2. Search & Selection to the Financial Services Industry
Oliver James Associates is an established search and selection consultancy operating exclusively within the
nancial services industry since 2002.
Our business was initially built as the chosen recruitment partner for a large proportion of the Insurance and
Asset Management industries. In 2011, we launched our Banking and Broking teams in response to two main
areas of weakness in nancial services recruitment:
Most recruiters have contractual preferred supplier relationships in place across the majority of major banks,
and therefore have no ability to market map & pro-actively source talented individuals
There is a supply gap between the reach of the top-end of most contingency recruitment rms and the
bottom-end of most search rms – this gap results in poor quality of service being delivered in the £75-150k
salary range
Oliver James Associates satisfy these needs by:
Building long-term relationships with a handful of banks, and ring-fencing the rest of the market as source
clients where we spend time mapping relevant teams
Through an experienced and talented Research team we reach out to build relationships with high calibre
individuals who are not actively looking for a new role, but are receptive to being presented with their next
logical career step
We treat each instruction as an individual project, and apply search methodology to sourcing a high quality
shortlist for roles in the mid-senior level
4. Example Job Placements
Selection of Banking Partners
AA Head of Customer Data & Pricing BDO Director, Compliance
ACE European Group Director of Planning & Analysis Bell & Clements Head of Audit
ACE European Group European Financial Controller Benfield Deputy Chief Actuary
ACE European Group Legal Counsel Benfield ReMetrics Senior Team Leader
ACE European Group Chief Actuary Brightoil (Hong Kong) Legal Counsel
ACE European Group Director, European Audit Brit Insurance Senior Claims Adjuster (Catastrophic Risk)
AEGON Head of Market Risk & ALM Brit Insurance Head of Syndicate Reporting
AET UK Head of Risk Canada Life Head of AML
ALICO Life International Product Review Actuary Canada Life Chief Accountant
Alliance Trust Head of Risk Canada Life Head of AML
Allianz Legal Counsel Canada Life Legal Counsel
Allianz, Italy Chief Reserving Actuary Capita Life & Pensions Legal Counsel
Below is a selection of clients who work with Oliver James Banking as
Alston Gayler Director of Finance either a Capita Life & Pensions Solvency II Programme Manager
Amlin Plc ISDA Negotiator Catlin UK Capital Actuary
PreferredAmlin Plc Head of Finance Change
or Approved Supplier within one or more business areas: Charles Taylor Consulting Financial Controller
Amlin Plc Head of Financial Reporting Chartis Actuarial Manager
Amlin Plc Financial Controller, UK Chartis Capital Management Lead
Amlin Plc Head of Tax Chartis Programme Director
AON Legal Counsel Chaucer Plc Head of Investment Reporting
AON Legal & Claims Counsel Chaucer Plc Head of Finance
Risk Management | Quants | ComplianceAdjuster (Sydney)
AON Claims | Internal Audit Chubb Insurance Financial Controller, Syndicate
AON Claims Advocate (FI/D&O/BBB/PL) Chubb Insurance Head of European Risk & Compliance
Argo Head of Audit Clyde & Co Senior Associate
Arthur J Gallagher Financial Controller Combined Insurance Chief Actuary
Aspen Re Head of Technical Accounting Combined Insurance Regulatory Legal Counsel
Goldman Sachs
Aspen Re Head of Syndicate Accounting Cooper Gay Group Financial Controller
Aspen Re Head of Business Partnering Cooper Gay Head of Internal Audit & Risk
Avantage Director of Risk Deloitte & Touche Director, Insurance
HSBC Avantage Director, Compliance Deloitte & Touche Director, Compliance
Aviva Head of Management information Deloitte & Touche Director, Data Management
Aviva Director of Consolidations Deloitte & Touche Programme Director
Deutsche Bank
Aviva Director of Reporting and Consolidations Deloitte & Touche Director, Regulatory Advisory
Aviva Financial Controller - AGC Deloitte & Touche Director, Audit
RBS Aviva Head of Consolidation Deloitte & Touche Partner, IT Audit
Aviva Finance Business Partner Endurance Professional Lines Claims Adjuster
Aviva General Counsel ERGO Senior Life Actuary
Evolution Securities
Aviva Director of GI Actuarial Ernst & Young Manager, Actuarial & Insurance
Aviva Head of Internal Audit Everest Re Senior Claims Manager (New Jersey)
Je eries Axa Group
International
Axa Life
Chief Risk Officer
Director of Finance
Exporters
Fidelity
CFO
Compliance Manager
Axa Life Chief Actuary Financial Reporting Cncl Director of Projects
BNP Paribas
Axiom Chief Actuary Flagstone Senior Claims Adjuster (Direct & Facultative)
Bank of America Lead Actuary Fortis Insurance CFO - GI
Barclays Director, IT Audit Fortis Insurance CFO - Life
Barclays Global Head of Product Governance Fortis Insurance Head of Compliance
Barclays Wealth Chief Risk Officer Friends Provident Head of Group SII Capital Reporting
6. Consultation
To ensure a successful conclusion to a recruitment assignment, it is essential that it begins
with an in-depth consultation with the client. When Oliver James Associates takes on any
recruitment assignment, it is imperative that the initial consultation provides us with
detailed information in order to attract the client the best possible candidates within the
market. Key points to be covered shall include;
An analysis of the business
Competitor benchmarking
Understanding of the job speci cation
Short/medium/long-term goals of the position
Reporting lines
Promotional prospects
Culture of team/department
Remuneration package
Interview processes
Company strategy
Pro le of the desired candidate
Oliver James Associates are in a position to truly consult with you. We will be able to
provide you with an understanding of the current market place, market remuneration
packages, availability of individuals in the industry, your positioning within the market
place and how best to position yourself to attract the best quality of talent available.
