2. Search & Selection to the Financial Services Industry
Oliver James Associates is an established search
and selection consultancy operating exclusively
within the financial services industry. We are able
to provide a full range of bespoke recruitment
services tailored to your needs, including retained,
contingency and interim solutions.
We are proud to be regarded as the chosen
partner for a large proportion of the Insurance,
Asset Management and Banking industries. Our
reputation has been forged through consistent
delivery, quality and efficiency of service. We are
able to provide our clients with an unparalleled
level of in-depth understanding of the financial
services market place. Each consultant within
Oliver James Associates operates within a vertical
market, specialising in a specific financial services
sector and operating across a set discipline. This in
turn enables us to identify, attract and introduce
the top percentile of talent within the market to
our clients.
3. Structure Chart
Finance Audit, Risk, Compliance Change Management Actuarial Legal & Claims Underwriting
Permanent Permanent Permanent Permanent Permanent Permanent
£40,000-£250,000 £35,000-£350,000 £40,000-£250,000 £35,000-£350,000 £45,000-£500,000 £40,000-£350,000
Contract Contract Contract Contract Contract Contract
£250-£2000 per/day £250-£2000 per/day £250-£2000 per/day £250-£200,000 £250-£2000 per/day £250-£2000 per/day
Legal Lloyd’s of London
Solvency II
• Commercial • Active Underwriter
• Company Secretariat • Class Underwriter
Non-Life Actuarial • Corporate • Senior Underwriter
Accountancy Internal Audit • Business Change • Underwriter
• Capital • Policy Wordings
• IT Change & Reinsurance • Assistant Underwriter
• Pricing • Team Moves
• External Reporting • Operational Audit • Regulatory
• Reserving
• Internal Reporting • IT Audit • Restructuring
• M&A
• Lloyd’s Reporting & Insolvency
• Capital Management Experience Levels • Shipping, Energy &
• Systems Accountant Trade
Life Insurance Actuarial Company Market
• Treasury
• Head of Projects / • Reporting
• Fund Accounting • London
Risk Management Programmes • Valuations
• Financial Controls • UK Regions
• Programme Managers • Pricing
• Change Managers Claims • International
• Product Development
• Operational Risk • Business Analysts (Qualified & Mainstream) (Europe, Middle East, Asia)
• Marketing
• Financial / Market Risk • Test Managers • Underwriting
• Capital
• Insurance Risk • Test Analyst • Accident & Health (Head of - Assistant)
Tax • Credit Risk • Business Development
• Aviation & Space
• Casualty / • Broker Relationship
Pension Actuarial Non-Marine Liability • Risk Engineering
• Corporate Tax • Contingency
• Life Tax Specialisation
• Corporate Trustee • Energy
• Tax Compliance • Valuations / Funding • Financial Guarantee
• VAT Compliance • Regulatory • Defined Benefit • Life Reinsurance
• Financial Effectiveness • Defined Contribution • Marine
• Financial Crime • Product Development • Buyout • Motor
• Advisory • Distrbution & Marketing • Property • Director of Underwriting /
• Monitoring • Cost Management • Reinsurance CUO
• Financial Promotions • Operational Effectiveness • Personal Accident • Head of Class
• Training • Integration Investment Actuarial • Political Risk • Lead Underwriter
Corporate Finance • Governance • Strategy & Growth • Shipping • Underwriter
• Claims • Consultancy
• Anti Money Laundering • Trade • Assistant Underwriter
• Underwriting • Asset Management
4. Selection of Successful Placements
AA Head of Customer Data & Pricing Axa Life Chief Actuary
ACE European Group Director of Planning & Analysis Axiom Chief Actuary
ACE European Group European Financial Controller Bank of America Lead Actuary
ACE European Group Legal Counsel Barclays Director, IT Audit
ACE European Group Chief Actuary Barclays Global Head of Product Governance
