Ampersand International

What Ampersand International does

Ampersand International is a private, founder-owned Australian boutique recruitment and advisory firm founded in 2008 in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. Operating from four offices across Sydney (HQ), Brisbane, Melbourne, and Newcastle, the firm provides executive search, contract and permanent recruitment, managed services, and dedicated government recruitment spanning Local, State, and Federal Government tiers. It serves enterprise clients, professional services firms (legal, accounting, consulting), and government departments, with placements concentrated in C-Suite, Marketing, Corporate Affairs & PR, Technology, HR, Risk & Compliance, Security, Projects & Change, and Data/Analytics/AI roles.

The business runs a professional-services revenue model with bespoke, project-based fees per mandate. Core revenue is generated through recruitment fees on permanent and contract placements, augmented by managed services delivered on a Statement of Work (Statement of Work / SOW) basis covering outsourced payroll, contractor and internal-team management, and management consulting. Government recruitment is enabled by approved-supplier status on multiple procurement panels - NSW SCM0007 (where Ampersand ranks in the top 8%), NSW SCM0012, Queensland TMR06519 and EPWQGP0050-18, the Australian Government Digital Marketplace, ACT and Victorian panels, and NSW Local Government Procurement / Local Buy. Go-to-market is relationship-led via direct engagement with senior consultants, supported by content marketing (annual Professional Services Salary Survey, market-insights blogs), a candidate self-registration portal, a recruiter Work-With-Us portal, and an inbound enquiry flow. Distribution is domestic only, with no disclosed international expansion.

Operationally, the firm uses JobAdder for applicant tracking, with contractor administration routed through Xemplo, SAP Fieldglass, and Beeline to satisfy government client systems. A Contractor Hub portal provides timesheet submission and support resources. The annual Professional Services Salary Survey serves as both a marketing asset and a market-intelligence product. Leadership comprises Founder & CEO Cameron Kenna, Managing Directors Will Dunn and Fabian Paterson (QLD), and Holly Ash (Director, Corporate Affairs & Communications, with that practice built since 2019). The firm positions AI and automation as part of its talent lifecycle offer, though proprietary AI capability is not disclosed and current usage aligns with off-the-shelf tooling rather than bespoke models.

Name

Ampersand International

Legal name

Ampersand International

Website

https://ampersand.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ampersand International is a private, founder-owned Australian boutique recruitment and advisory firm founded in 2008, delivering executive search, contract and permanent recruitment, managed services, and government recruitment from offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Newcastle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government & Public Sector Direct Hire (BPACAFAK), Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB)

Keywords

• Executive recruitment services
• Contract permanent staffing
• Government recruitment agency
• Professional salary survey
• Managed recruitment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Recruitment Fees: Fees tailored to suit each recruitment project. The company matches Great Minds & Great Work across permanent positions and contract staffing roles within specialised domains.
2. Executive Search: Dedicated executive search division for sourcing and securing exceptional individuals for crucial leadership roles across various tiers of an organisation. Includes C-Suite, Managing Director, CEO, and other senior leadership positions.
3. Managed Services / Statement of Work: Project delivery implemented when client need is beyond a standard recruitment outcome. Includes complete outsourced payroll solution, contract and internal team management, and management consulting services.
4. Government Recruitment Services: Specialist government recruitment across Local, State and Federal Government levels. Panel provider with approved access to multiple government procurement panels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ampersand International is a boutique recruitment agency operating in Australia across contract staffing, permanent placement, executive search, managed recruitment services, and government workforce solutions. It supplements its core recruiting services with a Contractor Hub platform for placed contractors and an annual Professional Services Salary Survey for clients and candidates. The agency's clients are primarily organisations and government agencies seeking specialised talent rather than individual consumers.

