Unlock JobAdder’s full BDX content hub
JobAdder’s 2026 BDX Summit was a huge hit, bringing together some of the recruitment industry’s most respected thought leaders to deliver truly impactful and insightful content. Whether you missed out or just want to glean even more great tips, tools, and techniques for levelling up your business development, we’ve got you covered.
Fill in the form for your free, exclusive access to all of our BDX Summit on-demand content.
Unlock JobAdder’s full BDX content hub
What’s in the content hub?
10
Industry
experts
7
Video
sessions
Welcome Address and Event Kick-off
Kick-off the BDX Virtual Summit with JobAdders CRO, James Payne, who’ll be setting the stage for an insightful and action-packed event.
In this opening keynote, Hishem Azzouz and James Payne bring the unfiltered industry view; what the data says, what agencies are getting wrong, and where the real BD opportunities are for those willing to make the shift in 2026.
How Top Agencies are Turning Specialisation Into Revenue
The agencies winning in today’s market are actually doing less, but better.
As clients become more selective, generalist BD is losing ground. In its place, a new model is emerging: focused, specialist agencies that win more often, command higher fees, and build stronger client relationships.
In this session, Jon Brooks and Rebecca Shannon will break down how top agencies are turning focus into a competitive advantage, and what that means for your BD strategy in 2026.
Your AI Colleague: Building automations that do BD while you sleep
AI is no longer a future trend – it’s a powerful tool helping recruitment agencies work smarter and grow faster. In this session, we’ll explore what AI-powered business development looks like in 2026, including how automation can support top-of-funnel activity, uncover new opportunities, and keep your BD engine running around the clock.
With Vanessa Raath (Recruiting Gym) and Anna Heaney (Customer Solutions)
Know Your Niche: The power of specialisation
Picking a niche feels risky until you realise how much business you’re losing by not having one.
This session cuts through the hesitation with practical frameworks for identifying the right niche for your agency, building the brand to own it, and converting that positioning into a pipeline of clients who already want what you do.
With Vanessa Raath (Recruiting Gym), Christina Robinson (Recruiting Gym) and Paul Sangster (JobAdder)
Talk Less and Close More
You’re making more calls and sending more emails and LinkedIn DMs, yet the pipeline isn’t growing. Sound familiar?
The agencies winning in 2026 are investing in quality over quantity. They’re having fewer, better conversations, and converting at a rate that makes the volume merchants look inefficient. This workshop is for agency leaders who want to coach their teams on what a high-quality BD conversation actually looks like, how to create the conditions for one, and how to measure something more meaningful than activity.
With Christina Robinson (Recruiting Gym) and Angela Cripps (Recruiting Gym)
Workshop: Build a 30-day BD sprint
You’ve soaked up the insights – now it’s time to turn them into action. In this hands-on workshop, Angela Cripps and Rebecca Shannon walk you through how to build a repeatable BD system built for 2026: niche-led positioning, AI-assisted trigger signals, and outreach that actually gets replies. You’ll walk away with a personalised 30-day BD plan designed to fill your pipeline and fast-track results. Pen and paper recommended.
Closing Remarks
We’ll wrap up with a recap of the day’s biggest insights and next steps with James Payne.
Access our BDX virtual summit
From industry-shaping discussions to real-world strategies from leading industry voices, every session is available on demand, ready whenever you are.
10
Industry
experts
7
Video
sessions
Contributors
James Payne
CRO
JobAdder
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James Payne is a commercial executive who builds and leads teams to deliver predictable, profitable growth across global SaaS markets. He takes full ownership of revenue strategy and the P&L, aligning organisations to execute with clarity, discipline, and speed.
Passionate about building aligned teams, James focuses on the full revenue lifecycle, right customers, right value, right pricing, and a GTM model that unites Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, Product, and RevOps behind one plan. He leads with customer focus, clarity, accountability, and a belief that teams win together.
Hishem Azouzz
Founder & Pricing Consultant
Hector
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Hishem is the Founder of Hector, an all-in-one recruitment training platform with 120+ practical courses available, all taught by top-performing recruiters.
He is also the host of the #1 most practical recruitment podcast in the world ‘The Recruitment Mentors Podcast’ where he actively interviews successful recruiters & recruitment entrepreneurs every week.
Passionate about mentorship, Hishem combines his expertise in recruitment with a commitment to elevating the next generation of recruitment professionals through practical guidance and innovative solutions.
Angela Cripps
Managing Director
Recruiting Gym
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Angela Cripps is a globally recognized recruitment trainer, executive coach, and the Managing Director of Recruiting Gym. With over 30 years of experience in the recruitment industry and more than 34 years in training, Angela has worked with over 200 companies across 90 countries to help improve performance, increase profitability, and develop effective leadership strategies.
