Matt Donovan

Executive Recruiter // Global Construction & Real Estate

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

About

I helped to launch MRG's Middle Eastern presence in 2019, working alongside some of the best-known and reputable PIF projects in Saudi Arabia. Five years on, we now support many of the kingdom’s giga-projects, developers, family offices, semi-governmental organizations and consultancies across the GCC. As a global expert in built-environment and real estate recruitment, I cover the end-to-end lifecycle of hiring for real estate projects. I actively engage with candidates from untapped international markets and bring new, highly skilled talent to the region, as well as secure the best talent available in local markets. I work with my clients as an extension of their own business, attracting high-calibre leaders and executives for their mission-critical appointments and helping them to build effective teams from scratch. My dedicated team of 11 specialist consultants deliver results for our clients in greenfield development, master-planned communities, hospitality, and resort development across the Middle East and Africa.

Experience

  • The Management Recruitment Group (Full-time · 6 yrs 10 mos)
    • Regional Director - Middle East
      Sep 2021 - Present · 4 yrs 10 mos

      I lead our businesses across the Middle East, establishing our Regional HQ in Riyadh, KSA in 2024, and opening our resourcing office in Cape Town, South Africa in 2023. The Global practice, currently spanning Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, India, Australia and APAC, was established to broaden our scope in order to attract the world's top talent for our international construction, development, and property clients. My current international mandates include Middle East giga-projects, master-planned community developers, and large-scale infrastructure delivery in the MENA region and beyond. I focus on CXO and executive-level placements within Development Management, Project Delivery, Construction Management, Design Management / Architecture, Project Controls, Cost Management, Property Management, Investment Management and Asset Management.

    • Business Director - Saudi Arabia (Real Estate & Construction Sector)
      Sep 2019 - Sep 2021 · 2 yrs 1 mo

  • Hays (Full-time · 6 yrs)
    • Manager - Property & Real Estate
      Aug 2017 - Oct 2019 · 2 yrs 3 mos

      After being relocated from Canada back to London, I was promoted to Manager within Hays' Property & Surveying business in Central London. My team covered all roles within Project Management, Building Surveying, General Practice Surveying, Development Management, Quantity Surveying and EHO roles within the public and private sectors.

    • Team Lead - Property, Real Estate & Development
      Nov 2013 - Aug 2017 · 3 yrs 10 mos

      During my 4 years with Hays in Canada, I recruited in the Property & Real Estate sector globally, targeting Canada, USA, UK and MENA markets. Promoted from Associate, Consultant, Senior Consultant through to Team Lead, managing a team of consultants recruiting across the Real Estate market in both blue-collar and white-collar roles. I recruited roles from Executive / VP level through to technical management positions

  • Roles in Sales & Event Management at Confidential
    Sep 2010 - Oct 2013 · 3 yrs 2 mos