EP313: Leading Globally in a Niche Market - Lucy Robinson, Founder & CEO of LCR International

In this episode of The Recruiter’s Recruitment Podcast, host Lysha Holmes is joined by Lucy Robinson, Founder & CEO of LCR International.

Lucy shares her journey from FMCG recruitment into building a truly global, specialist search firm focused exclusively on senior appointments within the fresh produce industry. With clients in 22 countries and a team spanning the UK, South America and Asia, she offers a refreshingly honest look at what it really takes to lead a hybrid and international recruitment business.

From launching in December 2019 on the brink of COVID, to navigating shifting global supply chains, Lucy talks candidly about resilience, mindset and the realities of scaling as a founder with a young family.

Key themes include:

1. Building and protecting culture across remote and hybrid teams
2. Leading across time zones and navigating cultural differences
3. Why continuous personal development is non-negotiable for founders
4. Moving from contingent to retained search
5. Practical automation wins (AI note-takers, CRM integrations, outreach tools)
6. Where AI helps recruitment – and where it absolutely shouldn’t replace the human touch

Lucy also discusses her podcast, Behind the Fruit, spotlighting leaders and innovators in the global fresh produce space.

🔗 Connect with the guest

Lucy Robinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucyrobinsoninternational/

LCR International: https://www.lcrint.com/

Listen to Behind the Fruit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2571507

🔗 Connect with the host

Lysha Holmes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyshaholmesr2r/

Qui Recruitment: https://www.quirecruitment.co.uk/

Follow the podcast on another platform:

https://www.youtube.com/@therecruitersrecruitmentpod

https://the-recruiters-recruitment-podcast.captivate.fm/

——————

The Recruiter's Recruitment Podcast is proudly sponsored by Paiger, and partnered with Needi, Keybridge IT Solutions, Bristow & Hardy and Diversity in Recruitment.

Our sponsor:

Paiger - Making Recruiters Smarter and Faster. Paiger helps recruiters build personal brands, identify new business opportunities, attract candidates, and have better conversations.

Find out more about Paiger: https://paiger.co/

Our partners:

Needi is a concierge gift-matching service using psychology and AI, to pinpoint the perfect gifts and experiences for your recipient, from the best local independent businesses. Their team of expert gift finders save companies time and money with their complimentary corporate gifting service.

https://needi.co.uk/

Bristow & Hardy partners with SME recruitment agencies to accelerate growth through sales enablement and recruitment marketing. With over 7 years’ experience, we specialise exclusively in the recruitment sector, delivering strategy, branding, websites, marketing campaigns, and sales support. Our proven growth suite of products helps agencies attract more clients, win more business, and scale efficiently.

https://www.bristowandhardy.co.uk/

Diversity in Recruitment helps recruitment businesses understand diversity, equity, and inclusion in a way that makes sense. Our training and advisory work is designed to attract diverse talent, recruit inclusively, improve your candidate journey and confidently partner with their clients. DE&I doesn’t have to be complicated and scary - it’s simply about fair, ethical and high-quality recruitment.

https://diversityinrecruitment.com/

Keybridge IT Solutions is a London-based Fully Managed IT Support and solutions Provider - Providing 24×7 Support to all Customers. Specialities include Microsoft Cloud, including Office 365, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Security, Internet Connectivity, VoIP, and much more.

https://www.keybridgeit.com/

#RecruitmentPodcast #RecruitmentLeadership #GlobalRecruitment #FreshProduce #RetainedSearch #WomenInRecruitment #RecruitmentFounder #AIinRecruitment