Talent on-demand platform Outsized has made a series of senior appointments to lead its global growth strategy.
This follows a successful Series A funding round led by Knife Capital. The funding, for an undisclosed amount, announced in November 2023, included investment from several private investors, including Adrian Durham, founder of FNZ Group, the global wealth management platform.
Outsized connects top independent professionals with large enterprise clients across Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
According to the company, almost half of Fortune 500 companies use on-demand talent platforms to access highly-skilled workers.
Outsized’s new appointments, set against the backdrop of the funding round, will allow it to strengthen its operations and accelerate its growth strategy.
In South Africa, Jannie Theron has been appointed as global financial director. Outsized notes Theron has nearly two decades of expertise in finance, having previously served at international learning firm Pearson.
He will oversee global financial operations and focus on ensuring strategic growth and efficient financial management across all markets.
Frans Meyer joins the team as senior business development manager in South Africa, stepping into the role after eight years at online recruitment platform PNet.
In his new role, Meyer will cultivate existing client relationships and spearhead new client acquisitions.
According to Outsized’s Talent-On-Demand 2024 report, demand for independent talent grew by 83% in Africa, 85% in South East Asia, and by 142% in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region last year.
It points out that major organisations across Africa, MENA and Asia-Pacific are increasingly adopting agile workforce models to quickly respond to market demands.
The report also states the Africa region’s on-demand talent pool possesses the second-highest average level of expertise, with 9.5 years, with the MENA region having 10.1 years.
“To leverage the momentum of this demand, Outsized is strategically hiring exceptional talent aligned with our core vision and, importantly, values of doing business in the right way and being a force for good in the talent market,” says Niclas Thelander, founder and CMO of Outsized.
The company adds that additional appointments have been made in the MENA region, where Srikant Krishnan comes on board as regional lead based in the UAE. Formerly with Careem MENA and Uber Eats, his aim is to expand Outsized’s market base in key geographies, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and into new sectors, including energy, retail and healthcare.
In Singapore, Nick Fofana joins as senior product manager and Ines Kracun has been appointed as product designer.
“The new additions to the team bring with them invaluable expertise, empowering us to further solidify our role as a game-changer in the freelance economy across all the regions we operate in,” Thelander concludes.
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