Our Team
tessa
Tessa Meadows-Smith
Founding Partner and Managing Director
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kate
Kate Rawlings
Founding
Partner
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lucy
Lucy Strachan
Managing
Consultant
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emily
Emily Verschoyle
Senior Permanent
Consultant
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iona
Iona Woods
Senior Permanent
Consultant
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freya
Freya Stern
Permanent
Consultant
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flo
Flo Shuttleworth
Permanent
Consultant
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hayley
Hayley Dalton
Temporary & Contract Consultant
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amalia
Amelia Walker
Temporary & Contract Consultant
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Tessa Meadows-Smith
Founding Partner and Managing Director
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A History of Design graduate, Tessa has a great appreciation for culture and organisation. She believes that the effectiveness of any team is based on the personal chemistry of its members. Early
in her career, Tessa thrived as PA to a senior director. It is this understanding that provides the guiding philosophy to the RMS brand of recruiting. In Tessa’s opinion, the reason for the success of
RMS, and the extraordinary client loyalty it enjoys, is the particular care taken to match client and candidate.

A short spell outside the recruitment industry followed as Tessa joined a US based, high growth, consultancy, where she was responsible for finance and company secretarial matters including HR and senior consultant recruitment. The operation grew from a satellite office to a mid-sized leader in its field within two years.

In 2000, Tessa partnered with former colleague Kate Rawlings to form RMS Recruitment where her business acumen balanced well with Kate’s business development and client relations credentials.
tessa
Kate Rawlings
Founding Partner
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Kate launched her career in France working for Moët, the exclusive champagne house, which she followed with a spell at a top West End fashion house. Great charm and highly developed social skills have propelled Kate to becoming an exceptional networker and client account director.

As an experienced recruiter, Kate took up the opportunity to live and work in Budapest. At a major search and selection company she used her ‘English charm’ to successfully recruit and place middle management despite a significant language barrier in a fiercely tough recruitment market.

On returning to the UK, Kate worked as a senior consultant recruiting for the recruitment industry. After two successful years Kate decided to apply her skill and contacts to strike out on her own. It was then that Kate caught up with and partnered Tessa, whom she had worked with for four years previously. The combination of her exceptional success with client relationships for recruitment and Tessa’s operational expertise has proved to be a winning formula.
kate
Lucy Strachan
Managing Consultant
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Lucy joined RMS in June 2017 as a Consultant in the permanent team. Prior to joining, Lucy spent three years at a Business Psychology Consultancy, YSC. Lucy started as a Personal Assistant and Project Manager in their London headquarters, before being selected for a six month secondment to their Sydney office as a Client Manger.

Her secondment allowed her to fully immerse herself in a new working culture, gaining experience with clients across the globe as well as assisting with their internal recruitment. Lucy’s time at YSC gave her first-hand knowledge of what is required to be a high level assistant in a Global firm. She loved the fast pace and variation of clients she engaged with.

Lucy started her career in London as a Financial Planning Assistant dealing with high profile clients, enjoying the structure and new skills the role provided. Lucy moved to London in 2011 following her graduation from the University of St Andrews with an MA 2.1 in Art History. Lucy has found the perfect combination of satisfying her fascination with what makes people tick and enjoying roles working closely with clients, in her position at RMS Recruitment.
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Emily Verschoyle
Senior Permanent Consultant
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Emily is working across the temp and perm divisions of RMS and has an extraordinary talent for multi-tasking and filling jobs seemingly effortlessly. She graduated in 2018 from the University of
Bristol with a 2.1 in History of Art, with a specialist focus on Papal Art and Architecture. Although she loved the art world, she was keen to work in a more people focussed job. She kick started her career
as PA/Team Assistant to the CEO of a recruitment company, providing business and personal support.

Emily missed the excitement of working on her own roles and getting to know her candidates personally and went to RMS to help her find a new role. She loved the team dynamic and focus on
candidate care and instinctively knew this was where she wanted to work. Emily has found her “home” at RMS and has already proved to be a massive success by helping a huge number of clients and candidates with hires. Emily has already become a much-loved team member and the first port of call for her clients and candidates.
emily
Iona Woods
Senior Permanent Consultant
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Iona joined RMS in October 2021 as Senior Permanent Consultant with four years’ experience working in secretarial recruitment. She graduated with a 2.1 in Classical Studies from Bristol University and initially moved into an Events position within lifestyle PR. She thrived in this fast-paced, ever changing environment and took on the responsibility of looking after a premium client.

