Sean Sales- Looking back on 25 years of BYPY

Photo credit: Birmingham Post, Jas Sansi

This year, we are celebrating 25 years of the iconic BYPY Awards. The awards highlight the exceptional talent and skills of young professionals across Greater Birmingham, while also giving the overall winners the chance to open doors in their careers that they might not otherwise have been able to open.

As part of these celebrations, we spoke to the overall winners of the awards, dating right back to the very first winner in 2001 to last year's winner.

Meet Sean Sales, our 2013 BYPY overall winner.

Sean has spent 15 years crafting innovative recruitment solutions in finance, tech, and operations, and is recognized as an award-winning leader. He thrives on leading high-performing teams to exceptional hiring successes, with a passion for aligning recruitment with organizational goals, and fostering a collaborative culture and driving diversity and inclusion.

Sean has navigated complex global HR landscapes, enhancing TA services, and is deeply committed to enriching candidate experience through tools and technology. He is proud to have developed DEIB strategies that significantly increase diverse hires and foster inclusive cultures while consistently leading teams to exceed hiring targets.

Read below to find out how winning BYPY felt for Sean...

What category did you win?

I was the overall winner in 2013 and category winner for HR, Recruitment and Training

Tell us about yourself…

I am a Senior Talent Acquisition professional who has built a career in recruiting that spans over 17 years. Originally from Manchester, I called Birmingham home for the best part of a decade after moving in 2005 to study law at the University of Birmingham. 

After finishing University I got my start in recruiting as a consultant with Huxley Associates before moving inhouse with Deutsche Bank in 2011 to build a campus recruiting program for their growing Birmingham Campus. 

Since winning BYPY I have moved to the US where I have lived in several states, and I now reside in Portland Oregon with my wife Issy and 3 cats Gavin, Luna and Patsy.

Outside of work I am an avid Storm Chaser and have seen more than 20 Tornadoes over a 10 year storm chasing career.  When I’m not storm chasing, I enjoy hiking in the Pacific Northwest, astronomy, and spending time in my garage embracing my inner armchair scientist.  

Where were you working at the time of winning your award?

I was a winner while working as a graduate recruiter for Deutsche Bank.  I was extremely excited to start a new role in August as director of Recruiting for an Autonomous Vehicle company called May Mobility based in Michigan in the US.

What does your career look like now?

Although I am still in recruiting, I’ve been fortunate to expand my expertise across several industries across banking, e Commerce, Tech, AI and Automotive and have built expertise across the full spectrum of TA from early careers to Exec hiring. 

What did winning BYPY do for your career? Have you had any other big achievements or award wins since?

Winning BYPY was a huge career accelerator, raising my profile internally at DB that lead to an opportunity to take an international assignment with in the US. Since moving stateside I’ve lived and worked in Jacksonville Florida, New York, Seattle and Portland whilst leading recruiting teams at Amazon, GMs self-driving car company Cruise and  Hyundai Motor Company.

Winning BYPY gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and try new things professionally that have led to a rewarding career with lots of adventures along the way!

Why should people apply for GBYPY?

Birmingham is a brilliant place for professionals to both start and build a career, and being considered for GBYPY will give anyone a huge boost to their confidence.

Just going through the process regardless of the outcome with give you an opportunity to build a network of talented professionals that span the range of industries and companies that make up Birmingham’s vibrant professional community.

Not only will you make professional connections, but you’ll make friends that will last a lifetime.

How did winning BYPY feel?

Coming from a working class family, I had always had a sense of imposter syndrome, winning BYPY gave me a huge boost of confidence that has never faded since!