JGA STUDY · SAVED-TEXT EVIDENCE EXPORT Original answer wording and recorded date preserved. Answer ID: S08-B-perplexity-r2 Recorded UTC: 2026-10-21T15:04:48.256Z Product: Perplexity Observation: 2 Collection country: UK Access: Dedicated signed-in / Free Model label: Search; automatic/default Model; underlying model not disclosed Mode: Free Search; native Incognito; default Model undisclosed; no preview or upgrade notice observed EXACT QUESTION Which recruiters can help a US company hire a UK-based EMEA payroll head? We need European payroll leadership experience and someone comfortable working with a US headquarters. FULL SAVED ANSWER Yes—this is a niche senior search, so use specialist payroll/HR executive-search firms with genuine UK + EMEA coverage rather than a general US recruiter. The strongest starting points are Frazer Jones, JGA Recruitment, Middlemore, and Portfolio Payroll ; add Alexander Hughes if you want a broader retained executive-search partner with a US-facing interface. gpa +4 Best-fit recruiters | Recruiter | Why they fit | Best use | | --- | --- | --- | | Frazer Jones | A global HR recruitment and executive-search consultancy with a dedicated payroll practice; it explicitly recruits EMEA and global payroll leaders. John O’Brien leads its payroll team and recruits executive payroll/benefits professionals with UK, EMEA, and global remits. frazerjones +1 | First call for a retained or senior contingent search for a UK-based EMEA payroll head. | | JGA Recruitment Group | UK specialist payroll recruiter that recruits Head of Payroll, Payroll Director, Global Payroll Director, and EMEA/international payroll roles across the UK and EMEA markets including Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Benelux, Nordics, Poland, Czech Republic, and Ireland. jgarecruitment +1 | Strong for a deep payroll-only candidate map and for multi-country EMEA experience. | | Middlemore | London-based specialist executive search and recruitment firm focused on Global Payroll, HR, HRIS, Finance, and Reward; offers executive search, talent mapping, benchmarking, and interim solutions. [gpa](https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore) | Best when you want a more search-led, senior-level approach and market intelligence on compensation and competitor talent. | | Portfolio Payroll / The Portfolio Group | Describes itself as the largest specialist UK payroll recruiter, with dedicated executive consultants for senior payroll professionals including managers, directors, and board-level experts; it also recruits EMEA payroll specialists and heads. theportfoliogroup +2 | Good for a broad UK market sweep and for candidates with strong UK/European payroll operations backgrounds. | | Alexander Hughes | International executive-search firm with European offices and a coordinated process for US companies hiring leadership in Europe; it emphasizes a single US contact connecting clients to local overseas recruiters. [alexanderhughes](https://www.alexanderhughes.com/expanding-our-reach-in-supporting-us-companies-with-executive-search-in-europe/) | Best if this hire is part of a wider EMEA leadership build or you want a retained, board-level search process. | How I would run it 1. Brief 2–3 specialists in parallel : Frazer Jones and JGA for payroll-market depth; Middlemore for a more executive-search-led process. 2. Specify the US-HQ interface explicitly : ask for candidates who have reported into a US CHRO, CFO, VP Payroll, or Global Payroll leader, and who can manage time-zone overlap, US reporting expectations, and matrixed stakeholder management. 3. Require evidence of EMEA scope : multi-country payroll ownership, vendor/AGENCY management, local compliance awareness, payroll transformation or consolidation, and experience across UK/Ireland plus continental Europe. JGA, for example, regularly recruits for EMEA and global payroll leadership roles. jgarecruitment +1 4. Ask for a mapped longlist , not just active applicants: target payroll heads/directors at US multinationals, scale-ups expanding in Europe, and businesses that have recently centralized EMEA payroll. 5. Use interim cover if needed : Middlemore, Frazer Jones, and JGA all offer interim/contract options, which can protect payroll continuity while the permanent search runs. gpa +2 Screening criteria • Has owned payroll for at least 8–12 EMEA countries, not only the UK. • Has led in-house payroll, outsourced providers, or a hybrid model. • Can evidence payroll transformation, systems implementation, controls, and compliance. • Has worked with US headquarters or a global shared-services model. • Is UK-based or clearly able to operate from the UK with appropriate European travel/time-zone coverage. • Can manage both operational payroll delivery and senior stakeholder communication with US leadership. For this particular mandate, I would begin with Frazer Jones (John O’Brien’s payroll team) and JGA , then add Middlemore if you want a retained search or a wider talent-mapping exercise. gpa +2 SOURCES S08-B-perplexity-r2-G01-1 | supporting_citation | https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore S08-B-perplexity-r2-G01-2 | supporting_citation | https://alexanderhughes.com/expanding-our-reach-in-supporting-us-companies-with-executive-search-in-europe/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G01-3 | supporting_citation | https://frazerjones.com/get-in-touch/book-a-consultation/payroll/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G01-4 | supporting_citation | https://jgarecruitment.com/recruitment-test/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G01-5 | supporting_citation | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G02-1 | supporting_citation | https://frazerjones.com/get-in-touch/book-a-consultation/payroll/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G02-2 | supporting_citation | https://frazerjones.com/consultants/john-obrien/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G03-1 | supporting_citation | https://jgarecruitment.com/recruitment-test/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G03-2 | supporting_citation | https://jgarecruitment.com/payroll-manager-jobs/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G04-1 | supporting_citation | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G04-2 | supporting_citation | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/recruitment-services/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G04-3 | supporting_citation | https://linkedin.com/in/gemma-creamer-262a709 S08-B-perplexity-r2-G05-1 | supporting_citation | https://jgarecruitment.com/recruitment-test/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G05-2 | supporting_citation | https://talents.studysmarter.co.uk/companies/jga-recruitment-group-b-corp/head-of-payroll-emea-54267510/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G06-1 | supporting_citation | https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore S08-B-perplexity-r2-G06-2 | supporting_citation | https://frazerjones.com/get-in-touch/book-a-consultation/payroll/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G06-3 | supporting_citation | https://jgarecruitment.com/recruitment-test/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G07-1 | supporting_citation | https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore S08-B-perplexity-r2-G07-2 | supporting_citation | https://jgarecruitment.com/recruitment-test/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-G07-3 | supporting_citation | https://frazerjones.com/consultants/john-obrien/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-D1 | supporting_citation | https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore S08-B-perplexity-r2-D2 | supporting_citation | https://alexanderhughes.com/expanding-our-reach-in-supporting-us-companies-with-executive-search-in-europe/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R1 | retrieved_result | https://frazerjones.com/get-in-touch/book-a-consultation/payroll/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R2 | retrieved_result | https://jgarecruitment.com/recruitment-test/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R3 | retrieved_result | https://gpa.net/blogs/directory/middlemore S08-B-perplexity-r2-R4 | retrieved_result | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R5 | retrieved_result | https://alexanderhughes.com/expanding-our-reach-in-supporting-us-companies-with-executive-search-in-europe/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R6 | retrieved_result | https://frazerjones.com/consultants/john-obrien/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R7 | retrieved_result | https://jgarecruitment.com/payroll-manager-jobs/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R8 | retrieved_result | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/recruitment-services/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R9 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/in/gemma-creamer-262a709 S08-B-perplexity-r2-R10 | retrieved_result | https://talents.studysmarter.co.uk/companies/jga-recruitment-group-b-corp/head-of-payroll-emea-54267510/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R11 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/company/olympus-talent S08-B-perplexity-r2-R12 | retrieved_result | https://globalrecruitmentexperts.com/area-of-expertise/human-resources/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R13 | retrieved_result | https://tiger-recruitment.com/looking-to-recruit/hr/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R14 | retrieved_result | https://tiger-recruitment.com/us/employer-of-record/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R15 | retrieved_result | https://alliancerecruitmentagency.com/global-talent-recruitment/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R16 | retrieved_result | https://3searchgroup.com/recruitment-services/expanding-into-new-territory/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R17 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/in/laura-richards11 S08-B-perplexity-r2-R18 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/in/neil-wild-5a43b812 S08-B-perplexity-r2-R19 | retrieved_result | https://bebee.com/gb/jobs/global-payroll-director-hays-specialist-recruitment-limited-london--techmap_gb_57254268 S08-B-perplexity-r2-R20 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/in/charlesdaw S08-B-perplexity-r2-R21 | retrieved_result | https://theportfoliogroup.com/payroll/jobs/european-payroll-specialist/ S08-B-perplexity-r2-R22 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/in/john-o-brien-mrec-aat-7b8b3737 S08-B-perplexity-r2-R23 | retrieved_result | https://linkedin.com/in/nickday