Driver Hire, the leading road transport and logistics recruitment franchise which is part of Specialist People Services (SPS), the diversified recruitment group backed by private equity investor LDC, has announced the appointment of Paul McNulty as group finance director.

With more than 20 years’ experience since qualifying as a chartered accountant with EY, Paul specialises in managing growth, strategic planning and financial control. His expertise spans a diverse range of sectors, having operated at board level for companies ranging from SMEs and private equity-backed companies to internationally-owned organisations.

He joins from acdc, the global LED lighting specialists, and prior to this he was part of the senior management team at McGinley Human Resources, a multi-sector agency offering specialist recruitment services across industries such as aviation, construction and engineering. Paul replaces John Andrews, following his decision to move on to fresh opportunities after more than 11 years’ service in the role.

Chris Chidley, CEO of SPS, said: “Paul joins SPS at an important time for the business. Not only are we on track for another strong year – having developed our offering significantly across the UK and internationally – but we are also continuing our diversification strategy as we look to target further expansion into new and exciting markets.

“Following the refinancing in 2015, and with LDC’s continued backing, we now have an even stronger platform for long-term growth. Paul’s appointment supports this and I look forward to working closely with him and the rest of the SPS team to execute our growth strategy. I’d also like to thank John Andrews for his contribution to our success over the past decade and wish him the best for the future.”

Paul added: “SPS has a clear, proven strategy and I’m looking forward to playing my part in the senior management team as the business continues to build scale. With experience of working in hard-to-serve recruitment sectors, I have a solid understanding of the challenges the business faces, in addition to opportunities within the market that can support the continued growth of the company.”

In its last financial year (March 2015), the SPS Group recorded a turnover of £116.5m, up 32 per cent year-on-year.

Bradford-based SPS owns a range of leading recruitment services brands including Driver Hire Nationwide, the specialist transport and logistics recruiter; rail support services provider ISS Labour; Driver Certificate of Professional Competence training provider Driver Hire Training; eServices, which offers online people management services; and international arm Driver Hire Australia.