Shelley Kendrick is the Director and founder of Kendrick Rose, an executive bespoke recruitment company based in Jersey. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a member of the British Psychological Society and a qualified practitioner in psychometric testing. She has been a member of the Institute of Directors (Jersey) committee and Chair of the IOD Future Leaders scheme.
Beginnings and Aspirations
I’m a kid from Manchester who’s done OK, I think! Or at least, that’s what people tell me! As a teenager I was incredibly shy, but confidence has a way of creeping up on you, and for me, it came when I started working at Next. I absolutely loved it—I could sell, I was smashing targets, and thriving in a team environment. My career took off quickly, from launching the Next Directory stores to troubleshooting underperforming locations, I ended up managing the highest-performing store in the company. That led to an incredible opportunity—setting up Next in the USA. But that’s another story!
Turning Point
After my time at Next USA, burnout hit me hard. I took a year off and travelled. I returned to Jersey, and then joined Mourant. Working in a corporate world after a retail career felt like a complete culture shock! I didn’t think I’d last my probation period! I also struggled with major imposter syndrome. I was in a world of finance and law, industries I’d never worked in, and I was totally out of my comfort zone. I’m sure a lot of it was in my head, but that feeling lingered for years. I meet so many women who experience the same thing but it’s just part of developing in confidence.
Challenges and Lessons
Despite my doubts, I found my feet at Mourant. I had a brilliant opportunity to build another career, working with incredible people and recruiting top-tier talent. Looking back, I realise how much that experience shaped me—it gave me the confidence and skills to go out on my own. Then came another crossroads and I took redundancy. I had a job lined up with a big global firm, but someone casually said, “I thought you would have set something up, Shelley.” And that was my ding moment. I realised I could take a chance on myself. I had enough savings to support myself for a year, I knew my industry inside out, and I believed I could make it work.
Skills and Mindset
Starting my own business was exhilarating. But life had other plans. I launched right as the recession hit. Hard. The job market collapsed, and then my bank shut my accounts. I was terrified I was going to lose my house and business. I had nowhere else to go—so I went to church, lit a candle for my mum, and had a good cry. When you’re at rock bottom, the only way is up. That was when I truly learnt that I could be strong, resilience kicked in, and I fought back. A few good friends lent me money, brushed me down and kicked me back out there, giving me support and belief in myself that I had a good business. That was all I needed. The pressure was immense, but the experience taught me resilience like nothing else. I wouldn’t want to go through it again, but I wouldn’t change it either. It shaped me, made me stronger, and helped Kendrick Rose become what it is today.
Networking and Mentors
Relationships are invaluable. Strong professional networks open doors, foster innovation, and provide support during challenging times. Joining the IoD to head up the Future Leaders sub-committee was one of the best things I ever did, it allowed me to do some great work in the community, support young people on-island and importantly, gave me access to a network of people I might never have met! It’s so important to put yourself out there, it’s not easy and totally out of a lot of people’s comfort zone, but it’s crucial to developing your network and Jersey has LOTS of opportunities to network and often, events are free to attend.
Advice for Aspiring Leaders
For those just starting their journey, the path to success may seem daunting. However, the best advice is to take initiative, and never stop learning. Seek out mentors, get involved with committees, help supporting a charity, embrace challenges as learning opportunities, and cultivate resilience. Building a lasting career is about consistently growing, adapting, and staying passionate about your craft. Success is not just about reaching the end goal, it’s about the lessons learned, the relationships built, and the impact made along the way.
What’s ahead?
It was 2009 when I did my very first article in Gallery magazine, Sixteen years later, we’re still here. We’ve built a reputation for recruitment excellence, and I’m beyond proud that KR has been a finalist for Best Client Service in the Global Recruiter Awards and Best Small Recruitment Company. I thought this year would be the one where I slowed down, but there’s one more big opportunity for growth. We’ve got exciting new team additions, a potential new office off-island, and the fire is still burning, the future is looking bright, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!
