APSCo Representative Committee Elections: Leadership Insight from Astute People
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Astute People’s Managing Director, Terry Buckel, is a candidate in the APSCo Representative Committee Election.
A former Royal Navy Engineer, he founded Astute in 2006 and grew it into a leading engineering recruitment agency UK employers and candidates now recognise across the energy sector.
He advocates ethical recruitment, regional representation, and adoption of AI and advanced hiring technologies.
His campaign focuses on industry experience, governance improvement, and supporting the evolving UK recruitment sector.
Meet Terry Buckel
Terry Buckel is the Founder of Astute People and a former Royal Navy Engineer. He transitioned into recruitment in 2001 and founded Astute in 2006, building the business from a one-person office into a 50+ person engineering recruitment organisation with genuine energy sector recruitment expertise.
His career reflects deep experience across economic cycles, including recessions, business restructuring, and complex client and employment challenges within the recruitment sector. That breadth of experience is a large part of what’s now driving his APSCo Representative Committee Election campaign.
Leadership in Recruitment
Terry advocates for “good recruitment practice”, underpinned by honesty, respect, and high-quality candidate and client service — a model of UK recruitment leadership he has applied at Astute since day one.
He strongly supports investment in learning and development, compliance with legislative change, and the responsible use of emerging technologies such as AI and data-driven hiring tools.
Experience with APSCo
The business has been a member of APSCo, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies, for over five years, gaining access to industry forums, international delegations, and professional advisory support.
Key benefits of membership: participation in international trade delegations, including visits to the USA and Canada, has supported global perspective and best practice sharing. Regular forums and peer engagement provide valuable networking and industry collaboration opportunities, helping Astute stay closely connected to how recruitment standards are evolving across the wider UK market.
Why Stand for the APSCo Committee?
Terry’s candidacy is driven by a desire to improve regional representation and ensure that insights from businesses outside London are better reflected in industry governance.
He aims to bring real-world recruitment experience to support members facing current market challenges, from skills shortages to shifting client expectations around delivery speed and compliance.
Having led Astute through multiple economic cycles, Terry believes committee representation should reflect the realities faced by small and mid-sized recruitment businesses, not just the largest national players.
Technology and the Future of Recruitment
A key focus of Terry’s campaign is the adoption of technology across recruitment, including AI and data-led hiring strategies. This aligns with Astute’s own internal transformation in how recruitment services are delivered.
He believes industry bodies should lead in helping members adapt to evolving market conditions, particularly across energy and engineering sectors such as SMR, HVDC, EPC, and BESS, where technical hiring demands are only growing more complex.
Personal Motivation
Terry emphasises that his candidacy is not a personal branding exercise, but an opportunity to give back to the recruitment industry that has shaped his career.
He highlights the importance of fresh perspectives within industry committees and encouraging broader participation from across the UK regions, rather than governance being dominated by a small cluster of London-based firms.
Life Outside Recruitment
Outside of work, Terry co-runs a beauty business with his wife. He also enjoys motorsport, including driving at the Nürburgring in Germany, and has a strong interest in house music culture from the late 80s and 90s.
These interests reflect a balanced lifestyle alongside a demanding leadership role in recruitment, and offer a reminder that industry representatives bring more to the table than just their day job.
Supporting Terry’s Candidacy
Support experienced leadership in the recruitment sector. Vote for Terry Buckel in the APSCo Representative Committee Election, and find out more about Astute People and the values driving his campaign.