On 27 March 2003, Godliman Partners was incorporated as a private Limited Company under the UK Companies Act 1985 – so today is our 20th Birthday.
When we look back at our journey, it has been an eventful ride, against a seemingly ever more volatile backdrop of market bulls, bears, and once-in-a-lifetime shocks. Godliman has evolved through various structures and forms but, throughout, we have remained committed to our core values and aim to be the best search firm in the Industry, doing the best work with the happiest people.
To put this in perspective, a 2022 study by Fundsquire, a global start-up funding network, found that only 40% of small businesses survive for 20 years or more. The UK Office of Fiscal Studies puts the number at fewer than 30%.
Moreover, those 20 years have been book-ended by two wars (the Gulf War in 2003, and the Ukraine War in 2022/3), the Financial Crash in 2008/9, and two ‘once in a generation’ geopolitical shocks of Brexit and Covid. The market shocks come thick and fast these days.
All of this means we feel very fortunate that we have not only survived but are in better shape than ever for the next decade, no matter what happens in the markets.
We have always been a values-driven business: our ethos is our moral compass to which we hold ourselves accountable, and to which others can hold us accountable too. We believe it is these values that have helped us to evolve with the markets.
As Justin Trudeau said in 2018:
The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.”
In this environment, the key to ongoing success has been to continually review, assess, learn, and improve. Hence, over the last 20 years, we have continually evolved the company and enhanced our approach to Search.
Thank you to all our clients (two of whom have chosen to work with us over the full 20 years) and the candidates and teams we have placed over the years, to allow us to reach this milestone anniversary.
Last edited 27th March 2023