of the Nominations Committee at the British Heart Foundation.

Prior to this, she was Group HR Director for 3i Group plc, and most recently Chief People Officer for Bupa. She has extensive international Human Resources and executive committee experience and has also held senior roles at EY, Standard Chartered plc and HSBC. Denise is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Barrie Brien Headshot (1)

Barrie Brien

Non-Executive Director

Barrie Brien was appointed to the SThree Board, Audit & Risk, Nomination and Remuneration Committees in September 2017.

He is also Group Chief Executive Officer of STRAT7, a data analytics and strategy consultancy, and was the former Chief Executive Officer of Creston plc, a media and marketing communications group, stepping down in 2017 following its sale and de-listing. Barrie was extensively involved in the growth of Creston plc from 2004 with its buy-and-build strategy and had also been Chief Operating and Financial Officer. 

In addition to extensive public company experience, including M&A fundraisings and Investor Relations, Barrie has spent 30 years in global media, digital, and marketing communication companies, advising a portfolio of boards and clients across multiple industries on their growth strategies. 

Headshot of Imogen Joss

Imogen Joss

Non-Executive Director

Imogen was appointed to the SThree Board, the Audit & Risk, Remuneration and Nomination Committees in December 2022.

Imogen is Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent Director of Fintel plc and Chair of its Remuneration Committee. Imogen is also Chair of Grant Thornton UK LLP, the accounting and consulting firm, and a Non-Executive Director of IPSX UK Ltd and Envetec Sustainable Technologies.

Imogen spent her executive career working in senior general management, sales and marketing roles for a range of information services and other companies, including the London Stock Exchange Group plc and S&P Global Inc.

Imogen was previously a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of Euromoney Institutional Investor plc, stepping down in November 2022 on completion of the acquisition of Euromoney and its delisting from the London Stock Exchange.

Headshot of Elaine Odonnell

Elaine O’Donnell

Non-Executive Director

Elaine was appointed to the SThree Board, the Remuneration and Nomination Committees, and as Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee in October 2022. Elaine is the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee of On the Beach Group plc and is a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of The Gym Group plc.


Elaine qualified as a chartered accountant at PwC and then spent the majority of her executive career specialising in corporate finance, latterly serving as a partner in Transaction Advisory Services at EY. Throughout her career, she has worked extensively with global businesses across a range of market capitalisations and industry sectors. Elaine was previously Chair of Games Workshop Group plc and a Non-Executive Director of Studio Retail Group plc.

Useful links

Financial overview

Why Invest?

Annual report

Analyst coverage

Our Business Sq

Our business

We’re the global STEM-specialist talent partner, bringing skilled people together to build the future.

Discover our business

Latest news from SThree

26 August 2023

A job you love to talk about

We spoke with Coco Simone Hordijk, Senior Marketing Specialist at SThree. She shares all about her career and what the future holds for h...

18 July 2023

Timo Lehne appointed CEO of SThree plc

SThree plc is pleased to announce the appointment of Timo Lehne as permanent Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.

08 May 2023

Stefanie Kolks shares her SThree success story

Stefanie Kolks shares her SThree success story - Are you curious to learn more about Stefanie’s journey? Click here to read the full inte...

12 April 2023

SThree announces SBTi-verified net-zero target and publishes 2022 Impact Report

The Group announces its ambitious SBTi1-verified net-zero target and transition plan, alongside it's annual review of it's ESG strategy.

09 March 2023

SThree is Great Place To Work certified

SThree Netherlands is a certified Great Place To Work for the second year in a row with a score of 81 percent.

15 November 2022

SThree leaders named on SIA’s Staffing Europe 100 and Global Power 150 List

Timo Lehne, Sunnny Ackerman and Karima Green have been recognised on SIA staffing lists

07 March 2022

Sunny Ackerman is named one of North America's 100 most influential leaders in staffing

President of SThree Americas has been recognised on the Staffing Industry Analysts’ (SIA) Staffing 100 North America list for 2022.

01 March 2022

2021 Annual Report: Discover how SThree is delivering STEM talent

Read how SThree is connecting sought-after STEM specialists with pioneering global companies in our 2021 Annual Report and TCFD statement.

31 January 2022

SThree posts record profits with performance up 111% year-on-year

Full-year results for the year ended 30 November 2021 show profit before tax of £60m.