Our People Are Your People

Jessica Marchant

Founding Partner

Jessica founded Sidekicks in 2015 after spotting a gap in the market for a high quality, ethical, ambitious and results-driven talent consultancy.

After leaving school at 18, Jessica began work as a Receptionist in a City firm, where she learned the ropes from the ground up. A career-defining obsession with immaculate operational support was ignited, and over the next decade, Jessica acquired her reputation as one of London’s most in-demand Personal Assistants. During this period of her career, Jessica became the go-to support person for several prominent employers within investment banking, hedge funds, real estate and private family offices, in both the UK and Asia.

Jessica passionately believes that superb operational support has the capacity to transform a business’s bottom line, and is dedicated to helping British business by revolutionising the support talent market.

Jessica is a Corporate Director of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, and the founder of Work to Recover, the mental health not-for-profit. She is also the author of ‘How To Get A Job’, and has been featured by the BBC, the Financial Times, the Guardian, and London Live. Jessica now focuses on advising the UK’s top SMEs on achieving operational efficiency, and explaining how businesses can consistently attract and retain great talent.

Julia Aaltonen

Managing Partner

An outstanding recruiter with an impressive track record filling roles across a breadth of industries in both the creative and corporate worlds, Julia holds a Masters degree in Real Estate and Law from Cass Business School and is passionate about secretarial recruitment done properly, with integrity.

Having started her career in 2005, Julia cut her teeth in secretarial agency, establishing herself as a top performer and trusted ally to both employers and talent, whilst getting results. Julia knows her market inside out and is experienced at working at Chairman and CEO level, possessing a thorough understanding of the day to day demands placed upon senior management and how an effective PA can transform working lives.

Ellie Hollier

Operations Manager

After graduating with a Masters in English Literature from Nottingham University in 2014, Ellie spent two years working within operational support in London before joining Sidekicks in January 2017. Having successfully honed her skills within recruitment, Ellie was promoted to Operations Manager in March 2018.

Ellie is the true lynchpin of the Sidekicks team, and her unwavering dedication to quality and unmatched problem-solving skills make her a hugely valuable asset; not only to the Sidekicks team, but to all Sidekicks employers and talent.

Rowena Osborne

Head of Permanent Talent

Rowena’s impressive career in PR prior to moving into Recruitment has imparted an enviable network of contacts within several key industries. A graduate of the University of Newcastle, Rowena spent five years within PR before moving on to found the Macaroon Cooks domestic staffing agency, where she was responsible for providing cooks and assistant cooks to private clients both in the UK and abroad.

Rowena is empathetic, reliable and highly intelligent with a keen eye for detail and a natural flair for building strong, long-lasting relationships. A true perfectionist, she will leave no stone unturned to ensure that she gets it right first time.

Ellie Knapp

Talent Manager

Ellie’s Psychology-based degree sparked an immediate interest in human behaviour and personality matching which is well suited to offering a bespoke recruitment service. Having spent several years working as a PA herself, before moving into recruitment, Ellie is fantastically placed not only to understand the market and sector, but also to relate to both candidates and clients alike. She is passionate about finding the best fit for all involved and her positivity and proactivity combine to make her an exceptional consultant.

 

A keen relationship builder who enjoys keeping up with market trends, Ellie is also a member of BNI and has developed a great network of contacts across a wide variety of industries. Ellie is also involved with our sister company, Top Five Percent, who recruit for the financial industry using their screening technology platform.