Our Management Team
Melinda Cookson
Melinda is Director of both Futurelink United Kingdom and Futurelink South Africa. She spent the first 8 years of her career as an Account Executive in advertising and marketing, where she was responsible for national campaigns for a range of corporate and blue chip clients. In 1995 Melinda entered the staffing industry as a Business Development Manager for a reputable national staffing company. Five years later, and armed with fantastic training and work experience, she took a huge leap of faith and started her own Recruitment Agency, which saw her operating out of a small office in Durban, South Africa.
From those humble beginnings, Futurelink has grown to where it currently offers a range of value-added services and has a global footprint. Having spent over 25 years in the industry, Melinda says she is as passionate about the industry as she was the day she started. She is driven by a strong desire to exceed her clients' expectations in order to ensure their continued success. She recognises that this is only achieved with the great team she has surrounded herself with.
Natalie Harvey
Natalie Harvey is a Director of Futurelink United Kingdom and Managing Director of Futurelink Permanent Placements - South Africa. She looks after the Recruitment Key Account Managers and In-House Admin and Marketing teams. She has a Bachelors Degree, majoring in Psychology and English, and has also completed an Honours Degree, specialising in Applied Psychology for Professional Contexts. Before joining Futurelink, Natalie spent almost 10 years living and working in London. She then spent the next 6 years recruiting in South Africa, and thoroughly enjoyed the diversity and complexity of the South African market. She is now back in the United Kingdom, heading up the Global Division.
Over the past couple of years Natalie and her team have assisted countless job-seekers with securing employment: - from Graduate level candidates, to very senior Executives. She considers recruitment to be a huge part of her 'WHY' in life; and marrying clients with candidates brings her much satisfaction and fulfilment.
NICOLE CHAIKIN
Nicole is our Recruitment Manager for South Africa and comes from a career in Human Resources. She has a Master of Social Science Degree in Psychology and is a registered Industrial Psychologist (independent practice) with the HPCSA. She has also completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Management.
In addition to recruiting, Nicole also offers organisations and candidates psychometric testing as part of the employment process. She is committed to finding the best job-person fit and person-organisational fit to ensure all organisations and candidates can benefit and flourish. “If you employ brilliant, talented people within an organisation, they will make work feel more like play.” For Nicole, recruitment isn't just a profession, it's a calling and every successful match between client and candidate is not merely a transaction, but a triumph that fills her with deep satisfaction and fulfilment. In the bustling world of recruitment, Nicole believes the Futurelink teams’ success is attributed to their determination, compassion, and unwavering dedication.