Sewell Wallis
Sewell Wallis is a privately-held UK recruitment consultancy specialising in Accountancy & Finance, HR, and Not-for-Profit placements across Yorkshire and adjacent counties, operating from Sheffield and Leeds offices with ~11-12 staff and a transaction-fee revenue model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSheffield, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sewell Wallis does
Sewell Wallis is a privately-held UK recruitment consultancy specialising in Accountancy & Finance, HR & Business Support, and Not-for-Profit placements across the Yorkshire region and adjacent counties (North and South Derbyshire, North Nottinghamshire, with limited Manchester reach). The firm operates from two offices — Sheffield (headquarters at Wizu Workspace, Eyre Street) and Leeds — and is co-led by Joint Managing Directors Sue Wallis (HR/Executive, 30+ years tenure) and Kayley Haythornthwaite (Senior Finance, 15+ years). Its core products are permanent and interim/contract placement services delivered through specialist consultant desks (Senior Finance, Part-Qualified/Transactional, HR/Exec), supplemented by executive search and proprietary hiring guides with embedded salary benchmarking. The underlying technology is a conventional recruitment database and candidate management system supporting pre-vetted pipelines; no proprietary AI/ML tooling, APIs, or app products are evidenced.
The revenue model is transaction-based: contingency permanent placement fees charged as a percentage of the placed candidate's annual salary (typical UK market rate, not publicly disclosed), plus day-rate-based interim/contract placements referenced at a median £575/day for contract finance managers. Roles typically span £25,000-£58,000 salary bands, implying modest average fee-per-hire. Go-to-market is dual-sided and primarily sales-led, with consultant-led direct employer engagement supported by a content marketing programme (hiring guides, salary benchmarking, sector blogs) and SEO-optimised location-specific landing pages targeting geographic search demand. Distribution is consultant-mediated rather than self-serve, with a candidate-side portal for CV submission and job alerts. Customer segments are horizontally diversified across SMEs (primary), PLCs and large corporates, not-for-profits, and sector-specific verticals (manufacturing, retail), with named relationships spanning law firms, engineering businesses, PE-backed companies, charities and accountancy practices.
The firm is independently owned with no parent company, external investors, or disclosed funding events, and operates with approximately 11-12 employees. Public performance metrics include a 93% twelve-month candidate retention rate, a 3-day average time-to-shortlist, and a stated 27-hour time-saving per finance hire versus internal recruitment. The competitive moat rests on local brand authority, a 20+ year Yorkshire candidate network, and specialist domain depth rather than technology differentiation.
Sewell Wallis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sewell Wallis
- Legal name
- Sewell Wallis Recruitment Ltd
- Website
- https://sewellwallis.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sewell Wallis is a privately-held UK recruitment consultancy specialising in Accountancy & Finance, HR, and Not-for-Profit placements across Yorkshire and adjacent counties, operating from Sheffield and Leeds offices with ~11-12 staff and a transaction-fee revenue model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sewell Wallis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)
Keywords
Where Sewell Wallis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sheffield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sewell Wallis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Permanent Placement Fees: Contingency-based recruitment fees charged as a percentage of the placed candidate's annual salary for permanent hires across finance, HR and business support roles.
- Contract/Interim Placement: Day rate based placement for interim and contract finance professionals, with median UK day rates referenced at £575 for contract finance managers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Permanent placement recruitment services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Sewell Wallis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sewell Wallis is a Yorkshire-based specialist recruitment consultancy that places accountancy, finance, HR and business support professionals into permanent and interim roles for employers across South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, North Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire. Its core offering centres on contingency-based permanent placements, day-rate interim and contract placements, confidential executive search, and dedicated not-for-profit sector recruitment. The firm also provides hiring guides, salary benchmarking, and market intelligence content to support employer hiring decisions.
Product overview
Sewell Wallis is a Yorkshire-based recruitment agency offering specialist recruitment services across Accountancy & Finance, HR & Business Support, Not-for-Profit, and Executive Search. The core offering consists of permanent and interim placement services for roles ranging from entry-level to C-suite executive positions. The portfolio includes specialized recruitment for Finance Managers, Financial Controllers, Management Accountants, and HR professionals, supported by proprietary hiring guides and market intelligence resources. The company serves SMEs, PLCs, and not-for-profit organisations across South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Accountancy & Finance Recruitment Specialist recruitment solutions for accounting and finance professionals across Yorkshire, covering qualified accountants, financial controllers, finance managers, management accountants and tax specialists for permanent and interim roles.