7. Search
Our thorough search methodology is comprised of the following:
Headhunting
This is our key activity and is what sets us apart from our competitors. We invest a lot of
time in networking and headhunting high-calibre candidates that have the necessary
skills for the job. The gure for our headhunting skills speak for themselves: so far 74%
of all our successful mandates have been made through proactive resourcing.
Referrals
We nurture our business and our relationships to yield the best possible results for our
clients and our candidates. Our reputation for success, professional approach and
consultative ability has gifted Oliver James Associates with an exemplary referral
network, providing easy access to usually unobtainable talent within the nancial
services market.
Advertising
We advertise across all forms of recruitment medium to attract proactive seekers of
new appointments within the nancial services market.
Active and passive candidates
The results of our headhunting and other candidate-sourcing activities are stored in
our extensive database, which is speci cally tailored to the nancial services market
and allows us to make advanced searches based on criteria speci c to the needs of the
client.
Our careful searching allows us to fully penetrate the market and source the best
candidates to suit our clients’ roles.
8. Selection
All candidates generated through head-hunting, referrals and responses to
advertisements are amalgamated with our extensive database. Our current database
consists of a signi cant volume of high calibre active and passive nancial services
professionals. It is our ability to intricately map the nancial services market that provides
Oliver James Associates with leverage that separates us from our competition.
A selection process then occurs between the relevant vertical market consultants to
discuss their most suitable candidates. We then complete the following steps:
We contact the relevant candidates to discuss the client, the team and the role,
supplying them with the formal job speci cation.
We assess their suitability to the role, re-con rm their current situation and ensure that
we have their most up-to-date CV.
Once we have quali ed their suitability and interest, we obtain written con rmation
that Oliver James Associates is representing them for the role.
We will then create a shortlist which we will subsequently present to our client. We also
save our clients a lot of the legwork: we carry out referencing checks and screening
services on their behalf.
9. Presentation & Interview
Candidates will be presented to the client via a curriculum vitae and candidate synopsis.
It is this additional synopsis which provides the client with a summary of;
Current remuneration
Financial expectations
Notice period
Career aspirations
Character assessment
Reasons for interest in the opportunity and business
Motivations for leaving current employer
Summary of relevant experience
Current activity of the candidate in the recruitment market place
Once we have reached an agreement with the client over the suitable candidates that
they wish to interview, we coordinate the interviews at all stages, preparing our
candidates accordingly, recon rming their interest at all stages, understanding any
concerns that need addressing and ensuring that the risk of any unexpected decision
changes are minimised.
In a competitive market place, it is imperative that after each successful interview we
provide our client with comprehensive feedback. Quality feedback provides our clients
with a deeper understanding of a candidate’s feelings and expectations. Greater
knowledge produces a greater success ratio.
10. O er Management
Our consultants will o er you guidance about how to achieve the best possible o er
to secure the selected candidate without unnecessary negotiations. We will provide
the chosen candidates with the o er and provide guidance and manage the process
of accepting the o er, possible counter o ers and negotiation of notice periods.
11. Post Acceptance
From acceptance of an o er to the start date, a void of communication can occur
and momentum can break down. It is at this time that a good consultancy has the
foresight and professionalism to keep the process moving towards its ultimate and
successful conclusion. We will liaise with both parties, providing any advice that
may be required, meeting the candidate again, and assisting the candidate with
anything we can, for example relocation issues.
12. Key Contact Details
Banking Insurance & Asset Management
Richard Pickard, Director Nick Godson, Director
+44 (0)207 649 9462 +44 (0)207 649 9461
richard.pickard@ojassociates.com nick.godson@ojassociates.com
UK & Ireland
Compliance Risk - BA & Change Actuarial Internal Audit
Kristian Tennick Edith Kamdoum Clare Nash Kuhinoor Kabir
+44 (0)207 310 8565 +44 (0)207 310 8549 +44 (0)207 649 9350 +44 (0)207 310 8654
kristian.tennick@ojassociates.com edith.kamdoum@ojassociates.com clare.nash@ojassociates.com kuhinoor.kabir@ojassociates.com
Compliance Risk Management Quantitative Internal Audit
Abdul Mannan Rudy de Oliveira Trevor Symons Simon Cresswell
+44 (0)207 310 8655 +44 (0)207 310 8653 +44 (0)207 310 8650 +44 (0)207 310 8548
abdul.mannan@ojassociates.com rudy.deoliveira@ojassociates.com trevor.symons@ojassociates.com simon.cresswell@ojassociates.com
Legal
David Walsh
+44 (0)207 310 8731
david.walsh@ojassociates.com
Continental Europe & Asia
Switzerland Benelux Germany Hong Kong
Audrey Dresen Julien Fabius Phu Le-Ngoc Jonny Plews
+44 (0)207 310 8647 +44 (0)207 649 9466 +44 (0)207 310 8643 +44 (0)207 649 9467
audrey.dresen@ojassociates.com julien.fabius@ojassociates.com phu.le-ngoc@ojassociates.com jonny.plews@ojassociates.com
Copyright Oliver James Associates 2011
