Policy
New government, new opportunity? Or just new faces, same old approach?
What Andy Burnham's administration could mean for REC members
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Neil Carberry
Chief Executive
Neil Carberry was appointed as Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation in June 2018. He began his career in recruitment in 1999, before doing a post-graduate degree in Human Resources at the London School of Economics and specialising in employment relations. Joining the CBI in 2004, he led the CBI’s work on the labour market, skills, energy and infrastructure. Neil spent a decade as a member of the council of the conciliation service ACAS and two terms as member of the Low Pay Commission, which recommends UK minimum wages. He was appointed an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List of 2025. Neil is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, a Fellow of the RSA and a member of the Company of HR Professionals. A seven-time nominee to the SIA staffing100 in Europe, Neil is also on the board and exec of the World Employment Confederation and of a Multi-Academy Trust in England. Neil is an RFU-qualified rugby referee and coach and is one of the 8000 co-owners who made Heart of Midlothian the UK’s biggest fan-owned football club.
Maxine Bligh
Chief Membership & Innovation Officer
Maxine took up the role of Chief Membership & Innovation Officer on the REC Executive in June 2023, taking responsibility for the organisation’s account management, sales, and member services.
Maxine joined the REC following more than 12 years at a business representation organisation where she held a range of roles, most recently as Commercial Director leading on membership proposition and services, events and commercial partnerships. Maxine also established two new business lines – a successful economics consultancy and a leadership programmes business. Prior to this Maxine was a consultant at SQW, specialising in regional economic regeneration.
Shazia Ejaz
Director of Campaigns
Shazia came to the REC as a long-standing communications professional. Her experience in government comms as well as a range of business areas and political campaigns plays right into the comms and campaign work she informs as our Director of Campaigns.
She worked as part of the project team that developed the REC’s new brand and website and is keen to move the needle on key campaigns for REC members using research and other content to capture the attention of the media, government and other stakeholders.
