Meet Emma Law: Green Park’s Associate Partner and Central Government Executive Recruitment Expert

Written by Joanna Moriarty

Government and public sector recruitment expert, Emma Law, has joined Green Park’s Civil Society & Government Practice and is quickly demonstrating her value to this fast growing team. With experience of working with organisations ranging from the Metropolitan Police  to the Home Office, Emma brings a deep understanding of her clients and the challenges public sector leadership face: “I love the complexity of working across Central Government and the impact our appointments have on society as a whole,” she says. As Associate Partner, Emma is set to focus on Government Infrastructure, Policy & Security and Justice & Equality.

When it comes to Central Government Departments and agencies, there are few that Emma hasn’t dealt with. The British Transport Police; Ministry of Justice; the Civil Aviation Authority; HMPPS – the full list easily could take up the rest of the page. Over the last three years, she has worked across Whitehall, recruiting senior leaders for functions as varied as Finance, Operations and HR. Before this, Emma worked within the wider search and selection industry, recruiting at senior level across the UK and Europe.  

It’s a background that gives Emma a unique insight into the needs of her clients and the complex problems they face. And she believes that diverse recruitment remains one of the most widespread and problematic issues:

Representation that reflects society remains a huge challenge and is at the top of every organisation’s agenda,” says Emma. “Green Park is an industry pioneer in building diverse leadership teams and more equitable workplace cultures and Green Park already has a reputation for their successful track record in the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) field.

Emma sees the need for ministerial approval of high-level appointments as another challenge for the Central Government market. While there’s little clients can do, communication and forward-thinking can help mitigate the risks.

No. 10 has a stranglehold on senior appointments, especially at Board level. This means processes are delayed because ministerial approval must be obtained. This can have a devastating effect on processes and result in losing appointable candidates, especially if they’re involved in other recruitment processes that are moving at a faster pace. Although leaders’ hands are often tied, they need to think about practicalities and how processes will impact individuals.

Putting the red tape aside, who are the ideal candidates to lead central Government into the future? For Emma, they need to be “forward thinking, courageous, compassionate, inclusive and inspiring” – and as people-focused as they are technically talented.  

Leaders will need to possess a blend of strategic and operational capabilities to ensure organisational objectives are achieved. Resilience and emotional intelligence will also be key factors; the ability to create and nurture diverse teams will be at the core of every leader’s agenda.

Emma looks forward to partnering clients to find these outstanding candidates as part of the Green Park team.

It’s such a well-respected, future-facing brand,” says Emma. “I love the Board’s determination to be different and forge new ways of working in the industry – it’s refreshing!

Take the next step: find out more about Green Park’s Executive Search Practice.