Amarval was founded in 2021 on a straightforward belief: the people doing the highest-value work in recruitment deserve to own what they build. What started as a reaction to something broken is becoming something bigger.
We work hard and care about what we do, because what we do matters. Whether that's finding the right teacher for a London school, the right leader for a growing company, or backing a recruiter who's ready to build their own firm.
Founded in 2021, Amarval has grown from a single partner model into a multi-sector practice operating across Education, Flex & Space, and Executive Search, with a London City base and partners working across the UK.
The conversation about flexible work has been dominated by location. Where you sit is a secondary question. The primary question is: who benefits from the value you create?
Amarval is built on the idea that the people doing the highest-value work in recruitment should have genuine ownership over what they build; their client relationships, their reputation, and their financial upside. The model exists because that wasn't the default. We decided to make it one.
If our partners grow beyond the standard Amarval structure, we back them. With operational support, introductions, and an open mind. Their success reflects ours. We consider it the model working exactly as intended when.
We turn down clients who want to fill roles in 48 hours with whoever is available. We tell candidates when a move isn't right, even if that delays a fee. One good long-term relationship is worth more than ten poor short-term ones.
The best people in any field are increasingly unwilling to organise their lives around a postcode. We've built a structure that meets that reality; our City of London office is there when you want it, not when we demand it.
The clearest proof that our model works is when our partners commit to building something of their own, with us.
A Partner with nearly 20 years in education recruitment who built a loyal client base of London schools — she now operates a specialist practice with full independence, backed by the relationships and infrastructure Amarval offers.
A Partner who spent years developing deep relationships with flexible office and third-space providers in London. When the time came to build independently, he leveraged Amarval's operational and financial support.
Our structured exec search model was built around work that started inside the Amarval partnership. When this Partner was ready to launch a niche practice, we supported the transition, because that's what backing our people actually means.
Amarval was built by experienced recruiters who had spent years doing exceptional work for agencies that took most of the value. The question wasn't whether a better model existed, it was whether anyone would build it.
Dee, who joined as a founding partner in 2021, leads our Education practice and has been supporting schools for nearly 20 years. Several of our partners were practitioners in the sectors they recruit for. That's not a coincidence.
"I was comfortable, did a good job and built a big desk and loyal client relationships at my last employer. I took a chance when I became a partner, but I can't recommend it highly enough."