Paul brought M&A and valuation expertise to the conversation — what actually makes an agency valuable, why leadership depth matters more than founder involvement, and why 2026 is the first year the market is feeling genuinely optimistic again.

There are only two levers in a recruitment business: cost base and revenue. Since costs don't change much, everything comes back to driving revenue. Darragh connected that directly to how agencies should be evaluating every technology and operational decision.

John's filter for every technology decision was simple: does this allow us to speak to more candidates and clients in a day? If not, it's probably the wrong tool. A grounded take on AI, automation, and what productivity actually looks like for agencies building for 2026.

Managing Director of the Doherty Group and Co-Founder of RecWired. Hosted the Sydney edition as the second stop on the Australia leg of the Build Back Better tour.