Meet the Team
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Sim Hall
As joint owner and managing director Sim originally started his career in Engineering with the armed services before moving into a more commercially driven career but still in the process and manufacturing sectors he knows and loves.
Sim together with Elaine, set up Populus in 2007 and have been the sole owners ever since. Sim is passionate about delivering long-term partnering solutions, moving away from the traditional transactional approaches, to add value and enable the potential of both Clients and Candidates.
In Sim’s spare time he enjoys endurance events and can often be found in the hills with his two black labs training for the next adventure.Email: Sim.Hall@PopulusSelect.com
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Elaine Hall
As joint founder Elaine sits on the board of directors and shareholders, she originally started her career in banking before moving into HR for Teesport and the University of Teesside, before starting Populus in 2007.
Elaine drives the HR, finance and administration function of the business which plays to her natural people orientated personality and skillset. She values a partnering approach in every aspect of the business and supply chain.As the onetime British national number one swimmer in 400m freestyle, and 200m IM Elaine stays fit as a keen gym goer, paddle boarder and runner, this year’s Great North Run will be her 10th while raising lots of money for local Charities.
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James Smith
A dynamic, results driven Operations Director and business transformer who has a strong focus on delivering customer excellence. With over 15 years of international Researcher/Headhunter experience within a wide range of industries, James is known for his strategic vision and hands-on leadership approach.
James’ recruitment performance was recognised in 2018 at the National Recruiter Awards where a project he headed up won NESFircroft the award for “Best Engineering Recruitment Company”.
Currently leading recruitment operations at Populus Select James is driving significant improvements in the hiring process and workforce planning for local and global clients. Away from recruitment James enjoys spending time with his wife Zareen and two children Max and Nancy. For his sins, he is also a big football fan and follows Middlesbrough Football Club.
Email: James.Smith@PopulusSelect.com -
Claudia Hall
Claudia has worked for Populus for over six years, initially learning the basics of research to now delivering full projects as part of the Global Team across all disciplines.
Following her successful schooling at Yarm School and QE College, Claudia has pursued her passion for travel and backpacked around SE Asia and Australia. Where she also lived in Sydney for six months. Now back in the UK Claudia enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience of different cultures with the rest of the team and applying it to all her successful placements.
Claudia competed at county and national level on hockey and netball, and she can often be found driving her 1980s Land Rover Defender with her two dogs. -
Donna James
With a first degree in Chinese and a master's in political economy, Donna left interpreting to start her long career in labour market research.
After co-writing peer-reviewed articles and a book, she moved from academia to commissioning research and then founded a research agency which grew to be national in scale.
Donna brought her research skills and experience to Populus where she drives the personalised and research-driven client solutions the team provides.
Out of work, Donna has enjoyed using her results-driven personality in sport; in both running and triathlon and has enjoyed coaching the latter for over a decade.
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Sofia Furlan
Sofia joined the recruitment world in 2021, bringing a wealth of experience from her background in sales. Since then, she has specialised in the Life Science and Pharmaceutical sectors, with a strong focus on commercial and engineering roles.
Sofia's passion for fostering company growth and contributing to people's success is evident in her dedicated approach to matching top talent with the right opportunities.
Outside of work, Sofia channels her enthusiasm for helping others into her hobbies as an amateur boxer and personal trainer, finding joy in coaching and supporting individuals to reach their fitness goals.
Whether in the office or the boxing ring, Sofia's commitment to excellence and personal growth shines through, making her a valuable asset to both her clients and candidates. -
Joe Pringle
Started work as a Marketing Researcher back in 2016 spending over 5 years working for Frank Recruitment group, specialising in global IT recruitment.
Joe has been working for Populus Select since the beginning of 2022 and brings a wealth of research skills and experience, supporting a research-driven focus within a range of sectors.
Outside of work, he is a massive football fan and is a Sunderland season ticket holder, supporting them home and away.
Furthermore, Joe is a Football Referee which he has been doing for over 10 years. This includes refereeing a variety of leagues and ages across many different levels. -
Ella Workman
Ella started her recruitment career as an associate researcher with Populus over 5 years ago, and has since progressed to become an Associate Consultant. She excels in identifying candidates who not only meet client technical requirements, but also align with their company culture.
Ella has a track record of building lasting relationships with both clients and candidates across the industries we work within.
Outside of work Ella continues to build strong relationships as an Online Coach and Personal Trainer, empowering women to achieve their health & fitness goals.