- HR, People & Culture Recruitment Specialist recruitment for HR professionals, people and culture specialists, and HR leadership roles across Yorkshire, delivered by the Senior & Exec HR & Operations practice.
- Business Support Recruitment Recruitment services for business support roles including administrative, executive assistant and operations positions across Yorkshire.
- Executive Search Confidential executive search service for C-suite and senior leadership positions in finance and HR functions, conducted via LinkedIn and professional network outreach.
- Not-for-Profit Recruitment Dedicated recruitment services for charity and not-for-profit organisations across Yorkshire seeking finance, HR and operational leadership, with awareness of mission alignment and governance requirements.
- Permanent Placement Services Permanent recruitment solutions for ongoing operational finance, HR, and business support needs, charged on a contingency basis as a percentage of the placed candidate's annual salary.
- Interim & Contract Placement Services Temporary and contract staffing solutions for project-based needs, ERP implementations, audit preparation, and interim coverage, charged on a day-rate basis (e.g., UK median day rates around £575 for contract finance managers).
- Management Accountant Recruitment Specialist placement service for management accountants, particularly within manufacturing and retail sectors, with emphasis on FP&A, costing and variance analysis expertise.
Quantifiable outcome
- 93% candidate retention rate after 12 months
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sewell Wallis
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Sewell Wallis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sewell Wallis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sewell Wallis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brewster Partners: Yorkshire-based specialist recruiter focused on finance, HR, accountancy and office support roles across the same South/West Yorkshire footprint as Sewell Wallis, with a similar dual-vertical model and SME/mid-market client base.
- Macildowie: Midlands-based specialist recruitment firm covering finance, HR, procurement and supply chain, with comparable dual-desk structure, mid-market focus and regional specialisation analogous to Sewell Wallis's Yorkshire model.
- Marks Sattin: UK specialist recruiter focused on finance, accounting, audit, tax and treasury roles, with a similar mid-market and qualified-professional mandate profile to Sewell Wallis's Senior Finance desk.
Broad incumbents
- Hays UK: Large UK-listed recruitment group with dedicated Accountancy & Finance and HR practices operating across Yorkshire; competes for the same candidate pools and mandates as Sewell Wallis but with a national footprint and broader sector coverage.
- Robert Half UK: Global specialist in finance, accounting, technology and administrative recruitment with a strong UK presence; overlaps directly with Sewell Wallis on qualified and part-qualified finance and business support placements.
- Michael Page UK: Specialist UK recruitment division of PageGroup focused on qualified professional roles including accountancy/finance and HR, competing for many of the same SME and PLC mandates in Yorkshire.
- Reed: Large UK generalist recruiter with specialist finance/accountancy and HR practices; targets overlapping SME and corporate clients across Yorkshire with a hybrid permanent and interim offering.
- Office Angels: PageGroup brand offering business support, HR and administrative recruitment across the UK; competes directly with Sewell Wallis's Business Support and HR desks in Yorkshire.
Emerging players
- Portfolio HR: UK specialist HR recruitment consultancy; overlaps with Sewell Wallis's HR/People & Culture desk and Not-for-Profit HR mandates, with a comparable SME and mid-market client profile.
- Castle Park Search: UK finance and accountancy specialist recruiter focused on qualified and senior finance appointments, with comparable mid-market and Yorkshire/North of England mandate overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sewell Wallis social profiles
Digital presenceSewell Wallis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sewell Wallis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Sewell Wallis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sewell Wallis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sewell Wallis
What does Sewell Wallis do?
Sewell Wallis is a Yorkshire-based specialist recruitment consultancy that places accountancy, finance, HR and business support professionals into permanent and interim roles for employers across South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, North Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire. Its core offering centres on contingency-based permanent placements, day-rate interim and contract placements, confidential executive search, and dedicated not-for-profit sector recruitment. The firm also provides hiring guides, salary benchmarking, and market intelligence content to support employer hiring decisions.
Is Sewell Wallis a public or private company?
Sewell Wallis is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sewell Wallis founded?
Sewell Wallis was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sewell Wallis based?
Sewell Wallis is headquartered in Sheffield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sewell Wallis make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Permanent Placement Fees are the primary driver. The others are contract/Interim Placement.
Who are Sewell Wallis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brewster Partners, Macildowie and Marks Sattin. Broad incumbents are Hays UK, Robert Half UK, Michael Page UK, Reed and Office Angels. Emerging players are Portfolio HR and Castle Park Search.
Does Sewell Wallis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sewell Wallis.
What industry is Sewell Wallis in?
Sewell Wallis's product category is Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAC, Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare). Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.