top of page

Privacy Notice

Last updated: November 2026

 

Protea Recruitment Ltd ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of individuals whose personal data we collect and process. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, store, use, and protect your personal information when you visit [www.protearecruitment.com](https://www.protearecruitment.com), submit an enquiry, register a curriculum vitae (CV), or engage our executive search and recruitment services.

​

Protea Recruitment Ltd is registered in Scotland under company number SC653927, with our registered office situated in Edinburgh, Scotland. For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Protea Recruitment Ltd acts as a Data Controller.

​

1. The Information We Collect

We process personal data relating to clients, prospective clients, business contacts, and candidates:

  • Prospective and Existing Clients: Name, business title, corporate email address, contact telephone number, company details, hiring mandate specifications, and billing details.

  • Candidates and Senior Professionals: Name, contact details (email address, telephone number, residential area), career history, qualifications, CV/resume contents, executive compensation expectations, right-to-work confirmation, and publicly available professional information (e.g., LinkedIn profile details).

  • Website Visitors: IP address, operating system, browser type, referral paths, pages visited, and date/time stamps collected via essential and analytical cookies.

 

We do not deliberately collect Special Category Data (e.g., health details, political opinions, trade union membership) through our website. Please do not submit special category information in speculative messages or CV uploads.

 

2. How We Collect Personal Data

We obtain information through the following channels:

  • Direct Submissions: Data submitted directly by you via our website enquiry forms, email correspondence, telephone discussions, or direct candidate registrations.

  • Direct Executive Sourcing: Candidate information identified through professional networks (e.g., LinkedIn) and industry market research, strictly relevant to active or anticipated search assignments in the food and drink manufacturing sector.

  • Automated Website Tracking: Analytics and operational data collected through standard cookies when navigating our website.

 

3. Lawful Bases for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we process personal data under one or more of the following lawful bases:

  • Legitimate Interests: We process business client contact details and professional candidate profiles to provide specialized executive search and recruitment services to the food manufacturing industry, identifying appropriate leadership talent for relevant corporate appointments.

  • Contractual Necessity: Processing required to fulfill recruitment terms of business with client organizations, or to take preparatory steps at the request of a candidate prior to entering an employment contract with a hiring client.

  • Legal Obligation: Processing and record retention necessary to comply with applicable UK statutory and regulatory obligations, including tax, corporate accounting, and employment agency legislation.

  • Consent: Where required by law (such as opt-in marketing subscriptions or non-essential analytical cookies), we rely on your explicit consent, which may be withdrawn at any time.

 

4. How We Use and Share Your Data

We process personal data strictly for recruitment, executive search, business development, and statutory compliance purposes.

  • Candidate Introductions to Clients: We conduct confidential search mandates. We will never submit a candidate’s CV, identity, or identifying employment details to a hiring client without the candidate's prior consent and a formal briefing on the role.

  • Third-Party Service Providers: We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist our operations under strict confidentiality terms (e.g., cloud hosting, secure IT infrastructure, email servers, and website analytics).

  • Legal and Regulatory Disclosures: We may disclose personal data if required to do so by law, court order, or regulatory authority.

 

We do not sell, rent, or lease personal information to third parties.

 

5. International Data Transfers

Where our third-party infrastructure providers store or transfer data outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure appropriate safeguards are implemented in accordance with UK data protection laws, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or standard contractual clauses.

 

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was gathered:

  • Client & Assignment Records: Retained for the duration of the commercial relationship and up to 6 years following contract completion to satisfy legal and financial record-keeping obligations.

  • Candidate Talent Pool Data: Retained for an active period of up to 3 years from our last substantive contact, after which records are reviewed for continued relevance or securely erased.

 

7. Your Legal Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you hold specific statutory rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right of Access: The right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request).

  • Right to Rectification: The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

  • Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): The right to request deletion of your personal data where there is no compelling legal reason for its continued processing.

  • Right to Restriction of Processing: The right to request that we suspend processing your data under certain circumstances.

  • Right to Data Portability: The right to obtain and reuse your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

  • Right to Object: The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.

  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing relies on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

 

To exercise any of these statutory rights, please submit a written request to info@protearecruitment.com. We respond to all valid requests within one calendar month.

 

8. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website uses cookies to support core site functionality and gather anonymous traffic analytics. You can adjust your cookie preferences at any time through our website cookie banner or within your web browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may impact certain site features.

 

9. How to Contact Us and the Regulatory Authority

 

For queries, data access requests, or concerns regarding our handling of your personal data, contact:

Protea Recruitment Ltd

Email: info@protearecruitment.com

Edinburgh, Scotland

 

If you are dissatisfied with how we handle your personal data or manage an enquiry, you have the statutory right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority:

​

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Website: ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

bottom of page