Welcome back to another episode of HR Insights: The Podcast. Today, our CEO and Host, Stuart Elliott , is joined by Tony Davies , Director of Global Partners at Acumen International , to explore the rapidly growing world of global employment and the role of Employer of Record (EOR) in enabling organisations to scale across borders with confidence. Together, they discuss the evolution of Tony’s career, from military engineering to building high-performing recruitment businesses, to leading global partnership networks and advising organisations on compliant international workforce expansion. Tony breaks down what the EOR model really is, why demand is rising across regions such as the Middle East, Latin America, and India, and the common pitfalls organisations must avoid when hiring internationally. We hope you gain practical insights into when and how to use an EOR solution, how to mitigate risk in global hiring, and why choosing the right partner can determine both compliance and commercial success. About Tony Davies: Tony Davies is the Director of Global Partners at Acumen International, where he leads the development and execution of global partnership strategies to expand market presence and support business growth. With more than 25 years of experience in international recruitment and workforce solutions, Tony specialises in building strategic alliances, scaling operations across borders, and enabling organisations to globalise efficiently through Acumen’s extensive Global EOR network. Passionate about empowering organisations to unlock new market opportunities, Tony focuses on strategic collaboration, operational scalability, and sustainable growth in competitive, fast-changing environments. Key Timestamps: 00:16 – About Tony’s Career path: military → engineering → recruitment 01:03 – Building and selling a recruitment firm 06:20 – Belcan UK turnaround to $60m and 35-country footprint 09:04 – With James Caan: building global partner networks 10:43 – Joining Acumen International: partnership vs referral models 12:08 – What is EOR/PEO and why companies use it 18:45 – Demand hotspots: Middle East, Northern LatAm, India 21:50 – Pitfalls: “cheapest” ≠ safest; misclassification; penalties on global turnover 26:56 – Before using EOR: three checks to run 30:30 – When EOR is the right tool (SMBs, market tests, entity rationalisation) 41:53 – Advice for HR & leaders: build a trusted EOR partnership You can listen to and download HR Insights from Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps. Please subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available! You can also join our HR Community by following us on LinkedIn . Thank you for listening and please do review and rate us wherever you listen!
