By Ross Clennett – Reposted with permission
The career rebirth of Ephram Stephenson continues unabated.
The subscribers to The Ephram Stephenson podcast, “..the unfiltered podcast diving into the raw realities of business growth across industries – from explosive success to brutal pitfalls,” are still waiting for episode 2, exactly three months after the debut episode dropped (average 1.9 star rating out of 5, from 7 ratings).
Stephenson’s attempted anonymous return to the recruitment industry with Leo Jackson didn’t stay anonymous for long as he’s now acknowledging it’s his business by linking his profile to the company’s LinkedIn page as the only employee (although mentions of the Stephenson remain absent from the company website).
However, he’s not intending to be the only employee for much longer as yesterday he advertised the internal role of Operations Manager in a company LinkedIn page update. The role “…will take full ownership of the operational heartbeat of the business – finance, accounts, systems, processes, implementation and day-to-day operational leadership.”
Let’s hope that includes making sure BAS and superannuation payments are made when due.
Yesterday was a busy day for announcements at Leo Jackson as another LinkedIn update proclaimed a new division of the company – Field, which “…will support Western Australia with skilled operational and site-based talent.”
Meanwhile, Stephenson’s consulting business, Ephrams, is offering free mentoring and what appears to be rec2rec services.
“We’re working with several of Australia’s fastest-growing specialist recruitment firms – businesses built for high performers who want real autonomy, real progression, and real earning potential, ” the post states.
It promises, “This is recruitment at the highest level – modern, strategic, tech-enabled, and built for those who want to build something meaningful.
They’re hiring across: Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Perth”
It seems improbable that any recruitment agency owner or CEO would engage Ephram Stephenson to recruit employees on their behalf, less than a year after Stephenson’s leadership led Collar Group into oblivion, owing $28 million.
The Collar Group administrators noted in the sixth report to creditors (published 28 May 2025) that “….the company may have traded while insolvent from December 2022”, with a potential claim of circa $22 million.
No matter the past creditors stung, former employees’ livelihoods upended or wrecked, Ephram Stephenson keeps moving forward as if the past were an inconvenient bad dream, rather than a reality he should confront.
Visit Ross’s blog:https://rossclennett.com/blog/
About Ross:
Ross Clennett is a high-performance recruitment coach, blogger, and commentator with over 30 years of industry experience. After starting his career in 1989, he placed over 1,500 candidates across London and Australia before launching RossClennett.com in 2003, offering coaching and leadership programs for the recruitment sector. A Fellow of the RCSA, he was awarded the RCSA CEO Outstanding Contribution in 2022. Since 2007, he has shared his insights and opinions on recruitment, the recruitment industry, leadership and the labour market through his weekly blog. Passionate about giving back, Ross has raised over $140,000 for breast cancer research since 2012. Based on the Mornington Peninsula, his interests include stand-up paddleboarding, cricket, open-water swimming, golf, and supporting the Sydney Swans (AFL) and Arsenal (EPL).
