JEK Recruitment Welcomes Bastien Francescatoas New Partner

JEK Recruitment is proud to announce the appointment of Bastien Francescatoas as its newest Partner. Bringing over a decade of recruitment and HR experience, Bastien’s arrival marks an exciting new chapter for JEK as it continues to grow its impact in Finance and HR recruitment across the Dutch market and internationally.

A Career Built on People-First Principles

Bastien’s journey into recruitment began over 10 years ago after relocating to the Netherlands from Marseille, France. With a background in law and business administration, his professional career has spanned both agency and internal HR roles, giving him a 360-degree view of talent acquisition.

“I’ve always loved the human side of recruitment,” Bastien explains. “Over the years, I’ve worked across a wide range of roles and industries but the constant has always been building meaningful, long-term relationships.”

His early career focused on Finance recruitment across sectors like FMCG, logistics, consultancy, and retail. In recent years, he stepped into broader HR leadership roles, most recently serving as Head of People at a scaling international business. That experience has equipped him with first-hand knowledge of what it takes to build teams, shape culture, and support business growth from the inside out.

So, what brought Bastien back to agency life?

“Honestly, it was the people,” he says. “I’ve known Elly, Kevin, and Joris since our time at our previous business, and we always said we’d love to work together again one day. The opportunity to join JEK, to contribute to a business with shared values and high standards, was an easy yes.”

Beyond reuniting with former colleagues, Bastien was also drawn to the dynamism of the market.

“Recruitment is a high-energy environment. You meet amazing people every day, and no two challenges are the same. I missed that pace and the sense of impact that comes from helping great businesses find the right people to grow.”

For Bastien, the alignment with JEK’s values was immediate. “We all believe recruitment should be relationship-led and human-first. Yes, it’s about outcomes but it’s also about listening, understanding, and representing people fairly and thoughtfully. That’s how you make hires that stick.”

With a focus on permanent recruitment across Finance and HR, Bastien will help JEK expand its reach throughout international clients and cdd located in NL. His experience in both client-side and agency-side hiring brings added depth to JEK’s advisory model, one that supports companies not just in filling roles, but in shaping high-performing, future-ready teams.

“JEK’s strength is in being a true partner, not just a supplier,” he adds. “That’s what I’m most excited to be part of helping clients think ahead, solve real business challenges, and attract talent that genuinely moves the needle.”

Looking Ahead

Bastien’s vision for the first 6–12 months is simple: reconnect with long-standing clients and candidates, build new relationships, and make a meaningful impact from day one.

“I’m also keen to expand my knowledge of interim recruitment and to bring more international perspective to JEK’s work. But more than anything, I’m excited to be back with people I respect, doing work that matters and having fun along the way.”

Outside of work, Bastien lives in the Netherlands with his wife and two young boys. He’s a lifelong fan of team sports, especially rugby and handball and a passionate wine enthusiast. (He’s also currently spending much of his free time building Lego cities with his sons.)

On a personal note, we are so thrilled to have him on board!

Get in touch with Bastien here