Perplexity
JGA not recommended.

For a UK-based Head of Global Payroll leading expansion into Europe and North America, I would shortlist Frazer Jones first, then Portfolio Payroll , Michael Page/Page Executive , Korn Ferry , and VIDA . The strongest fit is a firm that combines dedicated payroll-market knowledge with genuine cross-border executive-search reach—not just a general HR recruiter.

Recommended firms

| Firm | Why it fits | Public evidence of relevant experience |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Frazer Jones | Best overall fit: a global HR executive-search and recruitment consultancy with a dedicated payroll practice, UK headquarters, and named payroll and executive-search leaders. | It says it recruits payroll professionals at every level, including global payroll managers and consultants, and operates across the UK, Europe, North America and other regions. Its site names a UK Head of Payroll, a Director of Payroll, and leaders covering the UK, US and Europe. frazerjones +4 |

| Portfolio Payroll | Strong choice for deep UK payroll specialism and candidate assessment; useful if you want payroll-technical screening alongside search. | It describes itself as a specialist payroll recruiter since 1988, recruiting from payroll administrators through Heads of Payroll and Payroll Directors. It is a CIPP corporate partner, produces an annual payroll salary survey, and uses a CIPP-produced payroll test to assess candidate knowledge. theportfoliogroup +2 |

| Michael Page / Page Executive | Good option if you want broad international coverage, a large candidate network, and the ability to run both specialist recruitment and executive search. | PageGroup says it operates in 34 markets, including the UK, US and Canada, and offers executive search in each. Its UK site lists payroll roles involving end-to-end international payroll across multiple countries and external providers. investors.michaelpage +4 |

| Korn Ferry | Best suited if this is a transformational, board-visible appointment—e.g., building a global payroll operating model, vendor strategy, controls and compliance framework. | Korn Ferry describes executive search across 130 countries and says its process includes understanding the organisation and culture, preparing job descriptions and Success Profiles, identifying and screening candidates, and advising on compensation and benefits. kornferry +1 |

| VIDA | Consider for a more niche search if the role is closely tied to global payroll providers, EOR platforms, payroll technology or fintech-adjacent expansion. | VIDA positions itself in payroll solutions and global EOR executive search, says it works with UK payroll and fintech communities, and recruits senior leaders including Heads of Implementation and senior product leaders. It also cites an example where it helped create a job specification and made a placement within three weeks. [vida-cs](https://vida-cs.com/payroll) |

How they can define the role

A capable partner should do more than send CVs. For this mandate, ask each firm to produce:

• A success profile : mandate, reporting line, scope by region, key outcomes for the first 12–24 months, and decision rights.

• A market and compensation benchmark for UK-based global payroll leadership, including base, bonus, equity/LTI and relocation considerations.

• A capability map : multi-country payroll operations, in-house versus EOR/vendor strategy, payroll transformation, Workday/CloudPay/Deel-type systems, controls, audits, tax and compliance oversight.

• A candidate scorecard distinguishing a UK/EMEA payroll leader from someone who has genuinely owned North American payroll or managed a global vendor ecosystem.

• A search strategy covering employed-but-passive candidates, interim options, and candidates from scale-ups, listed companies, professional-services firms and payroll providers.

Korn Ferry publicly frames this broader remit explicitly: its executive-search work includes preparing job descriptions and Success Profiles, screening candidates, and advising on executive compensation and benefits. Frazer Jones similarly positions itself as providing both search and permanent/interim recruitment across HR functions, including payroll, at levels up to CHRO. kornferry +1

Practical shortlist approach

1. Run a two-track process. Use Frazer Jones or Portfolio Payroll for payroll-market depth; use Korn Ferry or Michael Page/Page Executive if you need a more formal international executive search.

2. Insist on geography evidence. Require examples of placements or searches involving payroll leadership across at least two of: UK, EU, US and Canada.

3. Test role-definition capability. Ask each firm for a draft success profile and candidate scorecard before retaining them; this reveals whether they understand global payroll beyond job titles.

4. Check candidate evidence, not firm marketing. For finalists, verify direct ownership of multi-country payroll, vendor/EOR strategy, payroll transformation, compliance remediation, and leadership across time zones.

5. Consider interim cover. If the expansion timetable is tight, Frazer Jones and Portfolio both advertise interim recruitment capability; an interim global payroll lead can stabilise operations while the permanent search runs. frazerjones +1

What “good” looks like

The role should not simply be “senior UK payroll manager with international exposure.” Public examples of comparable roles show the expected scope: Wise’s London-based Global Head of Payroll role covered payroll operations, vendor strategy, compliance and transformation across regions, with responsibility for regional leads and vendors including CloudPay, Deel and Workday. Similarly, Angi’s Head of Global Payroll role required leadership of US and international payroll, including France, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands through external providers. linkedin +1

My recommendation: invite Frazer Jones, Portfolio Payroll and Korn Ferry to pitch. Ask each for a written role-definition workshop plan, a UK/Europe/North America talent map, two relevant case studies, and a proposed assessment process. Retain the firm that can evidence both payroll specialism and cross-regional executive search—not merely the largest database.