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In The Hot Seat – Nick Clements

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Team TMN catch up with Nick Clements, CEO at Ampersand and COO at MCG&Co, who talks about his role and what he thinks of the talent and marketing industry in the Middle East…

Name: Nick Clements

Nationality: English

Current job titles: CEO, Ampersand and COO, MCG&Co

When did you first arrive in Dubai?

In 2013, on National Day…there was a great party going on.

Where did you work prior?

I most recently worked with advertising agency, BPGBates as CEO for three years and previously, before coming to Dubai I worked with Ogilvy, Innocean and JWT in Dublin, Frankfurt and London respectively.

What were your first impressions of the talent and marketing industry in the Middle East?

It was clear immediately that there is loads of great marketing talent in the region. But it was equally clear that there is a very variable commitment to the development of that talent.

Has your opinion changed much?

Not really, but what we are seeing is that the serious players are becoming more committed to developing and training their most valuable assets.

Tell us about your current role…

I wear two hats. I’m the CEO at Ampersand, which my partner Justin McGuire and I launched last year in Dubai, London, Hong Kong and Singapore. I’m also the COO of MCG&Co of which Justin is the CEO.

What challenges do you face?

Our business is really fizzing which is great and so the biggest challenge is using our time as wisely as possible.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Ampersand is a young company and we are firing on all cylinders right now, so every day brings new rewards from winning business to hiring new staff. But the bottom line is always happy clients.

Describe yourself in five words…

Not good at short sentences.

Who inspires you?

My extraordinary family and ‘Hero’ the Ampersand Mascot

What’s your most overused saying?

‘There is a clue in the name!’

Five things you can’t live without?

Family, work, fitness, cricket and travel

What’s the most exciting thing that has happened to you in your career?

Joining MCG&Co and launching Ampersand.

If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing?

Probably running an advertising agency – my other great love.

If you could have one work wish granted, what would it be?

I’d like to see Ampersand and the MCG& Group in India, Australia and the USA in the next few years

Ampersand launches operations across the region

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MCG& Group has launched new marketing and talent consultancy, Ampersand. Founded by Nick Clements and Justin McGuire, Ampersand will have offices across Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore to deliver marketing and talent consulting services. The consultancy will be divided into &Knowledge, which will provide specialist learning and development as well as training, coaching and assessments, &Search, an executive search and placement operation and &Connect, a strategic advisory and M&A service in the creative services arena. The new launch will also see Nick Clements, COO at MCG& take on the additional role of CEO along with Chris Quy, who most recently worked as Director at MCG& to take on the new role of Managing Director.

“Ampersand is a unique offering that brings the best of the worlds of marketing and talent consultancy together,” says Nick Clements, CEO, Ampersand. “We know that there is an appetite for the L&D, search, advisory and M&A services that we provide and are growing the business out internationally from day one. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Justin on this new venture and delighted that Chris Quy is bringing his wealth of experience to the company as Managing Director.”

Rahman Risilia joins MCG Group

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MCG Group has appointed Rahman Risilia to the role of Managing Director – MENA of its recruitment brands, MCG& Associates and Kemistry. With 16 years of experience in recruitment across the marketing, digital, communications, IT and sales sectors, Rahman has worked with Mackenzie Jones Middle East as Sales, Marketing, Digital Manager and most recently with Simply Digital ME as Director.  In his new role, he will work alongside the Global CEO of MCG Group, Justin McGuire and take full control of the Dubai office.

“MCG& Associates and Kemistry are reputable and global recruitment agencies and I’m thrilled to be joining at such an exciting and crucial time for the business,” says Rahman. “I am looking forward to working with the talented team and building on what is already an amazing brand, by implementing a proven service delivery model, customer engagement plan and to centre our place as the number one agency within the advertising, marketing and digital space.”

Your social media reputation actually counts!

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Jeremy Nicholls, Group Business Development Manager at MCG Group, talks about how social media platforms have evolved to become an integral part of how candidates portray themselves…

“Personal branding is paramount in the digital age to ensure you are giving off the right impression. Make sure you are happy with yours.”

