News

Following or forming: finding the value in core values

13th December 2022

Marex is growing, and we feel it is time to define our specific core values.

What comes first: the team, or the values that guide them?

Company core values are the beliefs and principles that drive your business.

They help direct every person on your team toward a common goal. They are a reminder that you share a bigger purpose.

Now, our team is a diverse bunch, who all feel they know the Marex way and Marex values.

I’ve been with Marex for nearly four years now and I’m still learning every single day.

Risk manager and director Neil has been with company for 17 years and has a huge mental database of knowledge and experience. Data analyst Kai has been with us slightly less than a year and brings a fresh perspective to the business.

So is the team following the core values, or are they also forming them?

Core values

Marex is growing, and we feel it is time to define our specific core values. It will help us work better together and distinguish our brand from the competition.

This was one of the reasons we sat down recently with Bob Keiller and Derrick Thomson of AB15 to help us discover what drives Marex.

We want something the team can get behind and understand. And ultimately, core values are critical if we want to create a long-lasting, successful and motivating place to work.

As well as me, Neil and Kai, we had our finance and administration manager Sam (10 years service), risk consultants Liam (three) and Iain (14), marine co-ordinator Nicola (also three) and technical consultant Varun (10).

It is a lot of Marex experience around one table.

The process

So we started by brainstorming round the table and noting down some ideas of what makes Marex, Marex.

Then, guided by Bob and Derrick, we grouped them around:

our focus on the client
the quality of the work we produce
our solutions
our people

This isn’t just an exercise in teamwork. We want to define them in a meaningful way.

And we don’t mean putting them on a mousemat and then getting back to work (thanks, Bob – and if you don’t know what we’re talking about, you can find out more here).

So it’s an ongoing process for us. We’ll get together as a team in the coming weeks to test and discuss ideas on how we can express what makes Marex different.