Launching Refyne

19.05.24

Why I started Refyne

Genie Burgess, Founder

I've spent most of my career in beauty recruitment, and for a long time, I had the same conversation on repeat.

A brand would tell me how hard it was to find someone who truly understood their world - not just the job title, but the pace, the pressure, the culture. A brilliant candidate would tell me about a recruiter who'd put them forward for something that made no sense, then go quiet for weeks. Both sides deserved better than they were getting.

So I decided to build it.

Refyne is the agency I always wished existed: one that actually comes from the industry it serves.

When I first started headhunting, I made myself a simple promise, leave no stone unturned. Find the right person, not just the available one. Tell people the truth, even when it isn't what they want to hear. That reputation took years to build, and it's the thing I'm proudest of. Refyne is that promise, scaled.

We're specialists, not generalists. Everyone here has worked in beauty, on counters, in brand teams, in sales - so we know what good actually looks like, and we can have a real conversation about a role instead of reading a spec back to you. We headhunt directly, which means we reach the people who aren't looking, not just the ones who are. And we're honest about all of it: straight feedback for candidates, real discretion for clients, and a guarantee behind every placement.

What began as me, a phone and a little black book is already a team working across the UK and US, trusted by some of the most exciting names in the industry. That still slightly amazes me. But the ambition hasn't changed since day one: to be the partner this industry genuinely deserves.

If you're a brand looking for your next great hire, or you're weighing up your own next move, I'd love to hear from you.

This is just the beginning.

Welcome to recruitment, Refyned.

Genie x