"It’s never been about us:” Louise Powrie on values-based leadership

In this edition of our ‘In Conversation’ series, we sit down with Louise Powrie, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Core-Asset Consulting. With nearly two decades at Core-Asset, Louise has been a steadfast advocate for the company’s mission. Known for her values-driven approach to recruitment, she is deeply committed to promoting social mobility and diversity. Louise reflects on her journey to co-founding a business that prioritises integrity and inclusivity, and she shares her vision for Core-Asset’s next chapter as it brings its relationship-first model to new financial hubs.

Hi, Louise. Tell us about yourself and your journey to where you are today?

I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up with such supportive parents. I went to a state school in Fife, where my local accent was part of who I was, and I was encouraged to follow whatever made me happy, with no pressure to choose a specific path. I was the first in my family to go to university, and I ended up studying Business.

After graduating, I came across a graduate training scheme in mobile phone management and thought I’d give it a go. My dad drove me to the assessment centre in Newcastle and waited around for hours, showing the same incredible support I’d always had from my family—a support I once took for granted, but now realise isn’t something everyone has. That’s something I’m really passionate about, and something that has shaped our DE&I strategy and partnerships.

After being offered the role, I spent the next few years as an assistant store manager on Princes Street in Edinburgh. It was an exciting time during the mobile phone boom, with constant demand and a fast pace—I quickly learned how to lead a team, manage commercial operations, and drive sales.

How did you move from retail to recruitment?

This experience helped me realise what I loved most: interacting with people. With a solid foundation in sales and client service, recruitment felt like a natural fit.  I truly believe everyone should experience time in a customer-facing environment; it really defines the principles of good service. You can’t hide from an unhappy customer when they are right in front of you. This absolute commitment in providing top-tier service is why our candidates partner with us, and our clients trust us with long standing relationships that are nearly as old as our business itself.

I first met Betsy (now CEO of Core-Asset Consulting) when I joined a national recruitment agency. Betsy became my manager, and I dove head-first into a completely new world, recruiting for the financial sector. Suddenly, I found myself in sleek, wood-panelled boardrooms, surrounded by the hum of high-stakes finance—it felt surreal. But I quickly adapted, grew to love the fast pace, and was hooked.

Tell us how Core-Asset Consulting was born.

After a few years, Betsy moved to an executive search firm and asked me to join her. Shifting from a large firm to a smaller executive search company allowed us to take a more targetted approach, offering clients the expertise they wanted.  We focused on finding the best talent - those with specific skills and values matching the client’s needs; rather than the most readily available.

Eventually, Betsy decided to set up her own business and asked if I would join her. As anyone that knows Betsy well will attest, she makes things happen! We shared a strong belief in doing things differently, and over the years I am so proud that we have achieved what we set out to do.

We founded Core-Asset on strong values: the belief that people are truly the core asset of any business, and that acting ethically and with integrity is the foundation of the way we operate. Our goal has always been to find the best talent for clients and to represent their brands in the market as if they were our own. It’s never been about us; it’s about our clients and candidates. We’re dedicated to placing people in roles where they can truly thrive.  Our industry-low rebate rate is something I’m so, so proud of: 98% of the candidates we place stay in their role for the long-term.

Where did that ethos come from?

We had a strong conviction that the market needed a different approach from what larger corporate recruitment firms dictated. Our clients value relationships and expertise, and we recognised that they wanted a partnership, not a hard-sell approach. So from the beginning, we focused on being industry experts, building trusted, long-term relationships, delivering the highest quality in all interactions, and acting as true extensions of our clients.

Our clients needed people who understood their culture and had the right skills. We wanted to be the trusted partner to represent their brands. For candidates, it’s about helping them find roles that genuinely enhance their lives. We approach recruitment with integrity and a long-term view, which has set us apart from the start.

How have you kept those values at the core of your work as the business has grown?

It has come down to our own people with our team. We hired people who genuinely shared our commitment to integrity and knowing that doing the right thing is always the best outcome.  We have witnessed so much change and challenge over the years, we adapt to market changes—understanding trends, economic shifts, and evolving client needs. Being informed helps us stay relevant and keep our relationships strong, no matter how the industry changes. Our long-standing relationships have always helped us find the right solutions for our clients and candidates, keeping us adaptable and focused no matter how the industry changes.

We’re also passionate about diversity and often challenge clients to look beyond traditional criteria. We consider life experiences, like balancing work and study, as indicators of resilience and intelligence. A candidate might not have a degree but could bring immense value due to their unique path.

Has your own background shaped the ways you support candidates from underrepresented backgrounds?

Social mobility and gender have always been causes close to my heart. Coming from a working-class background, I know firsthand how transformative access to education and opportunity can be when someone believes in you and champions your goals. While I’m fortunate to feel proud of my background, I know this isn’t the case for everyone; some struggle to feel at home or progress because of where they come from. That’s why I’m deeply committed to supporting those who may not have that encouragement, helping them to unlock their potential and achieve their ambitions. Over the years we’ve developed partnerships with a network of organisations to affect industry change. We work with MCR Pathways, an incredible initiative that provides support to care-experienced young people and those facing challenges, giving them the consistent support and encouragement that was so vital in my own journey. I’m passionate about helping to create opportunities that allow these young people to believe in their potential, whatever path they might choose.

Another project I’m particularly proud of is our work with Future Asset, an initiative that opens the world of finance to young girls. It’s a sector that’s still really grappling with gender disparity, and through competitions and a strong alumni network, Future Asset inspires young women to explore careers in investment, showing them a future they might never have imagined.  We have seen some real momentum with the industry shifting towards more gender equality.  This initiative really helps allow the young women to access any door they choose to open and know they deserve to be there.

Fortunately, views are changing, there’s a greater appreciation for the value of diverse voices at the table. We partnered with Progress Together, a membership body, in 2023 as their commitment to drive awareness and more openness on encouraging retention and development for those in senior leadership roles resonates with us.  Over the years we have seen great work to improve attraction within the industry from under-presented parties but the real challenge can come when talent is in the door.  Our goal is to further foster this mindset shift, helping clients recognise that authentic, diverse perspectives enhance their organisations in so many ways. Whilst social mobility isn’t a protected characteristic, it can be a major discriminatory factor and needs addressed.  We prioritise each candidate’s skills and potential, encouraging clients to focus on what candidates can bring rather than where they come from. Not long ago, some clients might have overlooked candidates as being “too colloquial” or “not polished enough.”

How do you envision Core-Asset evolving in the future?

We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved, particularly in Scotland. The next step is a natural one: continuing to further our impact geographically in other financial hubs, such as London. While we’ve worked with clients across the UK and Ireland for years, we’re now focused on building a structure that lets us deliver our approach on a larger scale. With our 20th anniversary approaching in 2025, we’re excited about what’s ahead. Our strategic growth plans are centred on taking our relationship-first model to more clients while remaining true to our values. It’s an exciting challenge, and with the strong foundation we’ve built, we’re ready to take it on.  DE&I will continue to play a significant part of our journey.