The Shortlist – A Personal Perspective, from Joshua Crush

Senior consultant Joshua Crush joined Damhurst in 2021 with ten years’ experience across the insurance and finance sectors. Following an early career in asset management, he joined NFU Mutual as an insurance executive, managing a portfolio of HNW clients.

Client-focused and expert at building strong relationships, Joshua is a calm and compassionate member of the Damhurst team, valued for his skill in delivering mandates from research through to appointment.

In this month’s edition of The Shortlist, our interview series with Damhurst team members, Joshua discusses the evolution of his career, the importance of relationships in executive search, and his fondness for a dad joke or two.

I love helping people on their personal journeys. I started my career in asset finance, securing funding for supercars, machinery, yachts and planes. Enabling clients to fulfil a personal ambition or move their business forward was the perfect grounding for my move to executive search.

Working at the NFU was really rewarding. I was helping HNWIs with their specific insurance needs, which meant spending time on large estates valuing unique family heirlooms. But I knew I wanted to establish an international footprint, so I started looking for opportunities in London.

My job is testament to the power of personal relationships. My wife taught [Damhurst MD] James’s daughter at school, and I met James at her birthday party. We got talking about the London insurance market, and he invited me to come into the office and meet some of the team. I’ve now been here just shy of four years.

Executive search means getting to know people. It’s really important that we understand what people’s ambitions are, both personally and company-wide. We need to be able to adapt to different personalities and find the best way to connect with each client and candidate on an individual level.

My role has evolved organically. I came in to understand executive search, running research for particular mandates, and quite quickly started managing and delivering on those mandates. Now, as a senior consultant, I’m meeting clients and winning new business, turning the relationships I’ve built into projects and opportunities.

We pick up the phone knowing we might be about to change someone’s life. More often than not, candidates are happy and doing well in their existing role. We have to win their trust and show them what we can offer above and beyond that. It’s rewarding, six or twelve months down the line, to see what a great job they’re doing and the positive impact they’re having in their new position.

Insurance is cyclical – firms have good years and not so good years. Our role is to guide and support them, whether they’re planning for rapid growth or preparing for market challenges. We have to be fluid in our approach.

We have a lot of fun at work. With some recruitment models, individuals are only looking to support their own ambitions. We don’t compete at Damhurst – we’re all working together for the same goal. If there’s an expert in a particular class or field of experience, they’re naturally the best person to work on it, supported by other people in the team.

I bring the dad jokes to Damhurst. Humour brings an element of perspective and helps to relieve tension during busy periods. It’s refreshing being part of a team where we can all laugh at ourselves.

Outside of work, I like to stay active. I love getting out onto the South Downs or down to the coast for walks with my family. My wife and I have a 3-year-old daughter and another one on the way later this year. Cycling is my other passion – I’ve recently returned from a tour of the Alps.

Volunteering as a careers mentor means a lot to me. I started working with Year 10 students at a school in Brighton, preparing them for college and apprenticeship interviews. Now I mentor for careers education charity M10 on a programme called The Boys’ Network, which supports young lads aged 14 to 19. Growing up in a family of teachers, I often felt that higher education was the only option, so it’s been great to explore alternative routes to success with the young people I mentor.

For more information about M10’s mentoring programmes, visit https://www.m10.org.uk/mentoring