Spotlight on Maria Deacon, Exec Director and Co-Founder

As Emerald Group celebrates 25 years in business, we go behind the scenes to meet the people behind the industry-leading recruiter for the financial services and actuarial sector. 

Here we talk to Maria Deacon, Co-Founder and Executive Director, who has been a driving force behind Emerald Group since the company was founded.

Maria, you started Emerald Group with Jeff Deacon in 1998.  How did the business begin? 

We were both at a career crossroads when we set up Emerald Group. We’d come from successful careers in the police force and were looking for the right direction for the future. At the time, Jeff was heading for a career in law, studying for a law degree while I was working as a financial services recruitment consultant.  I’d discovered recruitment almost by accident. I’m naturally quite a people person and have always been drawn to situations where I can engage directly with people, so when a recruiter suggested I join them, it felt like something I would enjoy. When Jeff completed his degree, he took a job in recruitment thinking it would be temporary, but we both agreed recruitment was a great choice for our future.  We also knew that we wanted to create something different to other recruitment companies: we set up Emerald Group and we haven’t looked back.

What were those early days like?

Hard work and stressful! We had a young family and initially, I kept a part-time job to give us an income until we could rely on Emerald Group financially. We worked all the hours we could to get started, and we were very driven: we wanted to build a business that was based on our values, which was a great motivation.  Our first office was above a take-away restaurant in Basingstoke and it was a relief when our client base increased so that we could move into a bigger space and escape the smell of fried chicken!

What were your initial goals for Emerald Group?

We knew that we could give clients and candidates a better experience than other recruiters. Our goal from our first day was to provide a quality service. We put a huge effort into creating strong connections and networks. Our clients and candidates valued meeting us face to face, so we made this a priority, getting to know them and what they wanted: professional goals, career aspirations, hiring needs and company priorities. We built exceptional market knowledge and this, combined with our previous recruitment experience, helped us stand out to the people we worked with. 

How have your values shaped Emerald Group?

It has always been very important to me that we treat people how we want to be treated ourselves: we want people to listen to us, understand our needs and act on that. It sounds simple but listening and being able to talk to people are fundamental skills for a recruiter. It’s remarkable how often other recruiters put speed first. We have never worked this way. We take time to build genuine partnerships and that has underpinned our success.

As a female entrepreneur and business leader, has your experience been different to Jeff’s?

We’re a great partnership but I think it’s inevitable that we’ve both had different experiences on this journey together. I’m part of a family of strong, independent women and there was never any question about what I could achieve with hard work and determination. That said, raising a family and running a business is definitely a challenge. Like many parents and people with broad responsibilities, I found early on that I needed to be organised and efficient. I’ve still ended many working days feeling frazzled and overstretched, but even that helps me understand the experience of the other people I work with. We have a lot of senior women in our business and we encourage everyone who starts a family to come back after parental leave. I know from experience that having children takes you through many different phases, so we’re flexible as needs vary. And we benefit because our amazing team stays with us, even as their circumstances change.

What’s been your biggest challenge in the last 25 years?

When we hire someone, they’re choosing us too and that’s a responsibility I take seriously. I really care about the people that work for us and when a staff member is facing personal or professional challenges, we try to support them wherever we can. I’ve been known to switch into overdrive when people need help and that can be a personal challenge at times. I’d like to say I’m working on it but I know I will never change! My team means a huge amount to me. 

What are you most proud of?

When we started Emerald Group in 1998, we couldn’t have envisioned the thriving, successful business that we have today. For 25 years, we have provided a service that our clients and candidates return to time and again because they know we’re the best in the sector. We have built a team of highly skilled professional recruiters that successfully support the recruitment needs of the global financial services and actuarial market. Above all, we’ve created a company that feels like a family, bringing together an amazing group of people who support each other and drive the success of our business. I’m very proud of that.

To find out more about how Emerald Group can help you source the best candidates in the actuarial and financial services sectors, please call us on +44 (0)207 283 2520.