Staff profiles
THE DIRECTORS
Marian Dobkin – Managing Director
Marian established Connections Employment Agency Limited in 1985 with her sister Frances with the aim of responding to business recruitment needs by providing a highly responsive, rapid service. Today, some 25 years later, Marian continues to drive the business forward alongside her son, Jonathan, who joined in 1997 and her daughter, Michelle, who joined Connections in 1992.
After successfully establishing prestigious offices in the heart of Manchester City Centre in 1993, in 2005 she went on to open the Stockport office on Princes Street. Marian sees Connections as a constantly evolving company, with plans to open further branches throughout the North West.
Outside of the office, Marian is a very proud Grandmother to Oliver, Adam, Natasha and Sammy, she loves to travel and is a theatre fanatic, having seen her favourite musical Les Miserable 16 times!
Jonathan Dobkin – Director / Co-Owner
Jonathan joined Connections in June 1996 having spent the previous 5 years working for a global Insurance Broker.
A Business and Finance graduate Jonathan is responsible for overseeing new business development and acts as Account Director for all our major clients. He combines these responsibilities with running Connections Manchester office.
An avid Manchester City fan - when Jonathan is not following his beloved team he enjoys spending time with his wife Sylvia and baby son Sammy.
Michelle Kingsley – Director / Co-Owner
Prior to joining Connections, Michelle successfully completed a Business, French and Marketing Diploma with Leeds College including being awarded Student of the Year 1989, after which she worked on behalf of Laser Quest as a Marketing and PR Executive. In 1992 Michelle joined the family business as a Recruitment Consultant / Vacancy Controller with the responsibility for new business development and marketing. After spearheading the successful growth of the Permanent Division, Michelle became a Director of Connections in 2002 and continues to drive the business forward alongside her mother and brother Jonathan.
Outside of the working environment, Michelle is married and has three beautiful children, Oliver, Adam and Natasha who keep her extremely busy with their schoolwork and extra curricular activities, however she still finds time to enjoy her passions cooking, shopping and reading – her favourite book being JD Salinger’s ‘Catcher in the Rye’
THE PERMANENT TEAM
Kathy Bagshaw – Permanent Recruitment Manager
First joined Connections in 1990 as the Head Office Receptionist, she received quick promotions and settled in the Temporaries Team until 2003 when she joined the Permanent Division after a brief absence working as a PA to a Managing Director of a blue chip organisation. Currently Permanent Recruitment Manager, she is responsible for overseeing the permanent recruitment team, extensive liaison with client and candidates, also with strategic, development and staffing responsibilities.
She loves to swim, being creative in the kitchen and socialising with her friends. Kath also enjoys spending time with her extended and ever growing family!!. Married to Paul, with one daughter, Hannah, who is the light of her life.
After a slow year (2009) she is looking forward to cementing and creating new relationships with our business partners and leading her team to achieve more successes. She loves working with her team as like her they have the passion and determination to drive Connections forward.
Heather Nutton – Branch Manager (Stockport)
Initially joined Connections Employment Agency in Feb 1995 as Part Time Filing Clerk within the Head Office in Sale whilst studying ‘A’ Levels at college, on completion of which she accepted the full time permanent role of Receptionist / Administrator within our Manchester branch, since which she has progressed further within the business. In Aug 2001 Heather became Recruitment Consultant and finally in Sept 2005 became Branch Manager for our newly opened Stockport office, with the responsibility for the co-ordination of volume permanent recruitment for Connections largest client, resourcing, screening and selecting suitable candidates, responsible for departmental MI: collating and analyzing statistics on sales, advertising response and preparing reports for Board of Directors and training all new and existing staff on bespoke database system.
During the course of Heather’s employment with Connections Employment Agency her colleagues (including her sister Kathy Bagshaw – Permanent Recruitment Manager) have not only seen her develop professionally but also personally, from a young schoolgirl into a wife and mother of two lovely children Ben and Molly.
Sarah McGinnis – Branch Manager (Manchester)
Sarah joined Connections Employment Agency in 2006 coming from a Recruitment and Account Management background. Sarah’s background equipped her with the fundamental skills required to be a successful Recruitment Consultant.
Sarah’s commitment and dedication to the candidates that she works with, coupled with her fantastic ability to build rapport with clients saw Sarah promoted to Branch Manager of Connections’ Manchester site in 2007. Since then Sarah has flourished in the support of her Manchester team and has helped the Manchester office through the toughest recession the world has seen.
Sarah’s approachable nature and her desire to help her colleagues gives her the reputation as one of Connections’ most prised employees. Her attitude and deliverance of the service she provides lies second to none maintaining the professional yet personal service Connections strives to offer all of it’s clients.
