Built by industry insiders.

Referment was founded by Alex Odwell and Michael Newell to source candidates for some of the most demanding FinTech companies and Hedge Funds globally. Between them they have lived the mechanics, economics and human cost of hiring, first-hand, as recruiters, clients, candidates and operators. The technology built to service those companies now powers Referment for businesses across the world.

Meet the founders

Alex Odwell

Co-founder

Nearly two decades across agency recruitment, internal talent teams and fast-growth businesses. Alex has been on every side of the hiring table and seen every way the traditional model fails people.

Michael Newell

Co-founder

Michael was a client who had built and scaled multiple successful businesses across investments and trading, now turning his talents to recruitment.

What years in recruitment taught us.

The strongest outcomes come from relationships, judgement and disciplined execution.

Relationships matter

Exceptional people are often reached through trust and informed introductions, not job adverts alone.

Knowledge compounds

Historical market knowledge helps us understand where relevant experience sits and how careers develop.

Candidate experience matters

Discreet, honest communication protects trust with candidates and clients alike.

Judgement comes from experience

Research creates options, but experienced judgement determines who genuinely fits the brief.

OUR APPROACH

We built Referment around two principles.

Start with trusted relationships

Our private referral network and industry history provide a strong foundation for each mandate, supported by focused research.

Apply experienced judgement

We approach discreetly, screen rigorously and introduce only candidates who merit a client's time.

Together, these principles create a calm, focused and respectful recruitment process.

Who Referment is for

Talent teams and people leaders who:

Care about the human side of hiring

Want fair consideration for every candidate

Value clear thinking over noise

Believe better decisions come from better systems

Believe every candidate deserves a clear answer

Want a recruiter who only gets paid when you hire

If you enjoy the human part of hiring, Referment exists to clear your way.

Specialist recruitment, built on trust.

Deep relationships. Focused research. Carefully selected candidates.

How we work Contact us