Mr. Alun Jones

biography

Born in the Rhondda, Alun Jones obtained a first class honours degree in Mathematics from Oxford University.

He worked for 10 years at Mars Confectionery in Operations Research, Sales & Marketing and as Commercial Manager in charge of purchasing, credit control, warehousing and distribution. Alun was then appointed General Manager for Mars in Switzerland, responsible for a wafer plant in Austria, as well as marketing units in Switzerland and the Nordic countries. He moved to the USA as Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, and later President of M&M/Mars (five confectionery plants, 5000 people).

In 1984 he joined DHL Worldwide Express as President for Europe, Africa, Middle East and Far East (12,500 people). In this role he introduced DHL’s international tracking and tracing system and built an European overnight delivery air network based on a hub at Brussels.

In 1989 Alun became a private investor, and bought a controlling interest in Highfield International, an executive search and selection company. In 1991 he acquired the whole of the business and has since built up an international resourcing company, Realm Holdings Ltd, comprising Harling Menzies Executive Search, Highfield Human Solutions and local recruitment companies in Newbury (Rapid Response Recruitment) and Reading (Concept Appointments and Momentum Recruitment). In 1998 he sold Harling Menzies to its management, and in 2001 he sold Highfield to its Managing Director, retaining a minority share and the role of Chairman. He is now actively involved in local recruitment in the Thames Valley, and has just launched a healthcare employment agency (Concept Care).

Alun was also a non-executive Director of Huhtamaki, now Huhtamaki Van Leer, a Finnish based international packaging company from 1994 to 1998, and a non-executive Director and later Chairman of Chiltern Hills Mineral Water Ltd, a leading UK mineral water supplier which was sold in 2000 to the French group Danone.

Alun is a former Chairman of the ASSC (Association of Search & Selection Consultants) whose member firms endorse a stringent Code of Practice. He has written a number of articles on organisation and management issues.

He is married with three grown-up children and lives in Henley on Thames