Talent on-demand platform Outsized has made a series of senior appointments to lead its global growth strategy. This follows a successful Series A funding round led by Knife Capital.
Outsized connects top independent professionals with large enterprise clients across Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Currently, almost half of Fortune 500 companies use on-demand talent platforms to access highly-skilled workers.
Outsized’s new appointments, set against the backdrop of the funding round, will allow the company to strengthen its operations and accelerate its growth strategy.
In South Africa, Jannie Theron has been appointed as global Financial Director. Theron brings with him nearly two decades of expertise in finance, having previously served at international learning firm, Pearson. He will oversee global financial operations and will focus on ensuring strategic growth and efficient financial management across all markets.
Frans Meyer joins the team as Senior Business Development Manager in South Africa, stepping into the role after eight years at leading online recruitment platform PNet. In his new role, Meyer will cultivate existing client relationships and spearhead new client acquisitions.
According to Outsized’s Talent-On-Demand 2024 report, demand for independent talent grew by 83% in Africa, 85% in South East Asia, and by 142% in the MENA region last year. Major companies across Africa, MENA and Asia-Pacific are increasingly adopting agile workforce models to quickly respond to market demands. The report also states the Africa region’s on-demand talent pool possesses the second highest average level of expertise, with 9.5 years, with the MENA region having 10.1 years.
“To leverage the momentum of this demand, Outsized is strategically hiring exceptional talent aligned with our core vision and, importantly, values of doing business in the right way and being a force for good in the talent market,“ says Niclas Thelander, Founder & CMO of Outsized.
Additional appointments have also been made in the MENA region, where Srikant Krishnan comes on board as the Regional Lead based in the UAE. Formerly with Careem MENA and Uber Eats, his aim is to expand Outsized’s market base in key geographies such as the UAE and KSA and into new sectors including energy, retail, and healthcare.
In Singapore, Nick Fofana joins as Senior Product Manager and Ines Kracun has been appointed as Product Designer. Each brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in their respective fields, aligning with Outsized’s vision to revolutionise flexible workforce models globally.
“The new additions to the team bring with them invaluable expertise, empowering us to further solidify our role as a game-changer in the freelance economy across all the regions we operate in,” Thelander concludes.
