This year has started out on a high for a former chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

Marcia Roberts will be presented with an MBE later this year for her contributions to the recruitment industry and to diversity (recruiter.co.uk, 5 January). Notified of her New Year’s Honour in early December, Roberts told Recruiter: “I think it was probably the biggest secret I’ve ever had
to keep.”

She has also begun a new part-time job, as a member of the General Dental Council’s Appointments Committee. The GDC committee is responsible for maintaining the high quality of those judging dental professionals’ fitness to practise. Her new job “combines my experience
of recruitment with my experience of regulations. It’s a perfect role for me at this time”, Roberts said.

Roberts stepped down from the REC’s top job in May 2007 due to serious illness. She was appointed CEO in September 2006, and had previously held the roles of deputy CEO and external affairs director. “2007 was a difficult year for me. I spent six months preparing to die, then six months preparing to live, and then tried to get myself back together again,” she said.

“At the moment, I am healthy, I am well and I am just enjoying life.”

In addition to her GDC responsibilities, Roberts would like to work closely in a board capacity involving her long-time interest. “I would love to be on a board of an animal charity or something similar.”

The diversity reference in her MBE reflects her having been the driving force behind the REC’s Diversity Pledge launched in conjunction with Jobcentre Plus in 2005, and the creation of a diversity toolkit. “I was delighted that the diversity toolkit has proven to be of such value. The beauty of it is its simplicity, and I am really pleased that small agencies can do best practice with a simple toolkit when they don’t have an HR professional,”Roberts said.

She said she does not see any formal involvement with recruitment in the future. “It was an absolute honour for me to hold the position, and I wish [current CEO] Kevin Green all the luck in the world,” she said.

“I wish the industry and REC members all the best in what is probably going to be a difficult trading year.”