Her career began with Blue Arrow, the UK’s largest independent recruitment firm, where she joined their award-winning training team in 1997. In 2021, Angela acquired Recruiting Gym, where she has expanded its mission to provide practical, community-driven learning solutions for recruiters globally.
As a sought-after speaker, Angela shares her knowledge on recruitment, sourcing, business development, and leadership through various platforms, including the Recruiting Gym podcast. She continues to inspire and support recruitment professionals around the world, emphasizing the importance of authentic communication and continuous professional development.
Paul Sangster
Sales Manager EMEA
JobAdder
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Paul Sangster has a wealth of knowledge in the recruitment tech space. He has a passion for building sales teams that can adapt as quickly as the market is changing, helping recruitment businesses move platforms without the horror stories, and making sense of AI in a way that’s practical.
Rebecca Shannon
Co Head of Coaching
Peerspective
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Rebecca Shannon is a dynamic leadership coach, speaker, and founder of Complement Coaching. With a reputation for being refreshingly honest and straight-talking, she empowers individuals and organizations to embrace heart-led leadership and authentic transformation.
Through Complement Coaching, Rebecca offers tailored coaching programs and workshops that challenge conventional thinking and inspire meaningful change. Her approach is grounded in real-world experience and a deep commitment to helping others unlock their potential.
When she’s not coaching or speaking, Rebecca shares insights and inspiration on her Instagram account, @complementcoaching, where she engages with a community passionate about personal growth and leadership development.
Christina Robinson
Managing Director
Green Umbrella Marketing
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Christina Robinson is the Managing Director of Green Umbrella Marketing, a UK-based agency specializing in social media and digital marketing for recruitment agencies, SMEs, and entrepreneurs. After joining the company as a freelancer, she quickly rose through the ranks and acquired the business in 2019.
Christina is renowned for her straightforward, authentic approach to marketing and leadership. She regularly shares insights on leveraging platforms like LinkedIn to build personal brands and drive business growth. Through Green Umbrella, she offers done-for-you marketing services and empowers business owners to develop and implement effective marketing strategies.
A passionate advocate for showing up authentically online, Christina emphasizes the importance of daily engagement and genuine connection in the digital space. She also mentors entrepreneurs, guiding them to scale their businesses through impactful marketing.
Anna Heaney
Director of Customer Solutions
JobAdder
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Anna Heaney is a commercially-focused Customer Success Leader, passionate about empowering professionals to deliver seamless customer experiences.
She leads the Pre-sales, Implementations & Customer Solutions Teams at JobAdder.
Katharine Robinson
Sourcing Trainer; Owner
Recruiting Gym; Cup & Sourcer
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Katharine Robinson is a leading talent sourcing expert with over 15 years in recruitment, known for her deep expertise in internet search and candidate engagement.
Founder of Cup & Sourcer and a SourceCon Grandmaster Sourcer, she delivers training and consultancy to help recruiters sharpen their sourcing skills. Passionate about uncovering hard-to-find talent, Katharine also contributes to the Recruiting Gym and frequently shares her insights across the recruitment community.
Vanessa Raath
Global Talent Sourcing Trainer
Vanessa Raath the Talent Hunter
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Vanessa is a Recruitment Expert, Trainer, and Keynote Speaker on a mission to raise the global standard of hiring. With nearly two decades of experience in the industry, she empowers recruiters to master talent attraction, career branding, and AI-driven recruitment strategies.
Based along the breathtaking Garden Route of South Africa, Vanessa shares life with her husband — but is always ready to jump on a plane for her next speaking engagement.
When she’s not training or presenting, you’ll find her exploring the world, camera in hand, capturing its beauty through a creative lens. Passionate about all things recruitment, AI, and talent, Vanessa is always up for a great conversation in the space.
Jon Brooks
Founder & Pricing Consultant
The Value Advantage
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Jon Brooks is a leading expert in recruitment pricing and the founder of The Value Advantage, a consultancy dedicated to helping recruitment agencies develop value-based pricing strategies. With nearly two decades of experience in the recruitment industry, including a tenure as Head of Pricing at Reed Recruitment Group, Jon specializes in assisting recruitment leaders to understand, communicate, and capture the value they deliver to clients.
Jon is also the host of The Value of Recruitment podcast, where he engages with industry leaders to discuss topics such as pricing, negotiation, and differentiation in recruitment. His insights are further shared through his Substack newsletter, Added Value, which delves into the intricacies of recruitment pricing.