ACE European Group Director, European Audit Barclays Wealth Chief Risk Officer
AEGON Head of Market Risk & ALM BDO Director, Compliance
AET UK Head of Risk Bell & Clements Head of Audit
ALICO Life International Product Review Actuary Benfield Deputy Chief Actuary
Alliance Trust Head of Risk Benfield ReMetrics Senior Team Leader
Allianz Legal Counsel Brightoil (Hong Kong) Legal Counsel
Allianz, Italy Chief Reserving Actuary Brit Insurance Senior Claims Adjuster (Catastrophic Risk)
Alston Gayler Director of Finance Brit Insurance Head of Syndicate Reporting
Amlin Plc ISDA Negotiator Canada Life Head of AML
Amlin Plc Head of Finance Change Canada Life Chief Accountant
Amlin Plc Head of Financial Reporting Canada Life Head of AML
Amlin Plc Financial Controller, UK Canada Life Legal Counsel
Amlin Plc Head of Tax Capita Life & Pensions Legal Counsel
AON Legal Counsel Capita Life & Pensions Solvency II Programme Manager
AON Legal & Claims Counsel Catlin UK Capital Actuary
AON Claims Adjuster (Sydney) Charles Taylor Consulting Financial Controller
AON Claims Advocate (FI/D&O/BBB/PL) Chartis Actuarial Manager
Argo Head of Audit Chartis Capital Management Lead
Arthur J Gallagher Financial Controller Chartis Programme Director
Aspen Re Head of Technical Accounting Chaucer Plc Head of Investment Reporting
Aspen Re Head of Syndicate Accounting Chaucer Plc Head of Finance
Aspen Re Head of Business Partnering Chubb Insurance Financial Controller, Syndicate
Avantage Director of Risk Chubb Insurance Head of European Risk & Compliance
Avantage Director, Compliance Clyde & Co Senior Associate
Aviva Head of Management information Combined Insurance Chief Actuary
Aviva Director of Consolidations Combined Insurance Regulatory Legal Counsel
Aviva Director of Reporting and Consolidations Cooper Gay Group Financial Controller
Aviva Financial Controller - AGC Cooper Gay Head of Internal Audit & Risk
Aviva Head of Consolidation Deloitte & Touche Director, Insurance
Aviva Finance Business Partner Deloitte & Touche Director, Compliance
Aviva General Counsel Deloitte & Touche Director, Data Management
Aviva Director of GI Actuarial Deloitte & Touche Programme Director
Aviva Head of Internal Audit Deloitte & Touche Director, Regulatory Advisory
Axa Group Chief Risk Officer Deloitte & Touche Director, Audit
Axa Life Director of Finance Deloitte & Touche Partner, IT Audit
5. Selection of Successful Placements (Continued)
Endurance Professional Lines Claims Adjuster HSBC Life Interim Chief Actuary
ERGO Senior Life Actuary Imagine Underwriting Internal Audit Director
Ernst & Young Manager, Actuarial & Insurance Invesco Senior Compliance Executive
Everest Re Senior Claims Manager (New Jersey) Ironshore Inc Head of Internal Audit
Exporters CFO Jubilee Insurance Chief Actuary
Fidelity Compliance Manager Kiln Group General Counsel & Company Secretary
Financial Reporting Cncl Director of Projects Kiln Head of Syndicate Reporting
Flagstone Senior Claims Adjuster (Direct & Facultative) Kiln Property Claims Adjuster (North America)
Fortis Insurance CFO - GI KPMG Head of Finance Transformation - Life
Fortis Insurance CFO - Life KPMG Principle Consultant
Fortis Insurance Head of Compliance Kuwait Re Actuary
Friends Provident Head of Group SII Capital Reporting Legal & General Director of Audit
FSA Groups Policy Actuary Legal & General Senior Policy Manager
FSA Chief Actuary Legal & General Head of Reporting
Gard FD&D Manager London Legal & General Head of Group Consolidation
Generali Appointed Actuary Legal & General Head of Finance Change
Generali Latin American Legal & Claims Counsel Liberty Syndicates APH Claims Underwriter
Genworth Head of Financial Management Liberty Syndicates Head of Pricing
Genworth Director of Finance Liberty Syndicates Head of FP&A
Genworth CFO Liberty Syndicates Head of Capital
