Meraki Talent grows with new London office

Meraki Talent co-founder Andrew Welsh said opening a London office was 'the next logical step'. Picture: contributed.

Meraki Talent, which specialises in hires for the finance and professional services sectors, established its new City of London base as it looks to expand its offering.

The firm counts global banks, fund management firms and “Big Four” accounting firms among its clients.

Founded in January 2015 by Andrew Welsh and Laura Drysdale, who previously worked in senior roles at Change Recruitment Group, Meraki Talent has grown to a team of 23 recruiters based in its Edinburgh headquarters and Glasgow office.

With the backing of recruitment industry expert and former Dragons’ Den investor Caan, the company has taken the strategic decision to open an office in the UK capital.

Founding director Welsh said: “Opening a new London office is the next logical step for our business. Most of our clients have a presence in the Square Mile and in 2017 we derived 18 per cent of our financial services revenue from the City.

“As part of delivering a world class service, by putting experts on the ground, we will aim to further expand our service to both existing and new clients”.

Nathan MacFie, senior manager for the firm’s investment management and asset servicing business, is relocating from Edinburgh to lead the company’s London presence.

He said: “Our success has been based on our unique way of working, combining efficiency, integrity and reliability to produce the best results and exceed expectations. We live by this which is why clients stay with us.

“I’m looking forward to introducing this culture and way of working into our new London-based team.”

The business cited the consistent growth of its client base as a “strong indicator” of the health of the UK financial services sector.

Commenting on Meraki’s performance and future outlook, Caan said: “From day one, I knew Andrew and Laura had the skills to scale. They are an incredible example of how to build a robust business.

“By attracting great people, who are also market experts, to work with them, staying focused on the core elements that really matter to clients, and taking care of candidates they have gained trust and credibility in a highly competitive space.

“I’m proud of their achievements and look forward to future announcements that further demonstrate their capability to succeed and grow.”

Caan has worked in the recruitment industry for more than 30 years. His first recruitment business, Alexander Mann, sold for £260 million in 2013, while the second, Humana International, expanded to establish a presence in 30 countries.

Meraki Talent’s expansion is the latest in a string of successes for the Scottish recruitment sector.

Earlier this month, Edinburgh-based Taranata Group reported a rise in annual turnover of 39 per cent, while in July, specialist marketing recruitment agency and headhunter Denholm strengthened its team with new hires after booking 13 per cent revenue growth during the first half of the year.