Taking the Leap: Matt Bennett on Going From GQR to Founder of West Peak US (Part 1)

Recruiter Wake Up Call with Kat Kingshott · Oct 28, 2026 · 26m

Matt Bennett was Head of Talent at GQR and spent more than 20 years in leadership development and executive coaching, including inside three recruitment businesses. Then, in his 40s, he did something he’d never planned to do. He became a founder.

In Part 1, recorded in San Francisco, Kat catches up with Matt six years after they last sat down together. Matt shares the six month “pendulum swing” before launching West Peak US. He explains why his coach helped him see it as a “two way door” decision, and talks about the day he threw his pen across the room because his inbox and calendar were…