Executive team

Toby Fowlston

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

After qualifying as a solicitor, Toby joined the business as a consultant in 1999 and has since held senior positions leading the Group’s recruitment operations in both the UK and Asia Pacific, the Group’s largest and most profitable region.

Having worked his way up from consultant to leading the Group’s London recruitment business, Toby transferred to Singapore, heading up operations in Singapore and South East Asia for five years before being promoted to CEO Asia Pacific, a role he held for two years. In early 2021, Toby moved back to London to work closely with the Group’s founder, Robert Walters, as CEO of Robert Walters and Walters People, two of the Group’s global recruitment brands. He assumed the role of Group CEO in April 2023.

David Bower

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

David joined the Board as Chief Financial Officer in September 2023 and brings significant experience of working in international businesses.

Prior to joining Robert Walters, David spent 18 years at HomeServe plc, where he held a number of senior divisional and group finance roles. David was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of HomeServe plc in 2017 and led its sale to Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P., a transaction which completed in early 2023 for an equity value of £4.1bn.

David is a graduate of Loughborough University of Technology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Gerrit Bouckaert

CEO, RECRUITMENT

Gerrit was appointed CEO of our recruitment business in May 2023. With a career spanning almost two decades in recruitment, Gerrit has experience across the full-spectrum of recruitment markets from emerging to established.

After completing his studies in Belgium, Gerrit embarked on a career in recruitment that saw him work across Switzerland, Belgium, Japan and India. In 2013 he joined Robert Walters as the Country Head for Thailand before his remit expanded to include responsibility for all of South East Asia. In 2022, he was appointed CEO of Greater China and South East Asia – basing himself in Singapore – before being promoted to run our  global recruitment operations in May 2023. Gerrit currently resides in Spain.

Andrew Powell

CEO, RECRUITMENT OUTSOURCING

Andrew was appointed CEO of our recruitment outsourcing business in October 2023, bringing with him a wealth of international business experience. Notably, this included six years at the now privately held, but previously FTSE 250, telecoms business - Colt Technology Services. Andrew held multiple roles at Colt, culminating in that of Group Chief Operating Officer.

He began his career in the military, serving for eleven years, including five in the UK Special Forces, before embarking on a successful business career. His private equity career started in 2014, alongside investor Lloyds Development Capital (LDC), where he was a portfolio CEO of an education business that supported disadvantaged people to secure employment through industry-accredited educational programmes and qualifications. This ignited Andrew’s passion for social purpose and through his business and charitable activities he has been instrumental in helping thousands of young people change their lives for the better, by shaping and providing routes into work for them.

Indy Lachhar

CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER

Indy was appointed Chief People Officer in June 2023 and leads the global HR team at Robert Walters.

After joining the business in 2016 as Head of People for our recruitment outsourcing business, Indy was appointed Group Talent Development Director for the wider Robert Walters business in 2017. In 2019, Indy re-located to Singapore to continue building our talent development offering and strengthening our leadership capability across APAC. In 2021, she was appointed Global Human Resources Director for our recruitment business, tasked with creating a global HR strategy that would drive an outstanding employee experience. An accredited Executive Coach, Indy has a wealth of experience across all areas of human resources gained across multiples industries including investment banking, engineering and professional services. 

Stephen Edwards 

CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER

Stephen was appointed Chief Customer Officer of Robert Walters in February 2024, responsible for placing customer experience and quality of service at the heart of the business. He leads the marketing, technology and transformation, innovation, talent advisory, commercial and customer experience teams, ensuring that Robert Walters builds a world-class global talent solutions brand, develops deep and meaningful relationships with clients and candidates, and harnesses the power of technology and automation to power human connections. Stephen’s career with Robert Walters has spanned over twenty years, which has seen him hold the role of Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer and, prior to that, Chief Marketing Officer.

Before joining Robert Walters, Stephen spent seven years in various marketing management roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and is a Chartered Institute of Marketing mentor.

Kevin Bulmer

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY & TRANSFORMATION OFFICER

Kevin was appointed as Chief Technology & Transformation officer in July 2018 and leads an international team to deliver both traditional IT services as well as helping to transform the business through leading edge digital capabilities.

Prior to this, Kevin delivered technology solutions across multiple industries as a management consultant, but most recently was Chief Technology Officer at Pearson, the FTSE 100 education business, where he worked to bring innovative new digital products into schools.

Richard Harris

CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER

Richard was appointed Chief Legal Officer of Robert Walters in 2016, overseeing global legal services. Prior to joining the business in 2011, he worked as a technology lawyer at a leading international law firm and then in-house within the internet and online gaming sectors.

Richard chaired the Raphael Rowe Foundation, improving prison conditions in developing countries, and served on the Representative Committee of the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). He contributes regularly to legal publications and is a speaker on leadership and management issues as well as diversity and inclusion, particularly focusing on neurodiversity and mental health, driven by his own experience with dyslexia.