Circle8Group, previously known as The Staffing Group (De Staffing Groep) announced it has appointed Ineke Kooistra as CEO effective immediately.

Kooistra has been on the supervisory board of AFAS Software since 2021, and until the beginning of this year, she was CEO for more than ten years at The Works, the holding company behind companies including YoungCapital, YoungCapital NEXT as well as job platforms Jobbird.com and StudentJob.

In her new overarching role, she is responsible for further international growth. This includes not only the existing portfolio of companies, but also targeted acquisitions of complementary organisations within and outside Europe. To this end, Koositra will work closely with the current management of the underlying labels.

Kooistra cites several reasons for her move to Circle8Group: ‘a new challenge, an inspiring company culture and the international stage on which Circle8 Group operates’.

“After 32 years of non-stop work, I first allowed myself a mini-sabbatical, during which I determined my right next step during a European road trip, among other things,” she said. “Soon, I came into contact with Circle8Group, and it felt right from the start. It is an ambitious company with already wonderful companies in its portfolio. The bold attitude, energy and will to grow are also strongly felt here.”

Guus Franke, CEO of Axiom Partners, parent company of Circle8Group said, “As an international organisation, we are making giant leaps. Therefore, we were looking for someone who is able to manage our solid growth ambitions. We found that person in Ineke. Not only because of the wealth of experience she brings, but especially because of her entrepreneurial character and inspiring management style, she is the suitable leader for this job. In addition, she brings a lot of energy and guts, which makes me confident that together we can conquer Europe and the rest of the world.”

Circle8Group is projecting revenue of over €1 billion which it credits to its buy-and-build strategy. In June 2023, the group bought a majority stake in Königstein, a German staffing firm. In December 2022, Swiss investment company Axiom Partners, which owns Circle8Group announced that it had acquired Seven Stars, a Dutch MSP service provider/broker that focuses on flexible employment and external hiring within the IT industry.