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Oliver Kiddy
Managing Director
Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews
Helping HI&I companies unlock their next stage of growth
Specialisms We Cover
Transparency and sustainability are now central to the HI&I cleaning sector, with the majority of consumers favouring brands that clearly communicate product safety, sourcing, and environmental impact.
The HI&I cleaning chemicals market is evolving rapidly as customers, regulators, and end users demand higher standards around safety, performance, and sustainability. Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reformulate products, improve transparency, and meet stricter environmental and regulatory requirements, while still delivering effective, scalable solutions across commercial and industrial environments.We understand the challenges of hiring across the entire HI&I value chain, from formulation and manufacturing through to regulatory, quality, and commercial leadership. Our industry-leading network spans innovative start-ups through to global Fortune 500 organisations. By combining sector insight with deep talent access, we help our clients build teams capable of driving compliance, innovation, and long-term growth.
Since 2019, the world has focused more than ever on industry leading commercial cleaning services.
Manufacturers and suppliers in this space develop solutions for professional, industrial, and institutional environments where efficacy, safety, and cost control must align. Product performance, formulation robustness, and adherence to standards all play a direct role in commercial success.Building effective teams here depends on practical understanding of formulations, applications, and end-user demands. Bringing in people who have worked across real-world cleaning challenges supports consistent performance, customer confidence, and sustainable growth..
Solving a year-long problem for a Fortune 500 leader
When our client came to Irving Knight with a VP-level hire, some recruiters may have been put off by the fact that the position had been open for more than a year with several other firms coming up empty. However, by using our knowledge of the cleaning vertical including which skills may transfer well from adjacent industries, we were able to source a great fit within weeks.
Case Study
Solving a year-long problem for a Fortune 500 leader
Following the success of this hire, our relationship has developed to the point that we are able to consult regularly on some of the most important, challenging hires in the company. Working in such a complex business structure certainly has challenges, but by approaching the relationship as a true partnership Irving Knight has added great value to every process.
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
Tim Staniels
Territory Sales Manager, US
Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
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
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
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
Jon Steele
CFO, US
Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...
Grace Smith
Electrical Components and Products
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 and Oil & Gas
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
Dipen Shah
Account Manager, Canada
I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
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
Daniel Villanueva
Key Account Manager
Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
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
Guillermo Leal
Global Director of Pricing, US
I've worked with a few recruiters in the past but Oliver surprised me not only for his professionalism, excellent com...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Valeria Pozzi
Procurement Category Manager, Italy
Working with Oliver has been a real pleasure!His highly professionalism and transparency made me comfortable to consi...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Todd McBroom
District Sales Mgr, US
Great Experience!! This was my first time dealing with a recuiter and could not have been a better experience. Jack ...
Jack Purnell
Heavy Equipment & Automation
Nathan Radue
Channel Marketing Manager, US
Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
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
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
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
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
Tim Staniels
Territory Sales Manager, US
Joseph was very easy to work with. He was motivated and attentive during his recruitment process, very responsive to ...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
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
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
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
Jon Steele
CFO, US
Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...
Grace Smith
Electrical Components and Products
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 and Oil & Gas
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
Dipen Shah
Account Manager, Canada
I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...
Aidan Kerr
Chemicals
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
Daniel Villanueva
Key Account Manager
Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...
Joseph Davey
Group CEO
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
Guillermo Leal
Global Director of Pricing, US
I've worked with a few recruiters in the past but Oliver surprised me not only for his professionalism, excellent com...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Valeria Pozzi
Procurement Category Manager, Italy
Working with Oliver has been a real pleasure!His highly professionalism and transparency made me comfortable to consi...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
Todd McBroom
District Sales Mgr, US
Great Experience!! This was my first time dealing with a recuiter and could not have been a better experience. Jack ...
Jack Purnell
Heavy Equipment & Automation
Nathan Radue
Channel Marketing Manager, US
Oliver is a thorough and effective recruiter, representing both sides with character and solid communication. He appr...
Oliver Kiddy
Flavors & Fragrances
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
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
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
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...
