About Us

Gravitas Recruitment Group is an international, rapidly growing recruitment specialist working in the niche areas of technology, insurance, and banking.

We provide bespoke recruitment solutions to a wide range of businesses and professionals from our 9 offices, including Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Visit our global group site

Serious about talent.

Why businesses and candidates love working with Gravitas

Everything starts with the purpose of why your company exists, and at Gravitas we are clear; our purpose is to create solutions that empower your ambitions.

We are committed to establishing deep-seated partnerships and gaining a unique understanding of our clients' niches and the recruitment landscape. Our values of respect, integrity, passion, and excellence guide every interaction.

Through this collaborative approach, we empower our clients, candidates, and our own staff to soar to new heights, a mission we wholeheartedly embrace.

Our dedication to delivering exceptional specialised services has catapulted us to the forefront of the recruitment industry. Our long list of accolades and awards are testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, recognised by industry peers and experts.

Our reputation is underpinned by our adherence to legal, regulatory, and ethical standards, providing you with peace of mind and confidence in our fully compliant services.

Meet our founders

Our origin story

Gravitas was founded in 2010 by friends, Jonathan Ellerbeck, Daniel Wallis, and Alex Naylor. Each of them had years of recruitment and leadership experience but saw a gap in the market to do something different. They wanted to create a business that focused on uncompromising quality of service while facilitating niche areas in Technology and Insurance. Seeing quality was sometimes lacking in other recruitment agencies, they pledged to build a business that took recruitment seriously, while building a fun and rewarding internal culture. Recruitment is a profession that can change people's lives and businesses, and they believed that should be taken seriously. Simultaneously, Jonathan opened our first office in London, Alex opened an office in Leeds, and Daniel moved from the UK to set up our Hong Kong office. These 3 offices have now grown to 9 offices across the EU and Asia, winning almost 50 awards for our service and culture along the way.

Get to know our leaders by exploring their profiles, then get in touch to see how we can help.

Our values

Respect

A responsibility to consistently deliver respect and compassion to our clients, candidates, colleagues, business and working environment.

Integrity

To champion an open and honest approach that fosters trust, allowing us to deliver upon our word.

Passion

A shared energy, love and dedication for all that we do.

Excellence

A commitment to deliver to the highest possible standards by driving continuous improvement in ourselves and all areas of our business.

Our history

2010

Gravitas opens its doors

Simultaneously open 3 offices on the same day, creating maximum impact in the industry:

- Daniel Wallis opened our Hong Kong office, focusing on Insurance
- Jonathan Ellerbeck opened our London office, focusing on Technology
- Alex Naylor opened our Leeds office, focusing on Technology

Building relationships and hiring ambitious, talented recruiters, led to £1.4 million turnover in first year

2014

Expansion with 2 new offices

Expansion into new strategic locations, driven by continued strong performance

- New office opens in the leading Asia financial hub, Singapore, strategically growing our APAC presence in the Insurance and Banking sectors.
- New office opens in Manchester, UK, strategically expanding Technology offering into Public Sector Market.

Irene Yang (now Hong Kong Insurance Director) & Alfred Chan (now Hong Kong Banking Director) join Gravitas as Senior Recruitment Consultants embarking on their impactful career journeys.

2015

Creation of a market-leading brand

With global headcount exceeding 100, Gravitas transitions from a start up to an established brand.
Strategic decision to establish Gravitas Group holding structure.
The Group is rebranded to best represent its services and culture.

2017

Record Breaking Year

Gravitas completes our first first strategic acquisition (Atlas) in Hong Kong:

- Our now APAC Managing Director, Peter Barker joins the Gravitas family.
- Strategically expanding APAC offerings to include Technology recruitment.

Princess Royal Training Award winner (award duration 3 years) awarded for outstanding training and skills development programmes

2018

Headcount growth

NFI up 42% year on year vs FY17A

Seven award wins in one year for specialist recruitment, three of which were APAC focused:

- Celebrating back-office operations, best emerging talent employer, and best recruitment firm in Banking and Financial Services

2019

Investment strategy

NFI up 35% compared to the equivalent period in FY18A
With Gravitas growing fast, we attracted minority global investment from Alcuin Capital Partners
Founder, Alex Naylor moves into the new global role of ‘Head of Talent’ to implementing enhanced internal People strategy.

2020

Navigating through a global pandemic

Coronavirus has global impact - Gravitas retains staff and remains resilient
Strategic decision to expand our Singapore Office, moving to a new, larger office
UK Insurance division strategically established for further stability through pandemic & future growth
Company wide DEI commitment strategy implemented as we launched internal DEI committee.
Awarded the Princess Royal Training Award for the second time in a row (recognised for 6 years running)

2021

Future navigation

Gravitas seizes the opportunity to open an office in Shenzhen, Mainland China:

- Lynn Liu (Shenzhen Director) focusing on Banking & Technology strategies

Leading automation technology implemented allowing for better communication and efficiencies across the business
More global award wins for best onboarding programme, and best medium recruitment company

2022

Office growth and employee-led refinement

Company EVP & Purpose re-defined through employee-led forums.
Second strategic acquisition in Rotterdam expanding European capabilities.

2023

Strategy leading the way

Third Strategic acquisition (Hamlyn William’ operations in Hong Kong & Shenzhen), expands our capability across Insurance and Banking in Asia
Continuing to focus on strategic global tech hubs, Gravitas opens a new office in Germany
More global award wins including the Princess Royal Training Award for the 3rd time (held for nine years running) in a row, plus the prestigious APSCo award for Recruitment Company of the Year

Board restructure for investment into future growth:

- Founder, Daniel Wallis steps in Group Advisor position.
- Founder, Jonathan Ellerbeck steps in Group Chairman position.

2024

New services and a focus on People

Launch of the ‘People Team’ combining to better support employees

Two globally recognised, Efinancials award wins, as voted for by clients and candidates:

- Mid-size Recruiter - Ideal Recruiter 2024-2025
- Technology & Quantitative Finance - Ideal Recruiter 2024-2025

Global launch of Gravitas Services, a dedicated services provider, delivering under a Statement of Work

Recruitment solutions

Contract recruitment solutions

We recognise that businesses often require flexible hiring solutions. That's why we offer customised contract recruitment services in technology, insurance, and banking. Whether you require a single specialist contractor, freelancer, interim hire, or an entire project team of contractors, we can assist. Learn more.

Permanent recruitment solutions

We specialise in delivering the highest quality technology, insurance, and banking permanent recruitment solutions, tailoring our services to meet the unique needs of businesses from start to finish. Find out more.

Retained search

Discreet and tailored solutions focusing on C-suite and Executive roles. Utilising market mapping, market intelligence, networks and headhunting methods to deliver premium, end-to-end recruitment. Discover more.

Diversity & inclusion

At Gravitas, we are deeply committed to fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in all aspects of our work. Our dedication to DEI is evident through our collaborations with businesses to enhance their diversity initiatives as well as our engagement with established networking groups, which serves as a platform for meaningful discussions about the DEI agenda. We firmly believe that embracing diversity leads to greater innovation, creativity, and success in all areas of our work. DEI isn't just a buzzword at Gravitas; it's a guiding principle that shapes everything we do. We invite you to join us on this journey toward a more inclusive and equitable future.

Find out more