Genworth Director of Compliance Liberty Syndicates Head of Reserving
Griffin Insurance Assoc Claims Adjuster (Non-Marine) Liberty Syndicates D&O/ FI Claims Adjuster
Groupama Group Compliance Director Lloyd’s of London Senior Risk Manager
Hardy Underwriting Claims Adjuster - Property & Treaty Lloyd’s of London Senior Claims Manager
Hardy Underwriting Financial Controller LV= Head of Life Reporting
Hardy Underwriting Programme Manager LV= Director, Strategic Planning
Hiscox Head of Audit LV= Director, Life Actuarial Services
Hiscox Deputy Chief Investment Officer LV= With Profits Actuary
Hiscox Technical Claims Manager LV= Chief Actuary and AFH
Hiscox Finance Director, Guernsey Marsh UK Claims Performance & Operations Leader
Hiscox First Party Property Claims Underwriters Marsh SVP FINPRO Claims Advocate
Hiscox Reinsurance Claims Underwriter Marsh VP FINRPO Claims Advocate
Holman Fenwick Willan Senior Associate (Paris) Marsh Senior Business Architect
HSBC Legal & Litigation Counsel (Dubai) MetLife Director of Tax
HSBC (Retail) Corporate Counsel MetLife Legal Counsel
HSBC Group Insurance Head of Strategic Analysis & Capital Mgmt MGM Advantage Chief Actuary
HSBC Insurance Head of Risk MGM Advantage Marketing Actuary
HSBC Insurance Head of Audit MGM Advantage Head of Finance
HSBC Insurance Brokers Litigation Counsel MIB Director – Finance
HSBC Life CFO, Life Mitsui Sumitomo Ins Deputy Head of MI, Planning & Analysis
6. Selection of Successful Placements (Continued)
Munich Re (Germany) Head of Corporate Pricing Modelling RSA Emerging Markets Chief Actuary
Munich Re Underwriting Head of Internal Audit RSA Emerging Markets Chief Internal Auditor
Navigators Head of European Operations RSA Emerging Markets Head of Risk
Navigators European Actuary SCOR CFO, UK
Navigators Head of Actuarial SCOR Legal Counsel
Navigators Senior Claims Adjuster - Energy & Marine Scottish Re Financial Controller
Navigators Solvency II Programme Manager Skandia International International Financial Controller
Norton Rose Of Counsel, Singapore Skandia International Chief Actuary
Norton Rose Partner (Equity) Skandia UK Senior Controller
Odyssey Re Senior Pricing Actuary Skandia UK Employment Lawyer
Old Mutual Head of Audit Investment Management Standard & Poors Director – ECM Review Project
Pacific Life Re Marketing Actuary Standard & Poors Director
Partnership Assurance Head of Management Information Steamship Senior Claims Executive
Phoenix Head of Technical Reporting Sterling Insurance Chief Risk Officer
Phoenix Senior Legal Adviser Sterling Insurance Chief Actuary
Phoenix Head of Actuarial Systems Swiss Re Deputy Head of Investment Reporting
Phoenix Capital Actuary Swiss Re Director of Tax
Prudential Group Head of IFRS & US GAAP Swiss Re Head of Risk Metrics
Prudential UK Director of Innovation Swiss Re Industrial Property Underwriter
Prudential UK Head of Financial Risk (Annuities) Swiss Re Director of FP&A
Prudential UK Head of Solvency II Talbot Underwriting Head of Group Risk
PWC Director Talbot Underwriting Non-Marine Claims Adjuster
PWC Principal Consultant - Life Tawa Associates Deputy Chief Actuary
PWC Partner, Audit Thomas Miller Director of Claims
QBE Europe Legal Counsel Torus Financial Controller, UK
R&Q Deputy Chief Actuary Torus General Counsel & Compliance Officer
RBS Insurance Internal Audit & Risk Partner Towergate Underwriting Senior Commercial Underwriter
RBS Insurance Senior High Net Worth Underwriter Towers Watson Head of GI, Switzerland
RBS Insurance Head of Home Pricing and Underwriting Transatlantic Re Regional Actuary
RBS Insurance Change Risk Partner Travelers Solvency II Actuarial Manager
RSA Finance Business Partner – Special Projects Travelers Senior Development Underwriter
RSA Financial Controller Travelers Property Claims Adjuster – Binding Authority
