# Ben Riley

> Ben Riley is the Leeds-based co-founder and CEO of CSG Talent. He entered recruitment in 2000 and founded Rilwood Associates with Wayne Underwood in 2003. Their six specialist recruitment firms merged under CSG in 2015; his subsequent work includes international expansion and developing collaboration across the business.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at CSG Talent
- **Organizations:** CSG Talent, Rilwood Associates, Ellis Fairbank, BW Penman, Core Consulting, Whiterock Executive
- **Education:** European Studies with Law and French
- **Known for:** Co-founded six specialist recruitment firms with Wayne Underwood., Helped consolidate the firms under the CSG brand in 2015., CSG’s Melbourne opening in 2018 brought its Australian office count to two.

## Career timeline

- **2000** — Joined Ellis Fairbank in recruitment.
- **2003** — Founded Rilwood Associates with Wayne Underwood.
- **2004** — The partners established Core Consulting, a year after Rilwood.
- **2015** — Six specialist firms merged under CSG.
- **2018** — Published the announcement of CSG’s Melbourne office.
- **2021** — Welcomed the Clear Edge management buyout of CSG’s shareholding.
- **2025** — Discussed expansion of CSG’s contract offering under Deborah Doyle.
- **2026** — Participated in the Back in Focus film and staff screening supporting Vision 2030.

## Achievements

- Co-founded six specialist recruitment firms with Wayne Underwood.
- Helped consolidate the firms under the CSG brand in 2015.
- CSG’s Melbourne opening in 2018 brought its Australian office count to two.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Described the Back in Focus film screening and international office watch parties.
- **2026-04** — Quoted on listening, development and personal potential in CSG’s high-performance culture article.
- **2026-03** — Reported a February record for the UK business after a missed January target.
- **2026-01** — Contributed a foreword to CSG’s 2026 hiring outlook, expressing optimism about adaptation and growth.

## Links

- Website: https://www.csgtalent.com/about-us/meet-the-team/profile/ben-riley/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-riley-70832424/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ben-riley
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26