Robert Walters Expands Asia Footprint with New Nanjing Office

- Robert Walters opens new China office in Nanjing's Central Business District
- Nanjing's office to focus on permanent recruitment for the mid-senior end of the market across the supply chain, operations &manufacturing, accounting & finance disciplines

NANJING, China, Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Robert Walters PLC ("Company", LSE: RWA), one of the world's leading specialist professional recruitment consultancies, announced today the expansion of its Asian network with a new office in Nanjing, China.

In response to strong client and candidate demand for specialist and international recruitment services within the mainland, Robert Walters has opened its fourth China office, after Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing to further strengthen its position as Asia's leading specialist professional recruitment business.

The Nanjing office will continue to build on Robert Walters' strength in permanent recruitment for mid to senior-level professionals, with an initial focus on the following disciplines: supply chain, quality management, operations & manufacturing and accounting & finance.

Robert Walters Head of Nanjing and Suzhou Office, Arthur Wang comments: "As the capital of Jiangsu province and one of the top four commercial cities, we believe Nanjing has the potential and capability to supply and sustain the city's economic growth. This is therefore, an extremely important and strategic move for the Group to establish our presence in the most developed province in China, and in turn sustain our No.1 position in the region. At the same time, we hope to gradually expand our geographic coverage by providing high level recruitment services to some of our clients in the Anhui province."

The expansion of Robert Walters's Asia footprint into the Nanjing market increases the Group's global reach to 47 offices in 23 countries.

Robert Walters Nanjing received its operating license in November 2011.

Organisational information

Robert Walters currently have 9 specialist consultants focusing on recruitment across the following disciplines: general management, operations & manufacturing, supply chain, quality management and accounting & finance. In addition to that,  Robert Walters also have 3 back office staff to support them.

The Nanjing consultants were recruited at the beginning of 2011 and were trained at Robert Walters Suzhou office. This is to ensure all the consultants are familiar with the Group's practices and are able to provide quality services to clients before being fully on board at the Nanjing office.

Key senior employees and professional histories

Robert Walters Nanjing office will be spearheaded by Arthur WANG. Due to his previous successful track record in establishing a Robert Walters office in Suzhou, Arthur was again tasked to lead the due diligence and market feasibility research for a Robert Walters office in the city of Nanjing.

Arthur Wang is the Associate Director of the Group's operations in Suzhou, China and has more than 16 years' working experience in multinational manufacturing companies. Over the last four years, Arthur's forward-thinking and strong leadership skills have propelled Robert Walters to be the leading specialist professional recruitment consultancy in Suzhou.

Prior to joining Robert Walters, Arthur was the Managing Director of a leading European organisation in China, and possesses extensive experience in developing corporate strategies and managing the company's operations.

Geographical coverage

The Nanjing office will specialise in permanent placements in Nanjing as well as other areas such as Zhenjiang, Yangzhou and Anhui.

Strong relations with other offices in the region

As Arthur WANG is the Director of East China Region, Robert Walters can tap into the existing resources to ensure it continue the successful business strategy throughout the entire Jiangsu province. As Nanjing office is part of the Robert Walters global network, it is able to leverage on the client and candidate relationships as well as the databases the company has built across the offices in China and all over the world.

Reasons behind the Nanjing office opening

Robert Walters noticed the growing opportunities and potential market needs from companies in the Nanjing area. In addition to that, the new office also wanted to be nearer to the clients in both the north of Jiangsu (including Nanjing, Zhenjiang and Yangzhou) and Anhui province.

Strong need for support in the Nanjing market where recruitment services are relatively new

 Robert Walters does not think the Nanjing market is sophisticated and mature yet, which is why  Robert Walters believes that as a professional service, it will help candidates realise their full potential by exposing them to a wide range of career opportunities, and help the clients secure the best talent for their business through the company's suite of specialist recruitment solutions.

Differentiating itself from other recruitment firms   in Nanjing

Most of the local operations lack the years of experience, expertise and a strong global brand name such as Robert Walters. In addition,  Robert Walters staff  are specialists in its chosen sectors and it only recruit consultants with recruitment experience or a professional qualification / work experience within their specialist area.

All candidates are shared and not "owned" by consultants. Therefore, clients have access to the entire Robert Walters database. Robert Walters global candidate network is one of the strongest in the market where the information is constantly updated through rigorous database management. This ensures that any information provided to clients is up to date as well as ensuring  Robert Walters can respond quickly to the recruitment assignments.

The business strategy in Nanjing

Our strategy in Nanjing will be similar to the Suzhou office and other operations. We will focus on gaining market share within  Robert Walters’ specialist areas, and developing the teams through steady organic growth.

The revenue model of Nanjing office

Nanjing office revenue model will be similar to other offices.

The opportunities and challenges in Nanjing

Nanjing is a growing market and Robert Walters  sees plenty of opportunities that can facilitate its growth as one of the few international players in the market. Robert Walters does however see challenges as the market is still relatively new to the recruitment sector, and hence there will be a need to educate candidates and clients about the nature of its business.

Job opportunities and growth area in Nanjing

The Robert Walters Nanjing office will strive to provide the best career opportunities to Nanjing candidates both locally and internationally.  It aims to offer a unique style of professional recruitment and industry expertise in Nanjing through leveraging on the global presence and strong brand. Robert Walters hopes to fill the void in middle to senior level specialist recruitment space, especially within the general management, operations, supply chain, quality management, and accounting and finance sectors.

About Robert Walters

Robert Walters is one of the leading international recruitment consultancies, with a network of 47 offices spanning 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Continental Europe, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and South Africa.

Robert Walters Asia Job index: www.asiajobindex.com
Robert Walters Global Salary Survey: www.robertwalters.com/salarysurvey

Robert Walters Nanjing
36D Nanjing IFC,
No 1 Hanzhong Road,
Baixia District,
Nanjing 210029, China
Tel: +86-25-8801-5888
Fax: +86-25-8801-5899
Email: nanjing@robertwalters.com

For more information please contact:

Carter Yang
Managing Director, Robert Walters China
Tel: +86-21-5153-5858
Email: carter.yang@robertwalters.com.cn

Arthur Wang
Director of East China Region
Tel: +86-25-8801-5858
Email: arthur.wang@robertwalters.com.cn

Ocean Fu
Marketing Manager, China
Tel: +86-21-5153-5873
Email: ocean.fu@robertwalters.com.cn

Gigi Koh
Editorial & PR Specialist, China
Tel: +86-21-5153-5810
Mob: +86-187-2104-0323
Email: gigi.koh@robertwalters.com.cn