From the Top Down: Jake Rose’s Vision for Allura Partners Technology Division
In a significant move reinforcing its position as a leading Executive Search and Recruitment firm, Allura Partners has promoted Jake Rose to Associate Director. The promotion recognises his success in establishing and growing the firm’s technology division, which has evolved from a standing start in 2020 to become a formidable presence in both executive search and specialist technology recruitment.
Jake’s journey with Allura Partners began during the uncertainty of the pandemic when he made the strategic decision to join the firm as a Principal Consultant.
Looking back, he said, “It was a big personal risk”.
“At that time, there were more established businesses with brands in technology that had ready-made leadership roles and teams I could have stepped into. I chose not to because I wanted to challenge myself and build a team.”
This entrepreneurial spirit, combined with a clear vision for what could be achieved, has proven transformative. Under Jake’s leadership and with the support of the company’s founders, Adrian Belle and Andrew Smith, Allura Partners has developed a distinctive approach to technology recruitment that sets it apart in the market: the ability to not only place technology executives but also to build out their entire teams.
A Top-Down Approach
The business's methodology is deliberately structured to create comprehensive technology solutions for clients. “The way it works is a top-down approach,” he explained.
“As Associate Director, my job is to recruit for executive-level roles – primarily CTOs and CIOs. And I have deliberately built out a technology team that can assemble the right team for these executives to drive success.”
It’s an approach that Allura Partners uniquely takes across all divisions, and its evolution has led to the development of specialist practices that are aligned with key verticals.
“So, in the technology division, we’ve got specialist consultants across the key pillars: Software Engineering, Data, Cloud and DevOps, and Cybersecurity – all the verticals a technology leader likely needs to be filled,” Jake explained.
Furthermore, the Sydney-based team works closely with Allura Partners’ Melbourne office, where Director Niall Ross, and Ian Branch, specialise in executive search and technology recruitment.
With specialist recruiters in both states who understand the technical requirements and the cultural fit needed for success, Jake said clients benefit from a service that seamlessly integrates executive placement and team building nationwide.
Attracting Career Recruiters
Along with Allura Partners’ unique approach to team structure, central to the organisation’s vision has been the assembly of teams with substantial industry experience.
The current technology division comprises consultants with significant market expertise – the least experienced team member has over five years in recruitment, while others bring a decade or more of specialist technology Executive Search and Recruitment experience.
“We’ve tried our very best to be patient and not just hire because we wanted headcount growth and growth for the sake of it,” Jake noted. “We want to be consistent with our brand, with who we are. When you have a stable, experienced team behind you, you’re more likely to attract other high calibre people, as well as clients.”
From Private Equity to ASX
It’s a viewpoint that is demonstrating its worth. As a result of hiring people with experience and maturity, Jake’s team is consistently helping clients transform and scale, and winning new business from increasingly high-profile private equity and ASX-listed organisations.
“Alongside private equity clients, we’ve been working with ASX-listed businesses as part of their broader panel agreements for years,” Jake observed. “And in the last few years, this part of the business has accelerated – we’re increasingly placing executives and building out teams for ASX-listed companies, often with a global presence.”
Jake said the companies most likely to engage Allura Partners for Executive Search and Recruitment in the technology space “are going through some sort of shift or transformation; they need talent that will move the needle”.
“We bring that talent to businesses very well – with our experience working with private equity and our network of proven candidates, we help speed things up, especially for clients that may historically have found it tougher to attract high performers,” he said.
Looking to the Future
As technology continues to evolve, so too does Jake’s and the businesses vision for the division. The team maintains a forward-looking approach, staying ahead of market trends through continuous engagement with technology leaders.
“We have a lot of conversations with executives around technology trends and where workforce planning is headed,” Jake noted, “and so we’re ahead of the curve in terms of how we approach our go-to-market.”
This strategic foresight extends to emerging technologies and their impact on the recruitment landscape. Jake sees particular opportunities in Artificial Intelligence, noting that while AI-specific roles currently sit within data teams, they may eventually emerge as a distinct specialisation.
Jake has built a strong team and delivered impressive results, noting, “Our technology placements have increased by 68% from the previous quarter.” He sees this momentum as a positive sign of an improving market. Jake is clear about the next phase of development: competing with global search firms for more executive placements in ASX-listed companies while maintaining the firm’s high-touch, specialised approach to recruitment.
“This is what sets Allura Partners apart”, Jake said. “It’s this combination of Executive Search capability and team building expertise…this is our USP as a business.”
If you are considering your next career opportunity or if you’d like to discuss the current market landscape and hiring needs within your technology team, contact us here.