People Journey Series | James Larkin, Managing Partner, Performance & Growth, New York

We take a look behind the corporate bios of our team to uncover what drives them in their careers and why they continue to choose Marlin Hawk. First in our People Journey Series is James Larkin, Managing Partner, Performance & Growth, New York.

01. Tell us about your career to date with Marlin Hawk.

I joined Marlin Hawk after meeting with five other search firms; it was immediately clear that it was the best fit for me. International, great size (and growing) and an entrepreneurial culture. I started in the UK working within the Financial Services practice, and after a couple of years, moved to join the New York office and started working with our US clients across all sectors. The experiences since then made me the search professional I am today. Ownership, execution and putting the client's needs front and centre; this was the culture we created. We were a small company taking on the largest players in the industry. Over a period of seven years, we have built brand value, deepened our relationships, onboarded great talent into our own organisation and broadened our client base across industry sectors.

02. What attracted you to Marlin Hawk? And how have we delivered on expectations?

Marlin Hawk is one of the only search platforms that acts as a career accelerant. For those that want to grow, at pace, and take on more responsibilities in a shorter space of time compared to competitor firms, we can and do offer that. If you have a genuine interest in a sector of the marketplace, we will do everything we can to position you to grow in that area.

03. What has been your greatest achievement so far?

Without question, being involved in helping to onboard and grow the incredible team we have today. Going from a few people working around the clock five years ago, to a thriving company full of smart, eager and professional individuals, adding value to the leadership of companies around the world, has been truly inspiring. I know at many other companies that hard work would not have been recognized, and those late nights would have been squandered.

04. What or who has helped you along the way?

Everyone! From leadership, to my peers and those in my team, Marlin Hawk is a network of support, if and when you need it. On top of the people, I would say intrigue. You can become competent in any subject with enough interest, research and conversations with true experts; our jobs offer that. Making sure you maintain that interest to learn is incredibly valuable in this business. A good memory helps as well.

05. How would you describe the culture at Marlin Hawk?

Entrepreneurial, fast paced and ever evolving. We have changed almost beyond recognition since I joined 10 years ago; I am sure the same will be true of the next ten years. Our industry won’t be innovated or disrupted by those that command the largest portion of the market, but by those that are most nimble and willing to test new hypotheses for how things are done. This is what keeps us hungry at Marlin Hawk; the drive to disrupt is in our DNA.