One of the world’s largest staffing and HR services providers, Gi Group Holding, has expanded its senior team to support the growing complexity of its clients’ workforce needs. Dan Challis has been promoted into the role of Group Corporate Sales Director for the UK and Ireland, as the business continues its transformation towards becoming a fully integrated, end-to-end workforce solutions partner.
Dan has been with Gi Group for almost a decade, originally joining in a regional sales role covering the Midlands in 2016. Since then, he has played a pivotal part in the company’s evolution, progressing through a series of commercial leadership roles and helping to drive a significant shift in the organisation’s strategic direction. His career trajectory has mirrored Gi Group’s own fast-paced and innovative transformation from a traditional, branch-led staffing model and towards a modern, consultative sales approach focused on long-term value, cross-functional integration, and client partnerships.
Speaking on his promotion, Dan said: “I couldn’t be prouder to be stepping into a role in an area I’ve been passionate about for many years. Since joining the company nearly a decade ago, I’ve always been looking at how we can get those marginal gains as a business, and how we can diversify our offerings to clients. With this platform and the amazing team around me, I can wait to further drive the business forward with the great strategy we’ve got in place.”
Stepping up into his new role as Group Corporate Sales Director, Dan will lead the commercial strategy across the UK and Ireland for all Gi Group brands. His focus will be on deepening relationships with existing clients, pursuing targeted acquisition of multinational organisations, and aligning sales activity with the company’s wider transformation objectives.
Under his leadership, the team will continue to evolve towards a solution-led, consultative sales approach. This includes embedding strategic account management practices, investing in long-term partnerships, and supporting clients in broader HR and talent-related functions rather than a pure recruitment function.
“This role is about deepening our client relationships and ensuring we’re seen as a long-term strategic partner, not just a service provider where the business can be pigeon-holed as purely transactional,” Dan said. “The market has changed, and clients need integrated, agile solutions that add real value to their operations. I’m proud to be leading a team that is helping shape what modern workforce solutions look like.”
Commenting on Dan’s promotion, Paulo Canoa, Chief Regional Officer at Gi Group Holding, said: “Dan has been a driving force in the transformation of our UK business, consistently demonstrating strategic foresight and a deep understanding of client needs. His leadership on key projects, including the Commonwealth Games, and his commitment to moving our commercial model from transactional to consultative, make him the ideal person to lead our corporate sales function into the future.”
Dan’s appointment comes at a critical point in Gi Group’s UK and Ireland growth strategy, with the sales function now aligned around a defined set of strategic clients. Continued team expansion is also planned for 2026, with clear growth and alignment phases to support Gi Group’s competitiveness in a complex labour market. His promotion reflects not only his own contributions, but also Gi Group’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its leadership team as it positions itself at the forefront of workforce transformation.
Gi Group Holding UK is the UK arm of Multinational HR services organisation Gi Group S.p.A based in Milan, Italy. In 2025, the UK business proudly employees close to 500 internal employees across its strategic and broad geographic network. With presence across 20 office locations and in excess of 50 embedded partnerships (SMS), where Gi is an extension of customer operations, the Group is uniquely committed to the creation of social and economic value for both employers and candidates alike. In the UK, the company places over 10,000 workers per week, placing a person into work, on average, every 90 seconds.