RSA Director of Audit Watkins Syndicates Head of Audit
RSA Senior Corporate Motor Underwriter Willis Employment & SharePlan Lawyer
RSA Lead Trader Global Corporate Willis Casualty Manager (Actuarial)
RSA Chief Actuary, Italy XL Insurance Legal Counsel
RSA Director of Finance, More Than XL Insurance Senior Professional Indemnity Underwriter
RSA Head of Risk, UK XL Re Finance Director
RSA Emerging Markets CFO, Estonian Zurich Marine Claims Adjuster
8. 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 specification
Short/medium/long-term goals of the position
Reporting lines
Promotional prospects
Culture of team/department
Remuneration package
Interview processes
Company strategy
Profile 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.
9. 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 figure 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 financial
services market.
Advertising
We advertise across all forms of recruitment medium to attract proactive seekers of
new appointments within the financial services market.
Active and passive candidates
The results of our headhunting and other candidate-sourcing activities are stored in
our extensive database, which is specifically tailored to the financial services market
and allows us to make advanced searches based on criteria specific 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.
10. Selection
All candidates generated through head-hunting, referrals and responses to
advertisements are amalgamated with our extensive database. Our current database
consists of a significant volume of high calibre active and passive financial services
professionals. It is our ability to intricately map the financial 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 specification.
We assess their suitability to the role, re-confirm their current situation and ensure that
we have their most up-to-date CV.
Once we have qualified their suitability and interest, we obtain written confirmation
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.
11. 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, reconfirming 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.
12. Offer Management
Our consultants will offer you guidance about how to achieve the best possible offer
to secure the selected candidate without unnecessary negotiations. We will provide
the chosen candidates with the offer and provide guidance and manage the process
of accepting the offer, possible counter offers and negotiation of notice periods.
13. Post Acceptance
From acceptance of an offer 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.
14. Key Contact Details
Insurance & Asset Management Banking & Investment Banking
Nick Godson, Director Richard Pickard, Director
+44 (0)207 649 9461 +44 (0)207 649 9462
nick.godson@ojassociates.com richard.pickard@ojassociates.com
UK & Ireland
Finance Change Management Audit, Risk & Compliance Actuarial
Charlie Gordon Tim Dale Jamie Howard Clare Nash
+44 (0)207 649 9463 +44 (0)207 649 9352 +44 (0)207 310 8725 +44 (0)207 649 9350
charlie.gordon@ojassociates.com tim.dale@ojassociates.com jamie.howard@ojassociates.com clare.nash@ojassociates.com
Legal & Claims Underwriting Interim - Actuarial Interim - Finance & ARC
Bethany Kopiski Gareth Eggle Gary Rushton Charles Heptinstall
+44 (0)207 310 8726 +44 (0)207 310 8729 +44 (0)207 310 8793 +44 (0)207 310 8792
bethany.kopiski@ojassociates.com gareth.eggle@ojassociates.com gary.rushton@ojassociates.com charles.heptinstall@ojassociates.com
Continental Europe & Asia
Switzerland Benelux Germany Hong Kong
Emma Gilbert Julien Fabius Phu Le-Ngoc Jonny Plews
+44 (0)207 310 8782 +44 (0)207 649 9466 +44 (0)207 310 8643 +44 (0)207 649 9467
emma.gilbert@ojassociates.com julien.fabius@ojassociates.com phu.le-ngoc@ojassociates.com jonny.plews@ojassociates.com
Copyright Oliver James Associates 2011
