John Koehler has had quite a professional journey, taking him from aspiring teacher in New York to successful UK recruiter. As Associate Director, Life Actuarial for Emerald Group, he is a highly respected actuarial recruitment specialist with an incredible network. We spoke to John shortly after he attended the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Life Conference 2024, to find out what drives John as he provides recruitment solutions for clients and candidates.

John, you’ve been with Emerald Group for 21 years. How did you start working for the company?

A chance meeting with Emerald Group’s Mike Doherty (Associate Director, Non-Life Actuarial) created an opportunity to consider recruitment as a career. It wasn’t something I’d thought about previously, but it sounded interesting. I decided to go for it, and really enjoyed it.

So you never set out to work in recruitment?

Absolutely not! I didn’t know anything about recruitment, let alone the actuarial profession. I was very driven though. Mike was a great colleague and I soaked up all the knowledge I could, completely unaware that I had actually made a life-changing decision.

When did you decide that you may have stumbled into a different career?

Things actually changed very quickly, and after six months of working incredibly hard, I was offered the opportunity to relocate to the UK. I had never considered moving overseas but Emerald Group were offering me this incredible experience. I already knew how much I liked working with Mike. Now Jeff Deacon, Emerald Group’s CEO was putting his faith in me as a good addition to the UK team and I was very driven to be successful. I took my time and decided that if I didn’t go for it, I might spend the rest of my life wondering “what if?” so I got on the plane and moved to…Basingstoke. Quite a change from New York!

How were those early days in the UK?

It was more different than anything I could have imagined! I didn’t know anyone and everything was new: it was a crash course in British culture but I soon found my way. I had a huge amount to learn about recruitment in the UK as well. Thankfully, Mike continued to support me and Steve Stubbings (Business Director, Life & Non-Life Actuarial) took on the challenge of guiding me through the unknown. I was lucky to have Steve as a mentor – then and now!

Did you ever question your decision?

I’m a really hard worker, so I kept going but yes, there were days when I didn’t think it would work. It took about 15 months before I broke through professionally and started to make the contribution to Emerald Group that I wanted to make. I went through so much change in that time: I moved country, started a new career, met and married my wife and moved house so it was pretty intense both personally and professionally.

And 21 years later, you’re still recruiting: what has kept you in the profession?

Recruitment is all about people, and I love that. I’m more motivated by helping candidates and clients achieve their goals than by financial gain.  The recent Life Conference is a good indicator of how rewarding it can be: I saw people I have known for years, interacted with people I had only ever met virtually, and linked up with new people that I know will be amazing connections going forward. I’ve worked hard to create a deep and broad network, and knowing my candidates and clients really well means I make a difference to their professional success – and enjoy the conversations along the way.

What difference do you make for your clients?

Every client is trying to build a team to drive their business forward. By investing the time in talking to clients and getting to know them and their business, I cut through the complexity of finding the right person: I go beyond just finding the right skill set, and look for candidates who will be a great match on attitude, personality and values. A good example is around collaboration: some clients need individuals who are self-sufficient and self-motivated.  Others want team members who will collaborate with colleagues and suit a team-focused environment. These are very different approaches, so helping clients get a good fit culturally makes for a successful placement and high retention rates.

What do you bring to your candidates?

I am genuinely invested in their professional success. One advantage of contingency work is that we work for both the candidate and the client so it’s in our interest to get it right for both sides. I really care about my candidates and their careers and want to help them navigate their move into a different role.

How does your personal experience help the people you work with?

I know how scary it can be to embrace change and take a risk. This definitely helps when I’m supporting someone who’s going through a life-changing decision that can have professional and personal consequences: I’ve been there! Because I took a leap of faith, the course of my life changed completely, and I’m so grateful to Emerald Group for the opportunity they gave me all those years ago.

And finally, any regrets about not pursuing a career in teaching?

I love the quote “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” I think this sums up my experience pretty well and I definitely don’t have regrets! Emerald Group has given me a brilliant career, led me to meet my wife and build a family, and I thrive on the connections I have with my colleagues and network. I like to think that sharing my professional knowledge and skills has helped me teach a few people along the way too.

Emerald Group recruitment consultants use their market knowledge and sector experience to place the right candidates in the best roles. If you’re looking for a new job, a new team member or even a career in recruitment, Emerald Group can help. For the best recruitment solutions in the actuarial and financial services sectors, call us on +44 (0)207 283 2520.

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