Who we are

Howard Bentwood

Howard Bentwood is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cedar.  Having worked in financial recruitment for over 20 years, Howard has gained a wealth of knowledge in both the finance and recruitment industries.  Howard’s focus has been on building Cedar into a strong and respected brand since 2003.  As a result, Cedar is now renowned for its professionalism, flexibility and ability to deliver recruitment solutions that genuinely add value to its partner clients.

Following his graduation from Cardiff University in 1991, Howard worked exclusively on recruiting senior finance executives for commercial organisations across a variety of sectors.  Howard is an enthusiastic advocate for honest, straight talking and consultative business partnering.  As well as spending time with his family, Howard enjoys skiing, golf and is a cycling enthusiast.

Graham Thornton

Graham is a Director of Cedar. Having begun his recruitment career in 1997, Graham worked in a variety of organisations before joining Cedar in 2004. The majority of his recruitment career has been spent sourcing mid to senior level finance professionals and he works closely with a diverse mix of clients ranging from FTSE 100 to privately owned start-up companies across the UK and Europe.

His success has been founded on creating robust, long term relationships based around transparent and candid communication. This, combined with a fixation on delivery has resulted in an exceptional network and a deep understanding of the value that a genuine recruitment business partner can bring. Spare time is spent with his wife and twin daughters, cycling, gardening and supporting Liverpool FC.

Brian Cognet

Brian Cognet was the founder and CEO of FSS International Group until 2000. A qualified accountant and seasoned business professional, he joined Cedar in 2003 as Non-Executive Chairman.

Robert Baker

Robert is Partner at Cedar and oversees the recruitment of high-profile assignments commerce and industry.  A graduate in business studies and with 10 years’ experience in the financial recruitment industry, Robert joined Cedar in 2009 and specialises in recruitment of Controllers, Directors and CFOs for a wide variety of businesses from multinationals to SMEs.  He strongly believes in building long-lasting, honest working relationships and is passionate in the delivery of consultative solutions on behalf of his clients and candidates.  Robert is a keen fitness enthusiast and enjoys participating in triathlon and cycling events and is an avid supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.

Jamie Wilkinson

Jamie joined Cedar in 2011 and heads up the Interim Division.  He very quickly established Cedar as a market leader in the senior finance interim space and was promoted to Partner in April 2013. With over 14 years’ experience working exclusively within the senior accounting and finance recruitment industry, Jamie fully recognises the importance of building long term relationships with both clients and candidates.  This partnership approach allows him to ensure that he is best placed to offer the most effective interim solutions and advice to his market. In his spare time, Jamie is a semi-professional boxer and enjoys competing in high profile events and spending time with his family.