Our Story
The founding narrative of Launchpad Search
We have more in common than most business partners.
We grew up in the same part of England, went to the same school a decade apart, and both ended up studying psychology at university. Our paths did not actually cross until 2010, when an interview for a role in the Middle East brought us together, somewhat unexpectedly, back where we had both grown up. That conversation became the start of a working relationship and friendship that has now spanned 16 years in the Middle East.
Thirteen of those years were spent at Worley, one of the world’s largest engineering and project delivery organisations. Between us, we led its talent acquisition function across EMEA, hiring and mobilising over 20,000 people from more than 30 nationalities into the Middle East. We spent years in the same rooms and on the same projects as the engineers, project directors, commercial leads and senior leaders our clients are trying to hire today. We both have children who were born, grew up and went to school here, with some still doing so. Sixteen years on, this is where we call home and where we are proud to have built both our families and our careers.
We founded Launchpad Search to give engineering and project delivery businesses access to the networks, market knowledge and practical hiring experience we have built over more than 30 years in the Middle East.
Mike Smith FCIPD
I have spent 25 years in talent acquisition, predominantly in the engineering, project delivery and energy sectors, in both agency and in-house environments. Eighteen of those years have been in the Middle East, where I have built recruitment operations from the ground up.
Before co-founding Launchpad, I held senior talent acquisition roles at Worley, AirSwift, Amec and Quest. Thirteen years at Worley included leading TA across EMEA and the GCC, as well as shared ownership of Worley's global TA function, followed by a later move into a broader People Director role covering Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt. Before Worley, I was Country Manager for AirSwift in Saudi Arabia, established Quest's operation in Abu Dhabi, and earlier in my career co-founded a specialist IT recruitment company in London.
I hold a BA in Psychology from the University of Sussex and am a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. I live in Bahrain with my wife and three sons, all of whom have grown up in the region. I am also a lifelong Southend United supporter, though as any Southend fan knows, you can't win them all, or sometimes any at all!
Mike White
All 16 years of my career in talent acquisition have been spent in the Middle East, focused entirely on engineering and project delivery across the region. I arrived in Bahrain in 2009 with one suitcase and no job lined up, and have been here ever since.
Before co-founding Launchpad, I spent thirteen years at Worley in a series of senior regional roles, leading TA across the Middle East and Africa and later across the UK, Europe and Central Asia. Towards the end of my time there I moved into a broader People Business Partner role covering engineering, construction and project delivery across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt. Prior to Worley, I was with AirSwift in Saudi Arabia, supporting the setup of their Saudi operation, which is also where Mike and I first worked together.
I hold a degree in Social Psychology from Loughborough University and live in Bahrain with my wife and two daughters, both of whom were born and have grown up here. I am a long-suffering Charlton Athletic supporter, which is character building but at least it is marginally less painful than following Southend United!