Claude: both observations

Evidence is thin for some of this, so I’ve split what the search supports from what is my own judgement.

Agencies with a visible senior payroll specialism

1. Frazer Jones is the strongest match on the evidence. It is a global HR recruitment and executive search firm with a dedicated payroll practice. John O’Brien, Executive Director and Head of Payroll, recruits executive payroll and benefits professionals with UK, EMEA and global remits. The firm describes its payroll work as covering executive search, permanent, interim and temporary recruitment, up to global payroll manager level. Its listings also include Director of Payroll briefs. Note that its own site describes him as the leading executive payroll recruiter in the UK. That is a self-description rather than independent validation. [frazerjones](https://frazerjones.com/de/?p=2395) [frazerjones](https://frazerjones.com/?p=140035)

2. Middlemore is a specialist executive search firm focused on global payroll, HR, HRIS, finance and reward. Its listing says it covers global payroll transformation, HRIS and payroll implementation, vendor management, compliance, talent mapping and salary benchmarking. That fits an integration mandate well, since you need someone who can consolidate systems and vendors across acquired entities, not just run a payroll. [gpa](https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore)

3. Hays is a large generalist with an active senior payroll desk. It has recently advertised a Payroll Director role covering a global payroll function and a national UK Payroll Director role. It has reach and volume, but is probably less targeted for a confidential, one-person search. [aicpa-cima](https://mycareer.aicpa-cima.com/job/4462555/group-payroll-manager/)

4. Morgan McKinley has payroll and finance practices with UK and European roles, but the roles I found were mostly manager and specialist level (for example, a Payroll & Benefit Specialist covering Spain and the Netherlands). I’d treat it as a secondary option for this brief. [morganmckinley](https://morganmckinley.com/jobs/london/payroll-benefit-specialist-eu/1094702)

Who I’d contact first

• Frazer Jones and Middlemore. Both appear to work at director level on UK, EMEA and global remits, which matches your acquisitions. Frazer Jones has the stronger UK executive network. Middlemore looks stronger on the transformation and systems side. Ask each for talent mapping and salary benchmarking, which Middlemore explicitly lists, so you can calibrate package and seniority before a formal search.

• Hays is useful as a third quote and for market breadth, but I’d hold it back unless the first two don’t produce a credible longlist.

Things to check in your briefing calls

• Experience integrating multiple payrolls across the UK and EU jurisdictions you’ve acquired, not only UK payroll depth.

• Whether they’ve run vendor consolidation or an HCM/payroll platform migration.

• Whether the search is retained or contingent, and what the exclusivity terms are.

• Whether they have a global payroll or GPA-style network for European country coverage.

My search surfaced limited information on pricing, fee models and recent placements, so I couldn’t rank firms on track record. I’d ask each for two or three comparable director-level placements in the last 18 months. I also couldn’t verify whether other well-known executive search firms (generalist finance or HR retained search houses) run dedicated payroll practices. If your CFO wants a retained search at Group Director level, it’s worth asking one of those too.

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.