Et Halstead

The past decade has been an eventful one for Et Halstead: He has gone from being a rugby player in the UK to founding the US office for the JCW Group, which provides financial services, technology and life sciences talent, as well as consultancy and talent solutions. In his personal life, he got married and welcomed a baby.

Fortunately, JCW’s chief commercial officer relishes a challenge. When an injury ended his sports aspirations at the end of university in 2008, he pivoted and interviewed for positions in finance and marketing. After meeting the JCW Group founder and CEO, Halstead joined the company in 2009.

He enjoys the flexibility of the staffing industry and the rewards of watching people progress in their careers. “The great thing is that it is what you make of it,” he says. “It’s an art form rather than a skill.” After helping develop the financial services practice in the UK, he launched the New York office in 2012, which he has led through economic downturns and a pandemic with very high retention rates and robust revenues. Halstead is responsible for the continued success of the group’s commercial activities.

Halstead will soon launch JCW Group’s new office in Boston. He believes that the key to success in staffing lies in soft skills. “You have to be a good conversationalist, ambitious and tenacious,” he says. “Technology is not a replacement for people; it’s a facilitator. Focus on creating a robust network and giving your clients the best service possible.”