About Brunel
Our culture, values and legacy

Our culture, values and legacy
Brunel is a people business which specialises in connecting projects and organisations with highly skilled workers through a flexible suite of recruitment and managed workforce solutions. We take great pride in our ability to supply dynamic people solutions which deliver qualified professionals capable of getting the job done, while honouring the values of our clients and the communities they support.
Brunel excels at understanding and delivering the technical, specialised and critical skills required for local or multi-jurisdictional projects to achieve and exceed their targets.
At Brunel, we believe nurturing meaningful long-term client and candidate partnerships is fundamental to achieving success. We are not a transactional, generalist recruitment agency. Rather, we invest in developing an in-depth understanding of the needs of both the people and organisations we service, so that together we might realise our collective potential.
Whether you need to appoint a handful of key personnel, are seeking an entire workforce or engage us on a delivered outcome basis, Brunel will take the time to understand your business, who you are and how you operate so that we can act, not simply as a service provider, but as an effective strategic partner.
Operating in Australasia since 1997, Brunel has offices in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Port Moresby (PNG). Our local teams have placed tens of thousands of workers throughout Australia over the past two decades and combine their local knowledge and experience with the strength, systems and reach of Brunel’s international network, to deliver outstanding results for our clients.
When you engage Brunel, you benefit not only from the support of our local Australian, New Zealand and Papua New Guinean teams, but also from the strength, reach and continuous improvement of an international network which spans over 45 countries, 120 offices and 50 years of successful operation.
Brunel’s worldwide reach and strength means that we are always prepared for whatever our clients may need. Whether you require a single role, an entire workforce or an innovative way to outsource a critical business function, Brunel is capable and ready to deliver the people, skills and outcomes your business needs.
Brunel core values are at the centre of everything we do for our clients, colleagues and ourselves.

The sum total of the people who have led and developed this company and all the individuals who currently live out this culture. We protect our future by sharing our thoughts, ideas and methods, promoting an attitude of understanding between cultures and individuals.

Delivering a high standard of service and taking care of the people around us is of the utmost importance. An atmosphere of trust and personal responsibility guides us in everything we do, always within the framework of full global compliance.

It takes results-driven actions and the will to succeed to find the straightest path to your goal. We consciously seek out people who consistently strive for excellence and exude an enthusiastic personal energy. When we find them, we challenge and nurture them.

Whatever we do, we uphold a standard of quality that meets the exacting demands of our clients. Only then do we deliver results matching our personal and entrepreneurial goals, united by passion, drive, and a shared commitment to exceed expectations.
We embrace a culture of humanocracy. Our people are empowered to take initiative, share ideas and collaborate beyond traditional hierarchies - giving everyone an opportunity to contribute and grow. This approach ensures our teams are agile, accountable and driven to deliver the best outcomes for our clients and candidates.
Our core values underpin everything we do at Brunel.
Locally, we have implemented our own humanocracy charter that further develops on our passion for people - creating an organisation that is amazing as its people.

Tania Sinibaldi
Managing Director of Operations - Australasia & The Americas



Brunel is committed to creating a workplace that allow our people to feel they can be their true authentic selves. We take a global and regional approach to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, following four pillars which form our DIB framework - and have an established set of global targets which are reviewed annually to ensure we achieve our goals.
Leading an inclusive culture
Leaders shape culture through their decisions, behaviours and priorities - and when they actively champion inclusion, it signals to employees that every voice is valued and respected. At Brunel, we are committed to building a diverse leadership team that brings varied perspectives to the table, strengthens decision-making and drives innovation.
Education
Recruiting, developing and retaining talent
Community
At Brunel, our specialists, employees and clients are part of one community – one that promotes an inclusive culture that fosters engagement, supports growth and celebrates shared success. Guided by our regional DIB Councils, we lead initiatives that educate and empower our people, reinforcing the importance of understanding, inclusion and belonging.

In 1975, our company founder Jan Brand made his technical expertise available on a project basis for the first time. His goal was to enable more flexibility and drive technological progress. To this day, this intention remains the foundation of our diverse and sustainable activities.
Over the last 50 years, we have built a truly sustainable and durable business model: connecting specialists to exciting career opportunities, supporting the development of these careers and offering fair and equal employment.
Learn more about our 50 year milestone

Operating as Multec, Jan Brand made his first temporary engineering placement, marking Brunel’s journey. The first office opened in Delft, linking academic roots with a leading European engineering hub.

As businesses embraced flexibility and graduates sought project experience, engineering placements accelerated, driving rapid expansion and Multec offices opening across Dutch cities with technical universities.

Brunel entered a new growth phase by opening its first international office in Antwerp, maintaining agile sales teams while adapting specialist placements to local markets.

By 1989, the business expanded beyond engineering, adopting the Brunel name - inspired by Isambard Kingdom Brunel - to reflect a broader vision, bold thinking and ambition to challenge convention.

To meet oil and gas demand, Brunel launched Brunel Energy, growing rapidly through international acquisitions and a global talent network to supply leading energy companies with highly skilled technical professionals.

Brunel was first listed on the stock exchange, boosting its international profile and supporting growth. The company is now listed on Euronext Prime and Amsterdam Small Cap Index (AscX).

Brunel’s rapid growth, combined with the onset of an economic downturn, prompted a reassessment of its organisational and leadership model. On 29 September, Jan Arie van Barneveld was appointed CEO, ushering Brunel into a new phase of development.

By 2010, Brunel operated across 32 countries with strong financial performance, launching Brunel Global Professionals, relocating headquarters, and reaffirming future-focused ambitions under founder leadership.

In late 2017, Jilko Andringa was appointed CEO of Brunel, officially succeeding Jan Arie van Barneveld on 1 March 2018, after a planned leadership transition following years of steady growth.

In late 2021, Brunel partnered with Taylor Hopkinson, combining global reach and renewable energy expertise to set new standards across the renewables project lifecycle.

Joining Brunel in early 2024, Advance Careers brought a decade of ESG expertise, strengthening organisations’ ability to deliver solutions at global scale.

In August 2024, Brunel appointed Peter de Laat as CEO. Former CFO and Deloitte auditor, he brings deep institutional knowledge and leadership experience across the business.

Querida Swinnerton,
Director ANZ
![]() | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTBrunel acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people of the many traditional lands and language groups of Australia. We acknowledge the wisdom of Elders both past and present, and pay respect to the communities of today. We recognise their continuing connection to the land, waters and community. |