How the co-CEO idea emerged

Ben Richardson & Mike Bott: Why LHi Group appointed two CEOs

For 25 years, LHi Group had one CEO.

Founder Tom Glanfield built the business from scratch with Jim Denning taking over in 2020 and leading it it through COVID.

A global recruitment group, LHi has

5 brands.

300 people.

9Offices across the US and Europe

Ben Richardson and Mike Bott had both spent their careers inside LHi.

Both joined as entry level recruiters

Both built desks, teams and international offices from the ground up.

Both eventually became global recruitment directors.

And both had their eyes on the same job.

"I wanted to be CEO about a week after I joined LHI in 2007."

When Jim Denning stepped down, the expectation was simple.

One of them would get the role.

Instead, the board made a call neither of them had anticipated.

They would run the business together.

Co-CEOs.

This week on The RAG Podcast, Ben and Mike break down how the decision happened and what it actually takes to make a leadership structure like this work.

We cover:

1. How two recruiters who joined the business years apart both ended up competing for the CEO job
2. The moment they were told they would be sharing the role instead of one of them taking it
3. Why the board believed the co-CEO model would work for LHi
4. How they divide responsibility running a global recruitment business
5. The leadership principles that allow two CEOs to operate without conflict
6. Why ego is the biggest risk in a structure like this
7. The level of trust required to make joint leadership work long-term
8. What founders should think about when planning succession inside their own businesses
9. Why promoting from within can be a competitive advantage in recruitment
10. What the next phase of growth looks like for LHi Group

This episode isn’t really about recruitment.

It’s about succession.

It’s about trust.

And it’s about whether the traditional idea of a single CEO is always the right answer.

Because if you’re building a recruitment business and thinking about who should lead it next…

This conversation might challenge the way you think about it!

__________________________________________

Episode Sponsor: Remote Recruitment

Hiring shouldn’t be slow, stressful, or expensive. That’s why there’s Remote Recruitment — the smart hiring partner for modern businesses.

They don’t just help you find great people. They help you access elite South African talent that’s ready to deliver. No PAYE. No NI. No bloated overheads. Just trained, remote professionals who integrate seamlessly into your team.

Their process handles everything: sourcing, shortlisting, onboarding, and retention. Fully managed. Fully supported. Fully remote.

And now, Remote Recruitments has entered a new chapter. From ops to admin, sales to strategy, we’re helping businesses scale smarter with people they trust, at a cost they can afford.

Clients have seen:

* Up to **60% productivity boosts**

* **300% ROI** on BD roles

* **30% faster completion** of operational tasks

No overhead burden. No talent shortage panic. Just growth-focused hiring that makes business sense.

Remote Recruitment is your flexible hiring solution for the modern era.

**RAG Listeners:** Get 5% off your first hire + a free strategy session at www.remoterecruitment.co.uk/rag

__________________________________________

Episode Sponsor: Hoxo

Every recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.

Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.

Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.

But here’s the question almost no one can answer:

How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?

Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.

That’s the problem we solve.

At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.

Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.

To show you how it works, we’ve created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.

In less than 10 minutes, you’ll learn:

- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn

- How small, niche teams are generating consistent inbound demand

- The 3X Revenue System we use to turn LinkedIn into a predictable cash-generating channel

So fill in the form today to see how this system could transform LinkedIn into your agency’s most profitable channel: https://hubs.ly/Q03lBpYC0