In the eight years that I have been recruiting, the industry has changed and evolved in many ways, especially in the use of social media to advertise jobs, promote your brand and headhunt suitable candidates for vacancies. When I started recruiting in 2009, Facebook had 200 million users and compared to its current level (1.7 billion), was very much in its infancy. Linkedin was even smaller at 40 million (now 106 million), Twitter was just a toddler at three years old and Snapchat hadn’t even hit the online shelves of the app store.

In today’s digital world we are far more connected and accessible then ever before. Social media has its supporters as well as its detractors, but no one can deny that it has made the world smaller by allowing us to interact with people we historically didn’t get the chance to. It also encourages us to promote ‘brand me’ and if done correctly can have some great benefits on a professional level.

If managed incorrectly however, it can lead to embarrassment (pictures of those cringe-worthy 90’s haircuts) or even disaster with many reports of people losing their jobs based on social media faux pas’.

In my current position, I meet a lot of clients, I always try to be as prepared as possible ahead of meeting someone new and one of the first things I do is review their Linkedin profile − I’d be lying if I said I don’t look them up on Facebook too. I try to find out about the person (do we have any mutual connections, where are they from, where did they study, what are their interests) so I can discover common grounds to help me build rapport and develop a good relationship. Your social media profiles are the ‘you’ you decide to show the digital world. When you are in the situation of looking for a new job the important question to ask yourself is, ‘Is this how I want to project myself to a potential future employer?’

I’m a firm believer of ‘first impressions mean a lot’, when starting any relationship, be it personal or professional. If a potential employer’s first impression of you is based on the ‘digital’ you, it’s crucial that you are comfortable with how you present yourself and it’s suitable for the job or career of your choice. A wise person once said ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ and your profile picture can tell a story all on it’s own. What we are never able to control is another person’s opinion, what we can control is how we manage that opinion: is a picture of you in fancy dress at the Rugby 7’s a suitable image you wish to promote? It may well be, depending on industry, etc. but it could also be taken the wrong way.

Employment itself in many ways has become more casual − this can be seen in dress code (remember the power suits in Mad Men?), flexible hours and home working. But what is important to remember is when a company employs us, we represent them as an ambassador of their brand.

When applying for a position, know the company. Does it have the sort of culture that represents something which will engage you and allow you to thrive? Do your research, look at its website and social media accounts (if any) and try to speak to people who work there now or in the past. If you think it looks right for you, consider the way your social media accounts present you and whether your digital appearance is in line with the company. Your picture, your groups, your posts. All of these things can potentially be taken into consideration for your application. Most recruitment agencies would be able to help advise you on how to best present yourself, while keeping the said client in mind.

If you are active on Linkedin (which I recommend), ask former colleagues or clients for recommendations, which will act as additional references for you. Put plenty of detail into your profile, consider it as an extension of your CV. Never be afraid to add your hobbies and interests. All of these are an insight into you outside of work and shows you as a real person.

In 2017 it’s important to remember your social media reputation actually counts! When you apply for a job, employers have the ability to look you up online. Personal branding is paramount in the digital age to ensure you are giving off the right impression. Make sure you are happy with yours.

MCG Group makes key appointment

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Digital and creative recruitment agency, MCG Group has appointed Nick Clements to the role of Chief Operating Officer. With over 25 years of experience, Nick previously worked with Ogilvy & Mather as Global Account Director and most recently with BPG Bates as Chief Executive Officer. In his new role, he will oversee the operations of MCG Group, which is made up of MCG Associates, Kemistry and Hopscotch and work across its Dubai, London and Hong Kong offices. Nick will also work on broadening the company’s services beyond recruitment to spearhead the launch of its new services, which includes executive search, procurement pitch, relationship management and M&A advisory.

“I’m delighted to be joining the MCG Group at such an exciting time and I look forward to helping build on existing strengths and create a talent consultancy with a range of services which really adds value to both agencies and clients,” says Nick Clement, COO, MCG Group.