Claude
JGA not recommended.

For a permanent Group Payroll Director with a UK and European integration remit, I’d contact Frazer Jones first and The Portfolio Group second. I couldn’t verify fees, recent placements or consultant availability, so treat this as a shortlist to test on calls rather than a ranking.

Contact first

• Frazer Jones has a dedicated executive payroll practice. Its payroll lead, John O’Brien, recruits executive payroll and benefits professionals with UK, EMEA and global remits. The firm also offers executive search for payroll leaders, as well as permanent and interim recruitment. The EMEA coverage matches your multi-country acquisition scenario, and the interim arm could be useful if you need cover during the transition. “Leading” is the firm’s own description, so check it against what other agencies tell you. [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/?p=2395) [frazerjones](https://www.frazerjones.com/?p=140035)

• The Portfolio Group describes itself as the UK’s longest-established payroll specialist recruitment agency. It offers executive search alongside outsourced recruitment solutions across the UK and Ireland. Its strength is likely to be depth of UK payroll talent, so it’s a good counterweight to Frazer Jones. It may be less strong on pan-European integration experience, so ask directly. [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/54/) [flippingbook](https://online.flippingbook.com/view/478805754/54/)

Worth a second-wave call

• Hays recruits across payroll up to senior level and has advertised a National Payroll Director role at a top 10 accounting firm. It has scale and reach, but it’s a generalist, so ask who its senior payroll specialist is. [dwp](https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/details/18125779)

• Page Personnel (PageGroup) has handled Global Head of Payroll assignments, including interim ones. It’s useful if you want an interim bridge, but I’d expect it to be stronger at manager level than at director level. [aicpa-cima](https://mycareer.aicpa-cima.com/job/5348091/global-head-of-payroll/)

• Morgan McKinley has an executive search offering and payroll roles under accounting and finance. I found little evidence of a dedicated senior payroll team. [morganmckinley](https://www.morganmckinley.com/uk/jobs/discipline/accounting-finance-payroll-jobs-in-surrey)

• Oakleaf Partnership describes itself as the UK’s largest independent HR recruitment consultancy. It’s worth considering if you want HR and reward crossover, since payroll integrations often involve both. [personneltoday](https://jobs.personneltoday.com/job/1401643733/payroll-specialist/)

Suggested approach

1. Brief Frazer Jones and The Portfolio Group in parallel this week, and ask each for a long-list rationale, recent director-level payroll placements, and how they’d approach candidates with M&A integration experience.

2. Decide whether to go retained or contingent. For a CFO-sponsored, permanent, integration-critical hire, retained search with one specialist firm is usually more thorough. Contingent with two firms gives you speed and comparison.

3. Be clear in the brief about the European footprint, the payroll providers and systems in play, and whether the director will have authority over provider consolidation. That is where candidates for this kind of role differ most.

If you tell me the countries and systems involved, I can draft the agency brief or a role specification.