About.
Kellstar is a leading recruitment investor, with a difference. We always support our investment founders to become extraordinary leaders with mentoring and training from the best in the industry.
We have decades of experience working with ambitious recruiters and talent specialists who believe they can realise their potential as their own boss to become a true wealth creator.
We invest in all sectors and operate a global function that can support overseas expansion both virtually and physically. The Kellstar founding team are also the originators of the worlds largest recruitment network, exclusive to only recruitment CEOs in the world, where he Chairs regular events, advising over 300 leaders on how to improve their enteprise and reach their goals. Dean also an investor and NED to high growth tech companies.
Dean Kelly
Founder
Dean, a visionary entrepreneur and investor, dropped into the world of IT recruitment in 1998 at 23, swiftly emerging as an industry top contract biller within two years. At 25, a feature in the Evening Standard led to his recruitment by a group of serial investors, resulting in the establishment of a highly successful tech recruitment agency. Within 14 months, Dean had cultivated a profitable contract, permanent, and overseas division, boasting 43 staff members.
Despite reaching a three-year target in the first year, a share vesting dispute led Dean to launch his own company at 27. A record breaking effort saw his business, with overseas offices and a thriving London HQ, acquired for circa $20 million just three years later, making Dean a liquid multi-millionaire at the age of 30. Taking control of the acquiring PLC, he became the youngest CEO on the stock market, overseeing 25 offices worldwide.
Dean’s entrepreneurial journey continued with ventures in recruitment and recruitment technology, leading to multiple successful exits and the creation of numerous millionaires. Since his initial exit, Dean is on his way to 10X his personal wealth and is actively mentoring entrepreneurs to achieve their aspirations and create personal wealth.
As the co-founder of the world’s largest recruitment CEO membership network, boasting a combined turnover exceeding $4 billion, Dean remains dedicated to fostering success within the industry.
Trevor Pindar
Structures & Sales Director
Dan Umrson
CFO
Full Overview.
Who are we?
Kellstar is a specialist human capital funder, consultancy, advisor and service provider to the recruitment sector.
Our team of experts is led by the founder Dean Kelly, a highly regarded, multi-award-winning entrepreneur. At 23, like many, he fell into IT recruitment and within 2 years he had elevated himself to be one of the biggest billers in the sector. Within 3 years he had been headhunted to set up a company for a group of investors, where he grew the business at an exceptional rate, building to 42 staff in his first year and a multi-million-pound turnover. A disagreement over shares saw Dean resign to set up his own business, this time in education, where he originated solutions that changed the way the market operated, expanded services overseas and became the fastest growing agency in the sector.
His business grew even quicker than before, becoming the UKs fastest zero to exit agency when he sold the business for a strong 8-figure sum in under three years.
Unfortunately, the acquiring PLC issued a two-year profit warning within weeks of completion, putting over 300 jobs at risk.
At 30 years old Dean took control of the group, making him (at that time) the youngest CEO on the stock market! He turned the business around, repaid £30m of bank debt, delisted from the stock market and sold the group in 2015, where the last 3 years of growth saw Dean outstrip all his sectors competitors and with the lowest attrition.
With several successful exits, in different sectors, under his belt, a prosperous portfolio of companies and a wealth of business knowledge, Dean decided that he wanted to back great recruiters to fulfil their ambitions. His own personal experience of disingenuous investors has shaped the deals he has done, always making them fair, equitable and a win-win for all involved. Those who have worked with Dean know how much he loves working with ambitious entrepreneurs, investing in their vision, advising their businesses, and mentoring their leaders to be the best they can be and to understand the inner workings of their operation. Too this end Dean is also the is the co-founder of RDLC, the largest private network of
recruitment CEOs in the world, where he chairs events and advises over 300 leaders on how to be improve their enterprises. He is also acts as a NED to high growth tech companies.