By 2005, Mike Daley had already begun thinking about what it might look like to run a firm of his own—one without the red tape and growing emphasis on managing strictly by the numbers, which increasingly distanced him from the excitement of working directly with clients. That year, following the acquisition of the firm he helped scale, Mike received a call from the new parent organization informing him that his role would become even more focused on operations and further removed from the day-to-day, relationship-driven aspects of the business. For Mike and Hank Phillips—two of the three founders of Daley And Associates—it confirmed what they had already been considering: it was time to take a different path. By that point, Daley and Phillips had spent decades working together in the recruiting industry as President and COO, respectively, and had developed their signature business strategy—one that was both success-driven and deeply people-centered.
Daley And Associates, LLC was founded in November of 2005. The changes at their previous firm were a sign for these Boston natives–born, raised, and educated in the city–to build something for the talent and opportunity in their hometown. From the beginning, Daley And Associates was, and still is, a family business. Though Daley and Phillips—along with their third co-founder, current CFO Christyn Thatcher—left their previous company together, it was Mike Daley’s vision and ambition that became the driving force behind the company.
"By using the Daley name, I wanted the firm to reflect authenticity and integrity in an industry that can often feel transactional."
Having grown up in a large Irish Catholic family with strong immigrant roots, Mike’s pride in his heritage and deeply held values became the foundation of the business. He chose to use the Daley family name and crest as the cornerstone of the company’s identity because he believed it conveyed a sense of accountability. Rather than hiding behind a generic brand name, he felt that putting his own name on the business embodied a commitment to standing behind the work and relationships he built.
Mike Daley devoted tremendous effort to ensuring that the company’s image and culture reflected his core values of trust, transparency, perseverance, and professionalism—principles instilled in him from a young age by his father, a blue-collar worker who believed deeply in hard work, discipline, and personal responsibility. “My father was the hardest-working and most trustworthy person I ever knew,” Mike often says. By using his family name and crest for the company, he infused that same work ethic and sense of accountability into the foundation of Daley And Associates.
According to firm partners Christyn Thatcher and Shawn Flaherty, Mike personally selected every piece of furniture, artwork, and branding element in the Daley And Associates office. These details remain in place today as a tribute to his vision, reminding everyone that every client relationship and candidate placement should be handled with the same care, integrity, and commitment that defined both his upbringing and his leadership. Daley And Associates was built on these relationships, and they remain the driving force behind its growth and longevity.
Today, Daley And Associates continues to honor our founding principles, earning recognition as one of Boston’s leading recruiting firms. With a team that shares Mike’s passion for integrity and excellence, led by his co-founder Christyn Thatcher, firm partners Shawn Flaherty and Rob Daley, and current President, Brian Daley, the company remains dedicated to building lasting partnerships grounded in trust and mutual success.
Learn more about the unique, tailored approach Daley And Associates takes to search and staffing services by reaching out to our team at daleyandassociates@daleyaa.com