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Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.
For more information on our Chemicals services, get in touch with
Aidan Kerr
Senior Principal Consultant
Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews
Helping Chemicals companies unlock their next stage of growth
Specialisms We Cover
The global chemical industry currently exceeds $6 trillion per year in revenue, with $400b being attributed to consumer markets, namely Personal Care, Home Care, Pharma, and Oleochemicals.
Without the global consumer chemicals manufacturing industry, we would be without the raw materials to create hand sanitizer, vaccines laundry detergent, toothpaste, and much more – all things we could not possibly live without. Our clients ingredients for the foundation on consumer products across the globe that have a profound effect on our lives. As demand grows for safe, effective, and differentiated solutions, the sector faces increasing pressure to innovate while meeting stringent regulatory, quality, and supply chain requirements. Advances in formulation science, bioavailability, and functional ingredients are reshaping the market.Consumer chemicals exist to transform raw materials into safe, effective, and life-changing products for every day use
Consumer chemical manufacturers and distributors work round the clock to supply critical raw materials to customers in the personal care, household, and pharmaceutical industries, ranging from biotech startups and independent make-up formulators to blue-chip pharma companies and multibillion dollar consumer packaged good producers.The consumer chemicals industry is currently experiencing a profound transformation, moving from a period of high-volume growth to a "value-oriented" phase defined by sustainability, digital innovation, and supply chain restructuring.
Helping a biochemical startup to identify their first rockstar Business Development Manager
We recently partnered with a biochemical startup who had grown from zero to €50m in just ten years without a dedicated Business Development Manager. As they evolved, they wanted to being someone on to drag them into the next dimension.
Case Study
Helping a biochemical startup to identify their first rockstar Business Development Manager
After the role had been open for one year, and after 30 unsuccessful interviews, we sat down with them to discuss their very specific needs in more detail. With just six weeks, their perfect hire had officially commenced employment and has already pushed them one step further to the global expansion they dreamt of.
Did you know?
Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.
We hire right
Organisations are
97% Placement Rate 11.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3
1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.
2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.
3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.
Stats
1,908 placements made across 25 sectors
262,736 companies in our CRM
"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "
- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group
Jeff Borchardt
Director of Planning, US
Mr. Clay was a wonderful recruiter. He was communicative and helped keep me informed through the process. He also fou...
Christopher Clay
Real Estate & Homebuilding
Corinne Grice
Strategic Account Manager, US
Luca was an absolute gem to work with ! He reached out to me on linkedin with several different opportunities & was a...
Luca Dowdell
Lubricants, Oil & Gas
Kaitlin Lammers
Account Manager
Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Nika Kuchaidze
Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US
It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Lucas Quadflieg
Sales Manager, Netherlands
Good vibes on finding a new opportunity... I was contacted by Aidan Kerr for a position of Sales Manager Benelux. Af...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
Michel Cas
Sales Manager, France
Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Vincent Dehousse
Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands
Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...
Cian ODonnell
CDMO & CRO
Franz-Leo Nedo
Territory Sales Manager
Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Jane Scates
Packaging Engineer, US
Henry was a true professional, perfect attention to detail at every step of the process. Would definitely recommend!
Henry Spooner
Packaging, Paper, Recycling
Veronica Hagborg
Senior Director Global HR, Sweden
I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Michael Wilson
Senior Account Manager
Working with Joseph was a seamless and positive experience from our first contact along with the various steps of the...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Matt Engelbrecht
VP Industrial Ops, US
Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...
Lily Newton
Animal Health
Andrew Coutts
Director Global Strategy, US
First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...
Emma Conlin
Animal Health
Christoph Snaga
Investment Manager, Germany
Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...
Christopher Clay
Real Estate & Homebuilding
Sandeep Kulshrestha
Formulation Director, US
Oliver is very good in matching skills of the candidates with the company’s requirements. I personally got benefits o...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Kyle Corrigan
Technical Account Manager
It was a pleasure working with Joseph when searching for the next chapter in my career. Proactive, energetic and prof...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Kerry Maye
Regional Sales Manager
Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Tim Mitchell
Plant Manager, US
Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.
Stewart Boyd
Construction Materials & Mining
Anja Florbach
Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager
Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Kay Witte
Global Director Performance Excellence
Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Jeff Borchardt
Director of Planning, US
Mr. Clay was a wonderful recruiter. He was communicative and helped keep me informed through the process. He also fou...
Christopher Clay
Real Estate & Homebuilding
Corinne Grice
Strategic Account Manager, US
Luca was an absolute gem to work with ! He reached out to me on linkedin with several different opportunities & was a...
Luca Dowdell
Lubricants, Oil & Gas
Kaitlin Lammers
Account Manager
Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Nika Kuchaidze
Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US
It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Lucas Quadflieg
Sales Manager, Netherlands
Good vibes on finding a new opportunity... I was contacted by Aidan Kerr for a position of Sales Manager Benelux. Af...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
Michel Cas
Sales Manager, France
Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Vincent Dehousse
Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands
Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...
Cian ODonnell
CDMO & CRO
Franz-Leo Nedo
Territory Sales Manager
Joseph is an expert in recruting people. He has in-depth practical knowledge and helpful by solving potential issues....
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Jane Scates
Packaging Engineer, US
Henry was a true professional, perfect attention to detail at every step of the process. Would definitely recommend!
Henry Spooner
Packaging, Paper, Recycling
Veronica Hagborg
Senior Director Global HR, Sweden
I have had the opportunity to co-operate with Joseph in a process and I found him very proactive in keeping me inform...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Michael Wilson
Senior Account Manager
Working with Joseph was a seamless and positive experience from our first contact along with the various steps of the...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Matt Engelbrecht
VP Industrial Ops, US
Working with Lily was a phenomenal experience. She was fully transparent, professional, and provided timely communica...
Lily Newton
Animal Health
Andrew Coutts
Director Global Strategy, US
First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...
Emma Conlin
Animal Health
Christoph Snaga
Investment Manager, Germany
Christopher from Irving Knight handled the overall process well and we managed to get to a successful completion smoo...
Christopher Clay
Real Estate & Homebuilding
Sandeep Kulshrestha
Formulation Director, US
Oliver is very good in matching skills of the candidates with the company’s requirements. I personally got benefits o...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Kyle Corrigan
Technical Account Manager
It was a pleasure working with Joseph when searching for the next chapter in my career. Proactive, energetic and prof...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Kerry Maye
Regional Sales Manager
Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Tim Mitchell
Plant Manager, US
Stewart did an amazing job representing me for a new opportunity.
Stewart Boyd
Construction Materials & Mining
Anja Florbach
Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager
Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
Kay Witte
Global Director Performance Excellence
Joseph was instrumental in making my last professional opportunity happen. He was easy to work with, responsive, and ...
