04 Jan Why Marsden? Aaron Faith
Aaron Faith is Marsden’s Director for Middle East and Emerging Markets. Aaron set up our Dubai office in 2016 and is an experienced legal search consultant specialising in senior level and in-house and private practice mandates across the region.
Before moving into recruitment, Aaron practised criminal law for six years. “I really enjoyed legal practice, and I still miss it at times, but supporting my family on a criminal lawyer’s salary in London sadly wasn’t feasible. Crime doesn’t pay on any angle, I guess!”
After numerous conversations with an acquaintance at an international multi-sector agency, Aaron decided to give recruitment a try. “It took me a while to realise that it could be done in a different way. It wasn’t until then that I really started to enjoy and become successful at it.”
Aaron has always loved to travel and was keen to experience living and working abroad. He decided to move to Dubai as it was relatively close to the UK. He joined an international recruitment agency known for their in-house legal recruitment team and began placing senior legal roles. After rebuilding the Middle East practice and expanding it to parts of Africa and Turkey, he then moved back to London to head up the UK In-House team and continued managing the Middle East practice remotely.
It was around this time that he met Jonathan Marsden. “We clicked immediately. He was honest, straightforward, and determined to build the business. I liked the fact that Marsden was a collection of individuals with very different ways of working but with a consultative, ethical, and collegiate feel. I was also attracted by the high level of focus on building client relationships.”
Over the last six years, Aaron has expanded both his professional and personal commitment to the Middle East. He has built a substantial and well-connected network, working for multinationals and governments as well as recruiting for senior private practice roles and facilitating team moves. “We are fortunate to work on some incredibly complex and highly confidential projects. Outside of work my family keep me on my toes. I have three small boys who are thriving in school and have bundles of energy. My wife and I have just bought a house here and we even have a dog to complete the picture.”
Aaron loves living and working in the region. “It’s incredibly multicultural and I learn new things every day. The more I travel the more I realise how little I know which is very humbling and gives one a different outlook. I also love the vibe of the region – it never stops moving, always wants to grow, change and drive forward.”