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Our Story

2002

  • Sigmar set up in March 2002 with 22 staff, Ireland’s largest recruitment start up in history.


2004

  • Sigmar opens an office in Cork.


2005

  • Sigmar opens offices in Galway.

  • Newcourt PLC takes a majority stake in the company.


2006

  • Sigmar opens European offices in Frankfurt, Warsaw and Gdansk, Poland.


2007

  • Sigmar are ranked as among the Top 10 Companies to Work For In Ireland, the Top 100 Companies To Work For In Europe and voted as the Best Large Recruitment Agency by jobseekers at the National Recruitment Federation (NRF) awards.


2008

  • Sigmar were the winners of “Best Company to Work for in Ireland” (under 100 employees). Sigmar were also voted among the Top 50 European Workplaces (under 500 employees) and winners of 2 Excellence in Recruitment Advertising Awards for Financial and Healthcare recruitment advertising.


2009

  • Sigmar were among Top 10 Companies to Work For In Ireland 2009 and Top 20 Companies to Work For In Europe (under 500 employees).

  • At the National Recruitment Federation Awards we won awards for the best “Banking & Finance” and “Technical & Engineering” recruitment teams

  • Later in the year Sigmar staff completed Management Buy Out (MBO) with half of Sigmar staff investing in the business to keep it open after parent company Newcourt goes into receivership.


2010

  • Sigmar win NRF Awards for ‘Best in Practice Sales & Marketing’ and ‘Best in Practice Accountancy and Finance’ recruitment teams.

  • Sigmar launch the Job Creation Initiative and present a 10 point job activation plan to government.


2011

  • Sigmar launch National Employment Week a week long series of events was created by Sigmar to highlight barriers to entry into the jobs market.

  • Sigmar win two National Recruitment Federation Awards including: ‘Best in Practice Sales & Marketing’ and ‘Recruitment Consultant of the Year’ for our Engineering Recruitment manager Peter Nunan.

  • Sigmar open office in Singapore.


2012

  • Sigmar launch Ireland, Gateway To Europe, Ireland’s first privately funded foreign direct investment trade mission to the US. We host an expo in Boston which was attended by over 300 people.

  • Sigmar win four National Recruitment Federation Awards including: Best Large Recruitment Agency, Best in Practice Sales & Marketing, Best in Practice IT & Telecoms and Best in Practice Office & Secretarial.

  • Sigmar were the Winner of Best Overall Company for the Irish Sports Council Challenge. Our team took the gold for the”Sigmarathon” where staff walked/ran or cycled the distance from our Dublin to Singapore office – an average of 130 miles each in a month.


2013

  • Sigmar launch the Employment Leadership Group in association with CIPD. This group of 200 HR Directors meet once a quarter to advise Government on job activation policies.

  • Sigmar win Best Large Recruitment Agency in Ireland for 2nd year in a row at the National Recruitment Federation Awards. We also won Best in Practice Technical and Engineering.

  • Sigmar recruiter Shaun O’Shea wins ‘Graduate Employee of the Year’ at the Gradireland Awards.


2014

  • Sigmar win the National Recruitment Federation Award for Best in Practice for Sales & Marketing for the fourth time in five years.

  • Sigmar Director Frank Farrelly elected Vice President of the National Recruitment Federation.


2015

  • Sigmar launch the Talent Summit in Dublin, the largest HR conference in Ireland 2015 focusing on building capacity to hire with over 700 employment leaders in attendance.

  • Sigmar led a trade mission “Invest Ireland” to four cities in India, engaging with 400+ investors, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and government officials.

  • Sigmar lead the fourth annual Ireland Gateway To Europe trade mission which comprised of 10 events in Chicago, Atlanta, and Notre Dame university. Over 500 people attended our events during the week.

  • Sigmar were shortlised as National Champion at “The Business of the Year Award with Turnover of €0-25m” representing Ireland in 2015/16 European Business Awards.


2016

  • Sigmar announced as one of the Top 5 Places to Work in Ireland (<100 staff) at the Great Place to Work Awards 2016 – the highest placed recruitment agency in Ireland.

  • Sigmar named as one of Ireland’s ‘Best Managed’ companies in the 2016 Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme.

  • Sigmar were shortlised as National Champion at “The Business of the Year Award with Turnover of €0-25m”representing Ireland in 2016/17 European Business Awards.


2017

  • Sigmar announced as HR Supplier of the Year, Best Recruitment Agency and HR Team Partnership (HR Leadership & Management Awards) and Best Specialist Recruitment Consultancy (Irish Enterprise Awards)

  • Sigmar named as one of Ireland’s ‘Best Managed’ companies in the 2017, Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme.

  • Sigmar lead the first Ireland Gateway To Europe delegation to London in April 2017.

  • Sigmar launch the Boston College Ireland Business Council in October 2017 to enhance transatlantic business. 


2018

  • Sigmar enter strategic partnership with french recruitment firm Groupe Adéquatto create a €1 billion global group.

  • Sigmar announced as HR Supplier of the Year; one of Ireland’s ‘Best Managed’ companies in the 2017, Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme, and as one of the Top 10 Places to Work in Ireland (<250 staff) at the Great Place to Work Awards 2018

  • Sigmar lead delegation to Boston for the Boston College Ireland Business Council Global Leadership syposium in April 2018.

  • Sigmar open European Centre of Excellence in Tralee.


2019

  • Sigmar open their sixth Irish office in Athlone.

  • Sigmar lead delegation to Boston for the Boston College Ireland Business Council Global Leadership symposium in April 2019.


2020

  • Sigmar launch Covid Response Jobs to support displaced jobseekers and employers during the COVID-19 crisis.

2021

  • Sigmar host our first online Talent Summits during COVID-19 lockdown.

  • Sigmar announced as Best Large Recruitment Agency in Ireland (ERF Awards Feb 2021), Best Sales & Marketing Team (ERF Awards)

2022

  • Sigmar relaunch Ireland Gateway To Europe with the biggest private sector delegation to the US yet.

  • Sigmar announced as Best Recruitment Agency to Work for in Ireland (SIA Awards 2022) and Best Sales & Marketing Team (202

  • Sigmar CEO Adie McGennis receives the James Kilbane Award for Lifetime Achievement (ERF Awards)

  • Sigmar CFO Dervla Owens makes the​ Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2022 list of the Global Power 150 – Women in Staffing.

  • 10 Sigmar staff complete the 700km Paris2Nice cycle raising €42,000 for Saplings Special School.

2023

  • Sigmar announced as Best Recruitment Agency to Work for in Ireland (SIA Awards 2023)

  • Sigmar appoint Frank Farrelly as new CEO

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