Aberdeen recruiter relaunches with oil and gas headhunting group

An Aberdeen-based recruitment group is targeting ambitious growth after relaunching as part of a deal that brings together three headhunters whose focuses include the oil and gas sector.

Maxwell Drummond Group, which combines Maxwell Drummond and FG Associates (FGA), and encompasses recruitment business Carlton Resource Solutions, has been re-established with a fresh leadership team.

Andrew MacDonald, who founded Maxwell Drummond International (MDI) in 1994, said he hopes the strategy will see the brands restored “to their former glory”.

Between 2000 and 2016, MacDonald was majority shareholder and, latterly, chairman of Carlton and MDI. At its peak, MDI operated out of offices in Aberdeen, ­London, Houston, Calgary, Rio and Singapore, before it went into liquidation in 2016 on the back of the downturn in the oil and gas sector.

Maxwell Drummond's board of directors (left to right): Phil Smith, Craig Finnie, Andrew MacDonald and Andrew Burton. Picture: Contributed

Maxwell Drummond Group’s new board of directors includes MacDonald as initial principal investor, along with FGA co-founders Craig Finnie, Andrew Burton and Phil Smith, who will head up the new venture from the Granite City. The board boasts more than 120 years of ­combined experience.

FGA, previously based at 18 Albert Street, launched in 2016 to specialise in finding talent through its “innovative” shared risk model, which Maxwell Drummond Group will continue to use. Its brand is being absorbed into the group.

Carlton, which supplies engineering, technical and ­commercial personnel to the oil and gas industry, will complement its sister company’s executive search offering, while operating as a standalone entity. It is currently undergoing a rebranding exercise that will include the creation of a new website.

The group has moved to larger premises at 37 Albert Street, which will initially house Maxwell Drummond’s team of four, as well as five existing Carlton personnel.

It plans to create up to five jobs by the end of the year. All current Carlton staff, ­previously located at Waterloo Quay Properties, remain with the business, while former FGA director Martyn Garvie has exited the group as planned to pursue other opportunities.

MacDonald said: “The new leadership team at Maxwell Drummond Group has unrivalled industry knowledge with a truly global reach and more than 120 years’ ­combined experience in the recruitment sector.

“With this wealth of knowledge, I am extremely confident in our ability to drive these two well-respected brands forward in both the local and international markets and restore both companies to their former glory.”

Craig Finnie, group managing director at Maxwell Drummond Group, added: “Our goal is to create a market-leading local business with a strong international presence through reigniting the Maxwell Drummond brand.

“We believe there is enormous potential to rapidly expand our unique offering beyond Aberdeen into new locations.

“Combined with our shared risk model, the increased scale and resources will allow us to build upon the successful growth of FGA as a start-up.”