Assessment specialist strengthens its senior management team with the appointment of Sean Howard from SHL

Talent Q, the assessment and talent management specialist, has appointed Sean Howard to the newly-created position of Managing Director International, as part of its global growth strategy.

The company currently has operations and partners in 23 countries worldwide. Sean will further develop the Talent Q brand internationally and he will oversee the company’s growth outside of the UK, by managing the existing relationships and by creating new ventures and partnerships in developing markets.

He joins from SHL Group, where he spent 14 years latterly as Vice President of Central Marketing, having previously held the role of Sales Director for the UK, Ireland and the Middle East. Sean was responsible for leading the repositioning of SHL from a product-focused company to an HR solutions provider. Prior to this, he was Group Training Manager at building materials company RMC Group (now Cemex), where he designed and implemented learning & development programmes covering management, sales, marketing and business planning.

“Sean brings energy and passion as well as a track record of success and extensive knowledge of the market,” said Chris Holdsworth, Chief Executive Officer at Talent Q. “His expertise and his understanding of assessment, talent management, recruitment and retention will be a real asset in helping us to achieve our international growth plans.”

Commenting on his appointment, Sean Howard said: “Talent Q has great people, a refreshingly different way of working and a history of innovation. The founders of the company have stayed true to their vision of providing products of the highest quality that genuinely meet client needs. The success of this strategy is reflected in the growth of the company.”

He added: “As the world economy recovers, higher turnover of staff is inevitable as disengaged employees seek new opportunities. This in turn will create an increase in the global demand for objective assessment.”

Talent Q works with over 500 clients worldwide, including household name organisations such as B&Q, Carlsberg, Citi, Royal Mail Group and Santander. It offers assessments in 40 languages and also provides assessment training and consultancy services to help organisations select the best people and develop and retain their staff.