Matt Collingwood
Managing Director
Phone number
0121 227 8200Email address
matt.collingwood@viqu.co.uk
Our MD Matt started his first business at the tender age of 18, installing luxury marine and tropical fish tanks in large houses and hotels across the UK – he even had a couple of celebrity clients on his books!
In 1997, Matt decided to leave his ‘fishy business’ behind to see what the IT recruitment industry was all about… back then recruiters relied on pagers and fax machines, today they couldn’t do without emails, Microsoft Teams and job boards, but the core of the industry is exactly the same. Matt’s just as passionate as he was at the beginning of his recruitment career!
After 17 years working his way up the corporate recruitment ladder, earning many acknowledgments along the way, including being named Computer People’s first £1m biller, Matt started VIQU in 2014. Since then he’s volunteered as the Midlands Chair for APSCo and acted as a non-executive for a number of local recruitment companies to support them with super growth. Matt sits on the board for BID Services, a charity which supports people who are deaf, hard of hearing, visually impaired or have dual sensory loss.
In 2018, Matt co-founded the Recruitment Canaries – a network that encourages West Midlands recruitment agencies to collaborate and network together, upholding the standards and ethics of the recruitment industry.
Matt is an extreme traveller – his idea of a holiday involves hiking up Machu Picchu in torrential rain and fog so bad that he couldn’t see further than a metre in front of him, or ascending Mount Everest (granted, he did take the easy way out, and got a helicopter halfway up).
Tell us more...
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What’s the best and worst thing about your role?
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The best thing is when we genuinely get to make a difference to a candidate or a client, or when we see recruiters doing well and progressing their careers. Worst thing is the lack of hours in the day!
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If you weren't in IT recruitment, you'd be….
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Growing up, I always wanted to be an airline pilot. So, I'd like to think if I wasn’t working in recruitment I'd be flying passengers around the world on an Airbus A380
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Favourite place in the world?
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I've been lucky enough to see lots of the world, so choosing one place is going to be very difficult. I've travelled through Mongolia and China on the trans-siberian express, visited base camp at Mount Everest and tracked Machu Picchu, but my favorite place in the world would be Brazil. I love the Amazon, the beaches, the food and the people
Matt's latest articles
Joint and Several Liability – Umbrella Company Legislation Changes Are Coming In April 2026: Are You Ready?
Legislation reform will impact all business engaging contract & temporary workers.
The Personal And Career Benefits Of Becoming A Charity Trustee
Becoming a charity trustee offers career growth, board experience, and a chance to give back, making it a deeply rewarding position.
How Boomerang Employees Are Making Employers Prioritise Offboarding Processes
Boomerang employees offer many benefits to organisations. Businesses who make improvements to their offboarding process will be able to secure this pool of talent.