Myworking life..

Aug 8 2008

Barbara Robertson, managing director of Diamonds HR Ltd

As managing director of an executive search consultancy a typical week can see Barbara Robertson travelling the UK to meet clients to discuss recruitment, briefing researchers and interviewing candidates.

She said: "A large proportion of my week is spent networking at events through the IoD and Edinburgh Chamber and attending the occasional course. It's important from a marketing point of view and I have to keep one step ahead of the competition."

After 25 years as a management consultant, Robertson specialises in the executive search and advertised selection of middle/senior management and director level candidates for a broad range of organisations.

Before establishing B Robertson and Associates, now Diamonds HR Ltd, in 1991 she spent eight years in Hong Kong and four years in London with Deloitte Haskins & Sells, now PricewaterhouseCoopers, before returning home to Scotland with KPMG as head of executive search and selection.

She said: "I always knew I would come back. Scotland was coming out of recession and I felt it was the right time to set up on my own, use the international experience I had gained and help contribute to Scotland's growing economy." Robertson estimates she has recruited more than 500 executives and is currently handling assignments for two Scottish law firms and a UK building services business.

Recently she qualified as an NLP certified master practitioner and can also offer clients additional services such as psychometric assessment and career and redundancy counselling.

When she's not working or studying her passions include ballroom dancing, skiing and yachting.

She is about to head out to Norway to crew a yacht from Oslo Fjord back to Oban. She said: "I love the open seas. It's worth all the hard work."