Robertson Sumner
Robertson Sumner is a UK-based specialist B2B recruitment consultancy founded circa 2003 that places sales, marketing, and technical professionals with IT distributors, resellers, vendors, and MSPs across the EMEA IT Channel, operating on contingency and retained search fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Robertson Sumner does
Robertson Sumner is a privately held B2B recruitment consultancy founded circa 2003 in the United Kingdom, specializing in placing sales, marketing, and technical professionals within the EMEA IT Channel. The firm serves IT distributors, resellers, vendors, and managed service providers through contingency and retained executive search engagements, generating revenue via placement fees structured as a percentage of placed candidate compensation. The company is led by CEO Marc Sumner, who also hosts the firm's flagship Channel Chat podcast. Headcount sits in the 11-50 range, consistent with a boutique specialist recruiter rather than a high-volume staffing platform.
Beyond core recruitment, Robertson Sumner has developed a layered content and community ecosystem. The Channel Chat podcast has released over 230 episodes reaching 15,000+ regular listeners, while Channel Chat Live has produced six sell-out in-person events including at the Samsung KX venue. The firm publishes annual Salary Survey reports (2024-2026 editions) and channel whitepapers as gated lead-generation assets, and in 2025 won the CRN Channel Awards "Services to Channel Sales" recognition. Customers named in marketing and events include Softcat, TD Synnex, Cisco Systems, Computacenter, Insight, Ingentive, and Convergent Technologies, alongside podcast sponsors AMD, Checkpoint, Arrow Sphere, and SonicWall.
The business model is professional services with a top-of-funnel content engine: podcast, events, and gated content generate awareness and inbound flow; direct consultative engagements with IT Channel employers convert that demand into fee-paying search mandates. Operations run from a City of London headquarters at 35 New Broad Street and a Buckinghamshire office in Gerrards Cross, with active markets in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates. There is no evidence of proprietary technology platforms, external investment, or institutional ownership.
Robertson Sumner firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Robertson Sumner
- Legal name
- Robertson Sumner Limited
- Website
- https://robertson-sumner.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Robertson Sumner is a UK-based specialist B2B recruitment consultancy founded circa 2003 that places sales, marketing, and technical professionals with IT distributors, resellers, vendors, and MSPs across the EMEA IT Channel, operating on contingency and retained search fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Robertson Sumner industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IT Channel Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
Keywords
Where Robertson Sumner is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Robertson Sumner business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Recruitment Services: Contingency and retained executive search services placing sales, marketing, and technical professionals with IT Channel organizations. Revenue generated through placement fees, typically a percentage of placed candidate salary.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Bespoke recruitment services tailored to client needs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Robertson Sumner product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Robertson Sumner is a specialist B2B recruitment firm placing sales, marketing, and technical professionals into IT distributors, resellers, vendors, and MSPs across the EMEA IT Channel. Services span executive search, contingency recruitment, and talent advisory, delivered through direct consultative client engagement and supported by Channel Chat thought leadership, live events, and annual Salary Survey market intelligence.
Product overview
Robertson Sumner operates as a unified talent acquisition and industry engagement platform, combining specialist recruitment services with content and community offerings. The core offering is recruitment placement across Sales, Marketing, and Technical roles in the IT Channel, supported by the Channel Chat podcast (their flagship content platform with 230+ episodes) and Channel Chat Live events. Additional offerings include annual Salary Survey reports and white papers providing industry insights. The products function together as a comprehensive recruitment and industry thought leadership ecosystem.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Channel Chat: A podcast series hosted by CEO Marc Sumner, serving as the go-to podcast for IT Channel professionals with over 230 episodes, featuring conversations with leaders from the IT channel across EMEA.
Products and services
- IT Channel Recruitment Services Contingency and retained executive search placing sales, marketing, and technical professionals with IT distributors, resellers, vendors, and MSPs in the EMEA IT Channel.
- Channel Chat Podcast Go-to podcast for IT Channel professionals featuring conversations with industry leaders on sales, marketing, leadership, and career insights.
- Channel Chat Live Events Live events bringing together C-suite executives and senior leaders from the UK IT Channel for networking, debate, and industry insights.
- IT Channel Salary Survey Reports Annual guides providing salary data, hiring trends, and industry analysis for both employers and job seekers in the IT sector.
- IT Channel White Papers Insight documents covering technology and recruitment trends within the IT channel, including hiring trends, workforce retention, and channel growth.
Quantifiable outcome
- 230+ podcast episodes released, establishing thought leadership in the IT Channel
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Robertson Sumner
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Robertson Sumner technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Robertson Sumner partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- AMDminorAMD is partnered with Channel Chat podcast as a sponsor/supporter of the podcast content focused on IT Channel professionals.
- CheckpointminorCheckpoint is partnered with Channel Chat podcast, supporting the podcast that reaches IT Channel professionals.
- Arrow SphereminorArrow Sphere is partnered with Channel Chat podcast as a sponsor/supporter of the IT Channel-focused content.
- SonicWallminorSonicWall is partnered with Channel Chat podcast, supporting the platform that reaches IT Channel decision-makers.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Robertson Sumner competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Robertson Sumner social profiles
Digital presenceRobertson Sumner financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Robertson Sumner leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Robertson Sumner funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Robertson Sumner M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Robertson Sumner
What does Robertson Sumner do?
Robertson Sumner is a specialist B2B recruitment firm placing sales, marketing, and technical professionals into IT distributors, resellers, vendors, and MSPs across the EMEA IT Channel. Services span executive search, contingency recruitment, and talent advisory, delivered through direct consultative client engagement and supported by Channel Chat thought leadership, live events, and annual Salary Survey market intelligence.
Is Robertson Sumner a public or private company?
Robertson Sumner is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Robertson Sumner founded?
Robertson Sumner was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Robertson Sumner based?
Robertson Sumner is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Robertson Sumner make money?
One revenue line is on record: recruitment Services.
Does Robertson Sumner have an API?
No public API is recorded for Robertson Sumner.
What industry is Robertson Sumner in?
Robertson Sumner's product category is IT Channel Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAB, Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops), with a secondary code of BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.