David Spencer-Percival

Chief Executive, Spencer Ogden

David’s recruitment career spans over 15 years and involved working internationally with global companies providing recruitment services. David was a founder of recruitment giant Huntress Group where he was a group Board Director and managed the technology division as well as developing the now coveted graduate academy. When Huntress Group was sold for £52 million in 2007 to Nomura private equity it was one of the leading, award winning recruitment businesses in the UK with 500 staff and 27 offices.

In 2010 David co-founded Spencer Ogden with Sir Peter Ogden. Turning over £4 million in its first year, the company recently announced a second year turnover of £18.4 million. Spencer Ogden now employs over 200 people across its London headquarters, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Houston, Singapore, Hong Kong, Calgary and Dubai offices working in Oil & Gas, Renewables, Power, Smart, Nuclear, Energy Trading, Mining and Energy Finance.

We asked David:

The OGM: What does sustainability mean to you?

David: Corporate sustainability means thinking about your energy usage in an efficient way and using materials in your office that can be either reclaimed or reusable. Also, try not to use plastics or non-reusable materials and always be conscience of the environment.

The OGM: Have you had a mentor?

David: No, but I have had lots of inspirational people around me, including Sir Peter Ogden.

The OGM: What does success mean to you?

David: Building something from nothing is my testament to success. Building a quality company from scratch.

The OGM: If you were to describe your career in three words what would they be?

David: Successful. Lucrative. Fulfilling.

The OGM: What advice would you give to someone looking for a career in the energy industry?

David: Concentrate on one technical aspect and work as hard to succeed in that particular part of the energy business.

The OGM: Describe a milestone in your career?

David: The sale of my first company (Huntress Group) to Nomura Bank for $104 million dollars.

The OGM: Describe a challenge you faced in your career?

David: Working in a highly political environment whilst building a business.

The OGM: What impact does technology have on your career?

David: A huge impact as I worked for 10 years within the technology world. More recently the advancements in iCloud and social marketing have been tremendous for recruiting.

The OGM: What do the next five years look like in your career?

David: Continued global expansion of the business at a very high growth rate.

The OGM: Were you always interested in a career in Energy?

David: No, I became interested after finishing in technology. Now I am very interested in the future of energy.

The OGM: What interests you to sustain a career in the Energy industry?

David: Energy has an interesting decade ahead given the changing mix of energy type and the huge growth in energy usage, which makes it exciting.

The OGM: Do you have a role model you look up to?

The OGM: What does Energy mean to you?

David: Opportunity. Geo-political problems. Logistical challenges.

The OGM: What is your favorite APP on your phone?

David: The upcoming Spencer Ogden app.

The OGM: What impact will the Millennial Generation have on the Energy industry?

David: They will be using technology to improve energy extraction and consumption.

The OGM: What’s your take on Social Media and our ever changing digital world?

David: I think social media is advantageous because you can connect to lots of people around the world. However, the disadvantages of social media are that people do not communicate in a way that people used to face-to-face.

The OGM: What Social Medium do you use on a daily basis?

David: LinkedIn or Twitter

The OGM: Do you use Social Media for work?

David: Yes.

The OGM: What do you think of Social Recruiting?

David: I think it is a good thing as it is positive for candidates and clients, but it has its downsides because it opens up headhunting to everybody.

The OGM: Why do you love what you do?

David: Because I am creating opportunity for young people.