She was producing events, dealing with all of the suppliers and looking after VIP celebrity ambassadors. She loved this role, but after 3 years felt that she was no longer learning and so took 6
months out to go travelling before starting her first role in recruitment in 2017. Here, Iona was placing candidates in business support roles across all industries in both London and Europe, and she loves the client facing nature of the role and being able to place candidates in their dream roles. Iona’s commitment to taking care of the needs of her candidates and providing advice and
knowledge of the market to her clients makes her a great fit for the RMS ethos.
iona
Freya Stern
Permanent Consultant
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Freya joined RMS as a Recruitment Consultant in August 2021 and has already built up a fantastic reputation with her candidates and clients. Freya graduated with a 2.1 in Theatre Production in lockdown in 2020 and having been used to 10-hour days on set, she was keen to throw herself into work by quickly securing a role working for the NHS as a Medical Secretary at a surgery with over 25000 patients. This set the bar for working in a fast paced, high-pressure environment.

Her next full-time role was as PA to a Head teacher at a busy co-ed secondary school in East London where she was responsible for complex diary management, booking travel and working with HR to recruit staff. Freya helped RMS out on a contract basis when they were extremely busy with a flood of new jobs after lockdown and was delighted to have joined the RMS team on a permanent basis having discovered her natural talent for the role. She loves finding candidates, particularly the juniors, their dream jobs and has received glowing reviews from her clients and candidates who love the insight and support she offers and her determination to find a perfect match.
freya
Flo Shuttleworth
Permanent Consultant
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Flo joined RMS in June 2022 as our Temporaries Consultant. After completing the Professional Business Diploma at Oxford Media and Business School in 2013 she was placed by RMS in her first role as a PA, working for one of our long-standing clients in London. This was her first taste of a support role and she flourished at the daily challenges, however after 2.5 happy years she decided to make the leap and move to Australia to work and travel.

Most recently she has been working as a PA in finance where she looked after the MD and Director, and she honed her traditional PA skills for complex diaries, office management and travel. However, missing the pace of recruitment she is delighted to come to RMS to take over our Temp desk and start helping clients and candidates find their perfect fit.
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Hayley Dalton
Temporary & Contract Consultant
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Hayley joined RMS in January 2023 as a Temps Consultant to grow and build the team. After completing a Marketing Degree at the University of Brighton in 2012, she was placed by RMS in one of her first roles as a Receptionist for one of our long-standing Financial PR clients. Here she thrived and learnt several invaluable skills that lead her to make the leap to become a Personal Assistant and go on to support several senior members of staff, both the COO and Managing Director at a top digital marketing company in the West End.

Hayley was intrigued by the world of recruitment having heard about it from family members who also work in this sector and joined one of the biggest Java recruitment teams in the UK. She spent 8 months learning core skills, however the sector was not quite right for her bubbly, outgoing personality. She decided to transfer her skills to secretarial recruitment to utilise her PA and
recruitment experience and character. The RMS team is delighted to have her on board and excited to see her grow and develop the Temp desk and build on the relationships with clients and
candidates.
hayley
Amelia Walker
Temporary & Contract Consultant
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Amelia joined RMS in January 2023 as a Consultant in the Temps division to help build the team and support the clients’ growth. Prior to her recruitment career, Amelia graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2021 with an MA 2.1 in Art History. She was quickly placed by RMS in her first role as Receptionist/Office Coordinator at one of the leading luxury superyacht brokerages, a long-standing client of RMS. Here she developed strong communication and administrative skills dealing with hectic diaries, office management and UHNW clients. In addition, she became a freelance content writer and assisted the marketing department writing yacht descriptions for the website and supporting the Brand Manager posting content. After a fantastic 18 Months, Amelia was ready for a new challenge in a people focussed role and when she contacted RMS to find her next position, she was delighted to explore the opportunity of working with the RMS team.
amalia
Interview Tips For Candidates
RMS Recruitment have compiled a list of tips and tricks to maximise your chances of getting that all important PA or secretarial position.
due diligence
Research the company.
List some good questions to ask.
location
Plan your route (arrive 15 minutes before the interview).
chat
Wear appropriate dress (your consultant can advise on the company style).
details
Take a copy of your CV for the interviewer but don’t use it for reference.
deal
Good, strong (not too tight) handshake.
partners
Never swear or put down work colleagues, previous bosses or employers.
rating
Be open with your answers and about your skills and experience.
conversation
Relax and enjoy the interview. Try and build a good rapport.
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