One of the two First Choice’s owners, with a 50% shareholding, although Andy says his half of the company is smaller than Anne’s! He leads on our Industrial division and loves to work on improving our relationships with and service to clients. When he’s not in the office you might find Andy on the terraces at Burnley Football Club (poor guy), playing golf, or walking his dog with the family. He is the founder of the WACCL (Wakefield’s Annual Children Charity Lunch) and of Wakefield Works, a scheme to inspire the district’s unemployed.
Andy Turner
Managing Partner
Anne Lockwood
Managing Partner
One of the two owners of First Choice, Anne’s main role is keeping business partner Andy in check! She leads on compliance, keeping us up to date with relevant legislation and making sure everything is running smoothly. She claims not to have any spare time and then lists her hobbies as spending time with her lovely grandson Sam, being a school governor, and spending time at her holiday home in Northern Italy. On Anne’s bucket list is doing an A-Z of city breaks – she’s done 15 so far!
Jo Hill
Administration
Another of our friendly faces on reception is Jo Jo. You might speak to her on the phone or she could answer your email as she’s one of four fabulous office aces. Working closely with Ellie she makes sure everythingruns smoothly for candidates. When she’s not taking care of us in the office you’ll fine Jo travelling, on coastal walks or maybe even dancing! Family is very important to her, and she loves spending time with her gorgeous nephew.
Clare Haywood
Finance and Admin Manager
Another office ace, Clare is our finance and admin manager.Be nice to her – she’s responsible for making sure everyone gets paid. She describes her specialist skills as giving and demanding money plus being handy with a calculator! Outside of work Clare is busy with her two children. She loves a good soak in the bath, walks with the family and going out with childhood sweetheart and husband John, often to see a good musical.
Heidi Wood
Commerical Team Manager
Heidi heads up the Commercial team (permanent and temporary) and has been a recruitment professional for more than 25 years. Heidi joined First Choice in 2008 and enjoys building relationships with clients and candidates to ensure as a team we give a seamless service. Outside of work you’ll find her keeping fit, cycling, fitness classes and dancing, coupled with supporting her kids with sports training. She has a bit of an eye for interior design and loves to garden.
Jonathan Gaunt
Industrial Team Manager
Jonathan is our Industrial Team Manager, joining First Choice in 2020. He started his career in 2001 within Engineering before moving into Construction in 2008. Having spent much of this time heavily involved in training, especially apprenticeships, he is very passionate about helping people find the right career path for them and the sustainability of specialist skills in UK industries. With 20 years of industry experience, Jonathan loves all things mechanical and contributes to the Wakefield Manufacturer’s Forum events regularly. Outside of work, Jonathan enjoys attend live m...
Joanna Gornicka
Senior Account Manager
Working closely with Heidi, Joanna G is part of Team Commercial and has been with us for 6 years. With a Masters in engineering, environmental protection and development, Joanna is ideally placed to help our commercial clients. She loves socialising with friends and spending time with her children. Joanna loves coffee, music, movies and DIY jobs - she hates to be sat still!
Sammy Halliley
Account Manager - Industrial
Sammy started in recruitment when she was just 17 years old, doing business and admin apprenticeship and now has been specialising in industrial recruitment for over 5 years. Sammy likes being busy running accounts and planning inductions with the best pick of candidates fit for client requirements... the more stress the better! Outside of work Sammy likes reading & listening to true crime, her weekends are taken by Formula 1, she loves attending rugby matches, festivals and days out with family.
Joanna Kurowska
Account Manager - Industrial
One of our Industrial account managers, Joanna’s time at work is mainly spent interviewing candidates, texting her husband and keepingothers in check. She has leadership skills (some people say bossy, we don’t!) and seems to have magic powers to conjure up the right people for a jobat short notice. Outside of work she cooks delectable Polish goodies, spends time with friends and having lots of cuddles from her daughter Hanna, born March 2020!
Kate Field Elsey
Senior Consultant
Kate joined First Choice in January 2023 as our dedicated Perm Consultant after she discovered a love for all things recruitment during the Pandemic. Kate specialises in strong client relationships and creates bespoke solutions for their needs. Understanding the client is key. In the current economic climate tenacity and resolve are vital and Kate will be obsessive about finding just the right candidate for you. When not people shopping, you can find her in the garden, singing, at the gym, marching through the fields or eating cheese (hence the exercise).
Beth Cameron
Marketing and Social Media Assistant
Beth is our newest member of the First Choice team. With a Masters in Graphic Design, Beth specialises in all things creative and marketing related. You will see some of what she makes on our social media pages (give us a follow using the links at the top of our website!), ranging from job vacancies we have available, to industry updates, work related tips, wellbeing, and much more. Outside of work, Beth likes to spend time with her loved ones (mainly her cat), likes to go on walks (especially sunset ones!), is into gaming, a bit coffee obsessed, and loves music.