From recruiter to CEO and majority shareholder, Matt Murphy’s journey at Levy Global is nothing short of remarkable. Now, with Rory McGowan joining from Opus as COO, the business is entering what they call "Levy 2.0" - a new chapter focused on scale, structure, and serious wealth creation. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I’m joined by Matt and Rory, who now lead a 50-person business headquartered in the UK with offices in Amsterdam and Belgium. Matt shares how he joined Levy as a recruiter 22 years ago, led two management buyouts, and transitioned from top biller to CEO. Rory explains why he left a global leadership role managing 150+ people to join a high-margin, high-growth business with a clear trajectory and massive opportunity ahead. In this episode, we discuss How Matt took ownership through phased MBOs to lead Levy into its next phase Rory’s decision to downsize the team size but upscale in ambition What it really takes to scale a recruitment business for exit How they’re building a leadership team and operational engine to match their vision Why clarity, culture, and autonomy are key to navigating the AI era If you're thinking about scale, succession, and what comes after strong performance, this episode is full of lived experience and strategy. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Levy Global and Its Growth Journey 03:03 Matt Murphy's Transition from Recruiter to CEO 06:05 Rory McGowan's Move to Levy Global 08:54 The Management Buyout Experience 12:03 Challenges and Lessons from the First MBO 14:49 Building a Leadership Team and Managing Growth 18:00 Navigating COVID-19 and Its Impact on Business 21:12 Cultural Differences in Professional Environments 25:11 Transitioning Leadership and Team Dynamics 28:41 The Drive for Growth and Legacy 36:36 The Role of a COO in Scaling Business 41:27 Navigating Change and Building a Strong Team 49:09 Financial Strategies and Preparing for Growth 50:57 Navigating Unique Deal Structures 52:05 Personal Reflections on Career Transitions 54:51 Exploring Business Opportunities and Challenges 57:58 Initial Impressions and Early Contributions 01:00:23 Gathering Insights from Team Members 01:02:22 Combining Business Models for Growth 01:05:08 Strategic Changes in Client Management 01:10:59 Future Vision for Recruitment and Growth 01:17:25 Advice for Future Leaders 01:23:49 Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Untapped Untapped is THE market leader and go-to agency for finding and hiring tried-and-tested offshore talent into UK, US and Australian-based recruitment companies. They’re providing top-class TEAMMATES, NOT OUTSOURCES! We use Untapped for Hoxo’s own offshore hires, and it’s been a total game-changer for our team. No one else can compete with the quality of their network, their in-depth candidate assessment process or their time to hire. If hiring elite-level overseas talent into your business to boost sales and increase productivity whilst saving yourself a huge amount in employment costs isn’t on your radar for 2024, it should be! Untapped are hiring recruitment, sales, marketing and support staff into recruitment agencies of all shapes, sizes and specialisms globally and they are growing rapidly! Join the waiting list today so you don’t miss out on the next cohort of business-launching hiring projects. https://bit.ly/47GGdvZ __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Recruitment agency founders - this one’s for you. What’s your plan for the rest of 2025? If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals,...