Product overview

Ampersand International operates as a premium boutique recruitment agency offering a portfolio of human capital services rather than a software product. The core service suite includes Contract & Permanent Recruitment (matching candidates for temporary and permanent roles), Executive Search (C-Suite and senior leadership placement), Managed Services (Statement of Work project delivery and organizational transformation), and Government Recruitment (specialized placement across Australian government tiers). These services are supported by a Contractor Hub platform for timesheet management and a Professional Services Salary Survey providing market intelligence. The company was founded in 2008 and operates offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Newcastle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contract & Permanent Recruitment Sourcing and placing contract and permanent professionals for client organisations; targeted at hiring managers, HR leaders, and government buyers across Australia's eastern seaboard.
• Executive Search Senior, retained-style executive search to identify and place leadership talent for client organisations; targeted at boards, CEOs, and senior hiring committees.
• Managed Services Partial or end-to-end outsourcing of the client's recruitment function, including sourcing, screening, and process management; targeted at organisations seeking outsourced hiring support.
• Government Recruitment Specialist recruitment for Australian government departments and agencies, including contract and permanent placements in alignment with public-sector procurement frameworks; targeted at government HR and procurement teams.
• Contractor Hub A support platform for placed contractors providing onboarding, payroll, and engagement administration; targeted at contractors placed by Ampersand International and the client organisations engaging them.
• Professional Services Salary Survey An annual salary and market intelligence publication covering professional services roles in Australia; targeted at HR leaders, hiring managers, and candidates planning compensation decisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 8% of NSW Government SCM0007 suppliers

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NSW State GovernmentcoreOthersApproved supplier for SCM0007 Contingent Workforce and SCM0012 Talent Acquisition for Design and Delivery of Assessments, Executive and Non-Executive Talent Search. Positioned in top 8% of NSW Government SCM0007 suppliers.
• Queensland GovernmentcoreOthersApproved panel access through TMR06519 for Project Management Capability Development Services and EPWQGP0050-18 Standing Offer Arrangement for Professional Services.
• Australian GovernmentcoreOthersApproved supplier on Digital Marketplace and Department of Defence panels for recruitment services.
• ACT GovernmentminorOthersApproved supplier panel access for ACT Government recruitment needs.
• Victorian GovernmentminorOthersApproved supplier panel access for Victorian Government recruitment needs.
• NSW Local Government ProcurementcoreOthersApproved supplier for NSW Local Government Procurement across various councils.
• Local BuyminorOthersAccess to Local Buy panel for local government procurement needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Chandler Macleod: One of Australia's largest recruitment and workforce solutions providers with strong government panel presence and managed services capabilities. Comparable on government contract staffing and managed services, though significantly larger and more generalist.
• Hays Australia: Global recruitment leader with deep Australian operations across professional services, technology, government, and executive search. Directly comparable to Ampersand's core verticals but at much greater scale and with broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Robert Half Australia: Specialist professional staffing and recruitment firm serving finance, accounting, technology, marketing, and legal sectors in Australia. Comparable on the professional services direct hire and contract recruitment model that Ampersand runs.
• Bluefin Resources: Sydney-based specialist recruitment firm focused on marketing, digital, communications, and creative roles. Directly comparable to Ampersand's core Marketing, Digital & CRM and PR & Corporate Affairs specialties.
• Talent International: Specialist Australian IT and digital recruitment firm with government contract experience. Comparable on technology recruitment, government panel access, and contractor management.
• Michael Page Australia: Global professional recruitment brand operating across permanent, contract, and executive search in Australia. Closely comparable in target customers (mid-market and enterprise professional services) and pricing model.
• Frazer Tabeart: Australian boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable to Ampersand's Executive Search practice in serving C-suite and senior leadership mandates across Australian enterprise and government.
• Peoplebank: Australian IT and digital recruitment specialist serving enterprise and government clients. Overlaps with Ampersand's Technology, ERP, and Government recruitment verticals.
• Hudson Recruitment: Australian recruitment firm with deep penetration in marketing, communications, digital, HR, and executive search. Most direct overlap with Ampersand's BD, Marketing & Communications and HR practices.

Regional players

• Clicks IT Recruitment: Australia-focused IT and digital recruitment specialist. Comparable on technology and digital contract/permanent recruitment but with a narrower vertical scope than Ampersand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ampersand-executive
• Instagraminstagram.com/ampersandinternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ampersand International