June Kelly – Recruitment Executive
Joined the business in it’s first year, 1985 and is still happily committed to her candidates and clients around Manchester. June has lived locally all of her life and attended Sale Grammar School before starting at Connections.
She met her husband, Paul, when he came to Connections to register and found him his first job after university. They have two girls, Christina and Olivia, who no doubt, will start temping for us in the not too distant future!
June has seen many changes to the recruitment industry over the last 25 years and those constant changes maintain her keen interest in placing more and more candidates, which must amount to 1,000’s of satisfied placements!
She says that, Connections is a very family focussed business with the emphasis on commitment and loyalty and the reward being success for staff, the business, our candidates and ultimately our clients. She has had 25 very happy years here and feels she can count her colleagues (and Directors) as firm friends and like her extended family.
Charlotte Collins – Recruitment Executive
After commencing employment with Connections on leaving school back in 1994 as Receptionist / Office Junior, it soon became clear that the role of Consultant was where Charlotte wanted to be. She was promoted to this role in 1998 to cover her colleague’s maternity leave and has now spent many years as a Consultant for the Permanent Team. Her role, like many others in the recruitment industry, consists of interviewing and placing candidates and liaising with clients. Connections, however, truly believe in the relationships they build with their candidates.
Like many of her colleagues, Charlotte started at Connections as a school leaver and has gone on to get married to her lovely husband Neil and have two wonderful children Lydia and Jacob. Since having her first child back in 2002 she has been working three days a week which enables her to maintain a happy work / life balance. Her time spent away from the office is very family orientated and she enjoys camping holidays in the UK as well as overseas travel. Charlotte thrives on being a member of a very close-knit team.
Claire Long – Volume Recruitment Consultant
Claire joined Connections Employment Agency Ltd in February 2008 after graduating from University. She initially started as the Receptionist at our Head Office in Sale and progressively began to take on extra roles, assisting in all areas of the business including the Temporary department and Accounts.
Claire has more recently been promoted to Volume Recruitment Consultant based at our Manchester branch, where she has fast become a very successful and competent consultant.
Claire has a fabulously confident and friendly nature, she has an outgoing and engaging personality and her candidates very quickly warm to her and trust is gained and friendships built. Claire has a lot of time for people and this shows in her recent success as a consultant. She is a valued member of the Manchester branch.
THE TEMPORARIES TEAM
Patricia Bullman – Senior Operators / Temporaries Manager
Tricia joined Connections Employment Agency in 1992 as Temporaries Manager after spending 6 years within the Commercial/Industrial & Engineering recruitment Industry. Joining Connections during the company’s early expansion has provided her with invaluable insight into its ethos and values, which are as strong today if not stronger than in 1992.
Now within her 19th year as Senior Operations/Temporaries Manager her role is extremely varied from managing a weekly temp plan of up to 350 temporary workers to tendering/implementation and account management of Preferred Supplier Contracts with prestigious clients within the North West.
Tricia is supported by two exceptionally dedicated Temporaries Consultants, Emily and Jane, who between them have a wealth of experience and expertise. This allows them to provide temporary recruitment solutions from one day temporary assignments to SME’s to volume recruitment within major blue chip organisations. As a reward for business achievements and exceeding targets the team has been rewarded with various incentives including European trips to France, Spain and Portugal.
Emily Boardman – Temporaries Consultant
Emily joined Connections in January 2007after successful completion of a degree in Social Work from Liverpool University. With Emily’s excellent work ethic and dedication she found the transition of moving into a very fast moving working environment a challenge, but a challenge, which she took in her stride.
Emily has been an integral part of the development of the Temporaries division, joining as a Temporary Consultant progressing to senior consultant as she is now. Emily continues to forge excellent relationships with clients, providing them with an unrivalled service in professionalism and approachability. Emily takes pride in the delivery of the service that she offers her clients and candidates alike.
Jane Bolton – Temporaries Consultant
Jane joined Connections in 2004 after leaving an International Commercial Recruitment Company as a Senior Consultant, as she required the flexibility of part-time working due to having Children.
Her employment at Connections has been very varied as she has worked in all three branches and across both Permanent and Temporary divisions. This has meant Jane has been an important and integral part of the business by assisting in building and developing both departments. Currently focussing on providing Commercial clients both new and existing with all Temporary staffing requirements. Jane always strives and continues to maintain high levels of customer service with a professional and friendly approach at all times.
Jane enjoys her work/life balance as it allows her independence along with being able to spend time with her Husband Martin and two children Jake and Joseph. Working part time enables her to assist the teacher at her son’s school by occasionally reading to the children and helping to raise funds for the school and many other charities. Jane has also taken part in the 'Race for Life' supporting Cancer Research for the last three years.