Office Manager for Ashmore Group plc

About Ashmore

Ashmore Group plc is a global specialist investment manager with operations spanning international markets and a reputation for professionalism and disciplined performance. Ashmore Investment Management Limited, part of the group, is a globally recognised investment manager specialising in emerging markets.

To support the London headquarters, Ashmore engaged Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Office Manager to oversee workplace operations, facilities services and administrative functions in a demanding financial services environment.

Our work with Ashmore

• Office Manager, London headquarters (Ashmore Investment Management Limited, Ashmore Group plc)

Office Manager

The brief

The Office Manager role brought together operational, administrative and commercial responsibilities. Ashmore needed someone who could own both strategic and day-to-day office requirements while holding high standards of service, compliance and cost control. The remit covered:

• Office and Facilities Management. Keeping the workplace and its Facilities services reliable, professional and responsive to business requirements.
• Strategic office management. Improving workplace processes so that office operations supported Ashmore's wider commercial priorities.
• Administration and records management. Managing administrative requirements and archiving, and leading the administrative team.
• Budget management. Monitoring office expenditure and maintaining financial control across Facilities and workplace budgets.
• Procurement and supplier management. Managing purchasing, negotiating with suppliers and contractors, and monitoring their performance.
• Health & safety. Maintaining workplace health and safety procedures, carrying out routine checks and overseeing compliance.
• Travel management. Coordinating business travel for employees.
• Multi-site coordination. Supporting the group's overseas offices.
• Stakeholder support and service performance. Working with colleagues, senior stakeholders and suppliers, and reviewing key office services against operational and commercial expectations.

The challenge

Office Manager titles cover a wide spectrum. In an investment management firm the role sits closer to a workplace and facilities lead than to an administrative post. Discretion, presentation and responsiveness are taken for granted, and an Office Manager who is strong administratively but uncomfortable negotiating with suppliers or holding a budget will struggle with half the remit.

Our approach

Maxwell Stephens worked closely with Ashmore's leadership team to understand the role, the culture and the operational priorities. Drawing on our facilities and workplace management network, we searched for candidates with experience across both office management and Facilities Management in professional and financial services environments. Candidates were assessed on facilities and workplace expertise, leadership and people management, health and safety, budget management, procurement and supplier negotiation, records and travel coordination, communication and stakeholder engagement, problem-solving, cultural alignment and proficiency with the core software the role required. Particular weight went on the ability to prioritise and keep control across several workstreams at once.

The outcome

Maxwell Stephens placed an Office Manager with extensive experience in workplace operations, facilities management and team leadership, who quickly took ownership of workplace services, facilities operations and administrative functions. The appointment gave Ashmore:

• Dedicated oversight of day-to-day office operations and consistent support for employees.
• A structured approach to health and safety, including routine inspections and compliance activity.
• Tighter control of workplace expenditure through budget management and supplier negotiation.
• Stronger supplier relationships and clearer expectations on service performance.
• Better coordination of records, archiving, purchasing, travel and wider administration.
• Productive relationships with internal colleagues and external providers.

Why it worked

The search treated the Office Manager position as the workplace and facilities leadership role it actually is, and assessed candidates on supplier management, compliance and budget control as much as on organisation and communication. That framing produced candidates who could take ownership rather than simply keep the office ticking over. The pattern holds across the office and facilities roles we recruit in financial services: operational reliability has to be backed by commercial awareness, discretion and close attention to detail, and the search has to test for all of them.

If you are recruiting an Office Manager or workplace lead for a financial or professional services environment, get in touch with our team to discuss the brief.