Vale Robert van Stokrom, FRCSA (Life), a giant of our industry

I am in shock, and the local recruitment industry is in shock.

The family of Robert van Stokrom, FRCSA (Life), announced his passing on Monday, at the age of 71, via a Facebook update the following day.

Rob was a hugely influential figure in the Australian recruitment industry as a business owner and former President of the RCSA (Aus & NZ).

His lean six-foot-five-inch frame made him physically unmissable, but more importantly, his positive, vibrant, and passionate personality made everybody feel better for being in his presence.

Rob was a late starter in recruitment, joining labour hire agency Forstaff in 1996, when he was already in his early forties.

Forstaff co-founder Eddy Bidese, who passed away last month, and Rob both left Forstaff in 2003, less than a year before co-founder Bruce Macdonald sold the company to private equity interests.

In April 2004, the van Stokrom-Bidese partnership acquired DFP Recruitment (formerly Dorothy Farmer Personnel) from its long-term proprietors, Dorothy Jellett and Jeremy Caldicott.

At the time of the purchase, industry news service Shortlist reported that “… DFP Recruitment Services has revenue of about $45 million, largely generated in Victoria from a good mix of permanent and temporary business. DFP has built a strong niche in pink-collar temporary and call centre business and has been growing its permanent white-collar brand in recent years. It is a major supplier to Telstra.”

Within months, Bidese and van Stokrom were underway with their growth-through-acquisition strategy, ultimately closely assessing 43 recruitment businesses and buying eight.

Publicly-listed (at the time) Japanese staffing company Will Group acquired 60% of DFP’s shares in January 2018.

Unlike almost all their local counterparts, DFP was able to grow both sales and profit over the COVID-ravaged 2021 financial year, thanks mainly to government contracts. Shortlist reported that the company recorded an after-tax profit of $2.2 million from revenue of $170.1 million, generated from 16 offices. Temporary placement revenue accounted for 98.2% of the company’s sales.

Bidese and van Stokrom completed their earn-out period in March 2022. Although neither commented publicly, I understand the total acquisition price was in the $30 million – $35 million range.

Throughout his tenure at DFP, Robert was not only giving back to the recruitment industry but also to the broader business community. Robert served as president of the RCSA’s Vic/Tas division on two occasions, totaling 8 years.

During his ten years as a RCSA Board member, he was Finance Chair for 3 years, CPD Chair for 3 years, Vice President for 4 years, culminating in his election as President, serving a four year term from November 2013 to November 2017. This was a critical period in the association’s life, which included the highly consequential appointment of Charles Cameron as CEO in May 2016.

Robert also served as a local Government councillor for the city of Knox. He was awarded life membership of VCCI (Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry) after serving on the Board for 10 years and chairing the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce.

Rob’s passions outside of work were many – he was an enthusiastic member of Red Rock, a band that played classic rock covers. He collected and raced classic cars and loved to travel. Last year, just after his 70^th birthday, Rob and his wife, Leonie, safaried in southern Africa.

Rob and Leonie’s Christmas lights at their home in Sandringham were famous in the local area, loved by all who saw them for each of the seventeen Christmas seasons between 2007 and 2023, even featuring in The Herald Sun one year.

Rob loved live music and thought nothing of flying to Europe or the US to see one of his favourite artists play live.

A couple of years ago, Rob and I were discussing our mutual love of music over lunch. He proceeded to tell me about the time he, Leonie, and friends booked tickets to see Phil Collins in London and flew over just for the concert, only for the concert to be postponed due to Collins’s ill health. Determined not to return to Australia disappointed, Rob booked tickets for another Collins date in France the following week, hoping Collins had recovered sufficiently for the concert to proceed as scheduled.

Sure enough, Collins was well enough to play the France date, so Rob and friends dashed over to France, watched the concert, and, elated, returned to London in time to catch their return flight to Melbourne.

Most of all, Rob loved his family, always revelling in the company of he and Leonie’s seven children and thirteen grandchildren. He was heartbroken when his eldest grandson suddenly passed away last year, aged 16.

RCSA CEO, Charles Cameron, commented yesterday,

The recruitment industry has lost one of our finest. Robert van Stokrom was passion, purpose, generosity and spirit all wrapped up in one.

Husband, father, grandfather and business leader, Rob gave energy and inspiration every time you met him. He was one of a kind.

Robert was unconventional, in business and in life, and that is what we loved about him. He will be so sadly missed. The car racing stories. The Dad jokes. The passion. The man. The drive…..oh the drive!

Robert van Stokrom played life full out. He was a person who never stopped giving to others. He made us want to be better versions of ourselves, as he was so clearly striving to be the best version of himself, and he was.

Thank you, Rob, your life truly made a difference.

A funeral date is yet to be announced.

Related blogs

Selling a recruitment agency for life-changing money: Q&A with Robert van Stokrom

Robert van Stokrom: The (recently ex) RCSA President reflects

The Power of Community: Thank you Robert van Stokrom and Charles Cameron

Meet the new President of the RCSA (Aus & NZ): Robert van Stokrom

 

 

Photo: Rob and I in Glenorchy, South Island, New Zealand, after a speedboat day trip on the Dart River, 30 August 2014, the day after the RCSA Conference, held in Queenstown.