Derek Holland
Managing Director & Co-Founder
Connecting Insurance Talent with Opportunity
About IRS Insurance Recruitment Services
Behind the IRS Vision:
Meet Our Founders
Derek and his brother, Stuart, founded IRS Insurance Recruitment Services with the goal of connecting top talent to the insurance industry. A visionary leader, Derek has grown the company into one of the most reputable and trusted recruitment agencies in the sector. He is passionate about creating lasting relationships with clients and candidates, ensuring that every match is the right one for long-term success.
Known for his strategic vision and deep understanding of the insurance market, Derek leads the business with integrity, innovation, and a commitment to excellence. Bringing over 30 years of experience to IRS, Derek oversees our strategy, operations, and client relationships. His expertise in developing innovative recruitment strategies has been instrumental in expanding the company’s reach and impact. Derek is committed to ensuring that our clients receive the best service possible, and that every candidate has an opportunity to thrive in their career.
Under Derek’s leadership, IRS has earned a reputation for professionalism, insight, and outstanding service in the insurance recruitment space.
Stuart Holland
Sales Director & Co-Founder
As Co-Founder of IRS, Stuart has been instrumental in shaping the company’s vision and establishing our reputation as a leading specialist in insurance recruitment. With over 25 years of experience in sales, headhunting, and client relationship management, Stuart combines deep industry knowledge with a keen understanding of the talent market.
From the outset, Stuart has focused on building a team of highly skilled Consultants, Resourcers, and Support Staff, ensuring that every placement and client engagement is handled with professionalism, insight, and care. He is known for his innovative approach to recruitment and ability to forge lasting partnerships, helping both clients and candidates achieve long-term success.
Jenna Barlow
Director of Operations
As Director of Operations at IRS, Jenna ensures that the agency runs seamlessly, providing the structure and support that allow our Consultants and Resourcers to deliver exceptional results. With extensive experience in operational management within the recruitment sector, Jenna brings a keen eye for process optimisation, efficiency, and quality control.
Jenna plays a pivotal role in co-ordinating the team, overseeing back-office functions, and implementing systems that enhance service delivery for both clients and candidates. Known for her organisational expertise and collaborative approach, she fosters a culture of professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement across the business.
Her leadership ensures that the day-to-day operations of the agency support its strategic goals, helping IRS maintain its reputation for reliability, excellence, and seamless client and candidate experiences.
The IRS Team
Supporting our founders is a dedicated and highly skilled team of Consultants, Resourcers, and back-office professionals, each bringing deep industry expertise and a passion for excellence. Over the past 20 years, we have carefully built this team, selecting specialists who truly understand every aspect of both the recruitment process and the unique industry needs of our clients and candidates.
Our Consultants provide expert guidance and strategic insight, Resourcers ensure we identify and connect with the very best talent, and our back-office team keeps operations running smoothly, allowing our front-line team to focus on delivering exceptional service. Together, this collaborative, experienced framework enables us to operate efficiently, generate and respond quickly to opportunities, and maintain the highest standards of quality and professionalism at every stage of the recruitment journey.
Our team comprises highly experienced insurance specialists with expertise across the full spectrum of broking services. Collectively, we provide comprehensive advice and solutions spanning corporate and commercial insurance, high-net-worth (HNW) clients, financial lines, trade credit, healthcare, employee benefits, personal lines, and a wide range of specialty risks. By combining deep sector knowledge with a client-focused approach, we ensure that every client receives tailored guidance and access to the most appropriate risk management and insurance solutions.
It is this combination of expertise, dedication, and teamwork that allows us to consistently exceed expectations and support both our founders’ vision and our clients’ success.
Who We Are
At IRS Insurance Recruitment Services, we have spent over 20 years helping insurance businesses thrive. From graduates to board-level executives, we understand what it takes to build teams that drive success in a fast-moving sector.
Founded with a simple but powerful goal, connecting insurance talent with opportunity, IRS combines deep industry expertise with a personalised approach. Over the years, we’ve helped clients grow from ambitious 15-person start-ups into industry leaders with teams of more than 250 employees. We have worked with a wide range of clients, from global presences to local independents. It is a testament to our commitment to building lasting partnerships and delivering recruitment solutions that truly drive business growth.
With IRS, finding the right people isn’t just recruitment, it’s building the future of your business.
Why choose IRS
At IRS, recruitment is not about filling roles. It is about building lasting partnerships with businesses and professionals, ensuring we match the right candidate with the right company.
- We are Specialists – Our consultants specialise in specific practice areas. This expertise gives us the insight and connections to match all candidates with companies which align with their goals, often uncovering roles which other agencies cannot.
- Industry Expertise – Our specialist team understands the unique challenges and trends presented across the insurance industry, ensuring that both candidates and employers receive the most relevant and effective recruitment services.
- Wide Network – With a strong database of pre-screened candidates and industry contacts built and maintained over 20 years, we can quickly match the right talent to your business needs.
- Tailored Approach – We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all recruitment solutions. Each business and professional are truly unique, which is why we customise our services to fit your personal requirements.
- Committed to Quality – At IRS, quality is our priority. We are dedicated to providing both clients and candidates with exceptional service that leads to long-term success.
Our Core Values
The Foundation of Our Success
At IRS Insurance Recruitment Services, our values guide everything we do. They shape the way we interact with our clients, candidates, and each other, ensuring that we deliver the highest level of service, integrity, and professionalism. We are committed to fostering a positive and transparent environment that enables lasting success for our partnered businesses and professionals.
Integrity
We believe in doing the right thing, always. Our commitment to integrity ensures that we act honestly, ethically, and transparently in all our interactions. We pride ourselves on building trust with both our clients and candidates, ensuring that every decision we make is in the best interest of everyone involved.
Excellence
Excellence is at the core of our approach. Whether we’re helping a candidate find their dream job or matching an employer with the perfect hire, we aim for the highest standard in everything we do. We continually strive for improvement, leveraging our industry knowledge, experience, and expertise to deliver exceptional results.
Collaboration
We believe in the power of teamwork and collaboration. By working closely with our clients, candidates, and internal teams, we create solutions that drive success. We understand that the recruitment process is a partnership, and we value open communication and collaboration to achieve shared goals.
Loyalty
We believe in standing by our commitments and building lasting relationships. Our dedication to loyalty means we support our clients and candidates through every stage of their journey, fostering trust, consistency, and mutual respect. We take pride in being dependable partners, always putting the long-term success of those we work with at the heart of everything we do.
Innovation
The recruitment industry is constantly evolving, and so are we. We embrace innovation, adopting new technologies and creative strategies to continuously improve the recruitment process. By exploring new ways to connect talent with opportunity, we ensure that our solutions remain relevant and effective.
Customer-Centric Approach
Our clients and candidates are at the heart of everything we do. We focus on understanding their unique needs, goals, and challenges, ensuring that we provide tailored solutions that best fit their individual or organisational requirements. By prioritising customer satisfaction, we build long-term relationships based on mutual success.