In 1988 two frustrated Recruitment Consultants decided that they would set up their own Consultancy, allowing them to offer their clients a more thorough and flexible recruitment solution. Their first offices were two and half rooms in trendy Gandy Street. On day one Susie Ford and Jackie Dawkins sat on the floor with two phones but no furniture, no vacancies and no applicants. Within two months they had furniture, applicants, placements and even a part-time secretary!

A move to bigger premises took place in 1990 closely followed by a recession. Cathedral Appointments were one of the few recruitment agencies to survive the recession and when the larger firms started to bring jobs back into Exeter, a decision was made to take on the competition by ensuring the highest standards of consultant training and making each division a specialist in their sector.