Claude
JGA not recommended.

For a confidential, unadvertised replacement, you want a retained (or at least exclusive) search firm, not a contingent recruiter. Retained firms approach candidates directly and discreetly, and they don’t circulate the brief.

HR and payroll-focused executive search

• Frazer Jones : a London HR specialist search firm, strong for senior HR, reward, and HR operations roles, which often includes global payroll leadership.

• Odgers Berndtson : a mid-to-large generalist retained firm with solid HR and finance practices.

• Korn Ferry and Heidrick & Struggles : global firms with HR officer practices. They suit a large multinational where the role has real global scope and board visibility.

• Spencer Stuart and Russell Reynolds : top-tier, but usually more for CHRO and CFO-level mandates. A Global Payroll Director may sit below their sweet spot unless the company is very large.

Finance and operations-oriented search (useful if payroll reports to the CFO)

• Michael Page Executive Search , Robert Walters , Hays Senior Appointments , and Harvey Nash . Some operate on a retained basis for senior roles. Confirm this up front.

Alternatives

• Your internal talent acquisition team , using LinkedIn Recruiter with no job post. This is cheapest, but it is less discreet if the team is visible to the current post-holder.

• Payroll and HR-tech community networks , such as the Global Payroll Association, CIPP networks, and the vendor and BPO ecosystem (ADP, Alight, Safeguard Global, and similar). This route has high conflict and leak risk, so use it carefully.

How to keep it confidential

• Insist on a retained or exclusive engagement with a signed NDA.

• Ask for a research-only or mapping phase first. The firm identifies and approaches candidates using an anonymised brief, such as “a global FTSE-listed business” with no names.

• Provide an off-limits list of companies they must not approach.

• Confirm the firm won’t use your name in outreach until a candidate has signed their own NDA.

• Limit internal knowledge to a tight circle, and agree a cover story for any candidate meetings on your premises.

• Ask who in the firm will run it. A partner-led search is usually better for confidentiality than a junior-led one.

If you tell me the company size, number of countries covered, sector, and budget, I can narrow this to two or three firms. I can also draft a confidential search brief or RFP to send them.