About us
Tribe is an innovative New Zealand owned recruitment agency established in 2014, with the ethos of culture first and leaving no stone unturned within the search process across temp, perm and contract recruitment in NZ.
Our History
The beginnings: 1995–2012
James Brooke and Jenny Jones founded two specialist Recruitment and Search agencies which become Aotearoa New Zealand market leaders and are purchased by Australian Private Equity organisations and subsequently list on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Tribe launches: 2014
After time out with their whānau, Jenny and James launched Tribe Recruitment Group with a focus on bringing high performance culture, equity, future talent and partnership driven commercial outcomes to the forefront of recruitment practices.
The growth years: 2014–2020
Tribe grows from two people to 34, forms partnerships with some of New Zealand’s most progressive organisations, gets appointed to the Government Recruitment and Search Panel, establishes a market leading Research unit, and innovates storytelling - the way Employee Value propositions are taken to market through engaging content.
Today
There are 60+ tribe members supporting eight specialist consulting teams, two sub brands Tribe Tech and Tribe Executive and te ao Māori focused sister brand Tau Mai. Tribe and Tau Mai have a reputation for delivering high performing teams through a lens of cultural alignment, equity, candidate capability, and innovation, and Tribe has become one of New Zealand’s fastest growing agencies as a result.
NZ-owned business
Entrepreneurial & Passionate
We are a passionate New Zealand-owned organisation, proud of our country and what we stand for. Highly entrepreneurial and our co-founders have always been regarded as thought leaders in our industry.
Culture First
Culture-First, Culture-Led Organisation
We believe if we can truly understand what your culture is, we’ll We get close to the heartbeat and pulse of your organisation. We put this at the forefront of all our recruitment methodologies.
Storytelling
Be everywhere for our clients
Tribes communicate through storytelling. We love to do this too. We believe in proactively taking employment brand stories to market through strong, engaging and authentic content.
Research & Technology
Technology Enabled Global Research
Tribes that thrive are wise and knowledgeable. So we set ourselves a goal to be more knowledgeable than any other tribe in our market.
Our Leadership Team
Our Leadership Group collectively have over 300 years of recruitment experience and have an average tenure of 6.4 years at Tribe Recruitment Group.
Bruce is a purpose-driven leader who thrives on creativity and building impactful brands. With experience across corporate, NGO, government, and entrepreneurial sectors, he champions talent, culture, and collaboration. At Tribe Group, he unites vision, agility, and people to drive meaningful success.
As an entrepreneur at heart, James has a strong focus on how organisations attract and retain the best talent. We've shaped NZ’s most progressive, people-first recruitment and Search brand by surrounding ourselves with outstanding people, being bold with tech, and striving to do a better job than anyone else.
Jenny is Co-Founder of Tribe Recruitment Group, bringing 25+ years of experience in FMCG, commercial leadership, and Executive Search. She’s known for her people-first, strategic approach, delivering bold, high-impact recruitment solutions with heart and expertise.
From Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa, Russell is the GM Wellington at Tribe and co-founder of Tau Mai. With 25+ years in recruitment, he has led senior appointments across many sectors, specialising in Māori-focused roles and governance, with a passion for culturally grounded leadership and equity.
Sandy brings 25+ years of Recruitment experience, and can lean into most disciplines, however her passion for people and capability has resulted in her leading Tribe's HR consulting team, and spearheading executive search across HR and P&C.
Cathi is a proven recruitment leader with 20+ years’ experience across NZ and Scotland. She leads Tribe’s Business & Accounting Support team and is known for her collaborative style, energy, and ability to connect great people with the right roles—fast, thoughtfully, and with impact.
Experienced former Chief Executive with 10 years of experience at that level, now leading Chief Executive and Board search across the range of non-private sectors. A national expert in KPI development, bespoke remuneration assessment, Māori sector work, board advisory and entire structure reviews.
Cameron leads Executive Search across Sales, Marketing & Digital, helping NZ businesses find transformational leaders. With 15+ years' experience in NZ & the UK, Cameron is a specialist in senior hires, culture-fit, and strategic growth roles - driven by a consultative, values-first approach.
With 16 years in Supply Chain, Operations & Procurement recruitment and a background in UK leadership roles, Daniel brings deep sector knowledge, a strong network, and a clear, thorough approach. At Tribe, he leads the desk, delivering trusted, professional results for clients.
With 25 years' recruitment experience in the UK and NZ, Sarah White leads Tribe’s Accounting, Finance & Risk division. Known for her consultative style, she delivers impactful mid-senior hires, leveraging deep networks and a strong focus on cultural fit and long-term success.
Chelsi leads Tribe’s digital transformation, using AI, data, and automation to drive smarter recruitment. With 20+ years' experience, she builds future-ready teams and strategies that elevate performance, capability, and experience.
As Chief Beanie at Tribe, Jacqs brings over 10 years of sharp financial leadership. Known for her love of numbers, drive, and team spirit, she’s a key force in Tribe’s growth—combining strategy, precision, and a passion for high performance.
Lidya is a Client Director, focused on strengthening relationships with key organisations to ensure Tribe is well-positioned to support their recruitment needs. She brings deep expertise in temp, contract, and perm recruitment, and is known for her energy, responsiveness, and strategic approach.
Steve has over 25 years' of global IT recruitment experience; delivering recruitment solutions for Kiwi organisations of all shapes and sizes. Passionate about the sector and the people in it, Steve is an advocate and connector, driven to deliver great outcomes for his candidates, clients, and team.