Paragon Personnel Ltd

What Paragon Personnel Ltd does

Paragon Personnel Ltd is a privately owned recruitment consultancy headquartered in the City of London (Watling House, 33 Cannon Street, EC4M 5SB), founded in 1989 by Tracy Sullivan and registered in England and Wales under company number 02349867. The firm specializes in placing executive assistants, personal assistants, office managers, and broader business support staff into enterprise clients across financial services (investment banks, prime brokerage, global investment managers), professional services (international law firms), and other commercial sectors, with additional coverage in Devon and Dubai.

The firm's service offering is human-powered and consultant-led: there is no proprietary technology platform, applicant tracking system, or AI-driven sourcing infrastructure. The technology footprint disclosed consists of WordPress, WooCommerce, Mailchimp, and standard office tools. Revenue is generated through two streams: permanent placement fees (typical consultancy commission on successful candidate placement, generally 8-15% of annual salary for executive assistant roles in the GBP 40K-65K band) and temporary/contract staffing via markups on hourly or daily candidate rates. Candidates are sourced through a CV upload portal and website job board; clients are engaged via direct sales-led outreach.

The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, anchored by a small, stable team with most consultants exceeding 10 years of tenure and multiple client relationships spanning 15+ years. Distribution is concentrated on direct engagement with HR and hiring managers at City of London enterprises, supplemented by SEO, LinkedIn presence, and content marketing through the firm's website. The company has no external investors, no parent entity, and no disclosed M&A or funding activity.

Name

Paragon Personnel Ltd

Legal name

Paragon Personnel Limited

Website

https://paragonpersonnel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paragon Personnel Ltd is a London-based recruitment consultancy founded in 1989 that places executive assistants and business support staff into enterprise clients in financial services, professional services, and investment management across the UK and Dubai.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive and Business Support Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Temporary Help Services (56132)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Clerical & Customer Support Temp Staffing (BPACACAC)

Keywords

• Executive assistant recruitment
• Permanent placement services
• Temporary contract staffing
• Business support recruitment
• City of London recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

LONDON, LONDON

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Permanent Recruitment Placement Fees: Paragon Personnel charges clients for permanent placements of candidates in roles such as Executive Assistants, Office Managers, Business Support Staff, and administrative positions. The consultancy earns a fee upon successful placement of a candidate in a permanent role.
2. Temporary/Contract Staffing: The firm provides temporary staffing solutions to clients, placing candidates in contract positions. Revenue is generated through markups on candidate hourly/daily rates or flat contract fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Paragon Personnel is a London-based recruitment consultancy that sources, screens, and places executive assistants and business support staff on behalf of corporate clients, primarily City of London financial services firms. Services span both permanent placements (charged as placement fees) and temporary/contract staffing (charged via rate markups or flat contract fees), covering roles such as Executive Assistants, Office Managers, Personal Assistants, Receptionists, HR, Finance, Marketing, and Operations Support.

Product overview

Paragon Personnel Ltd is a privately owned recruitment consultancy company based in the City of London, operating since 1989. The company specializes in providing executive assistants and business support staff to clients, offering both temporary contracts and permanent recruitment solutions. Their primary service is connecting candidates with employers in sectors including financial services, banking, investment, and professional services. They do not offer a software platform or technology product—their offering consists entirely of human-powered recruitment consultancy services, including candidate sourcing, screening, interviewing, and placement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent Recruitment Placement
• Temporary and Contract Staffing
• Candidate Job Board and CV Upload Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ years of continuous operation in the City of London recruitment market
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Michael Page: Global professional recruitment firm with deep UK presence in City of London financial services and professional support placements. Comparable to Paragon in client segments served, though operating as a much larger, publicly listed multinational.
• Hays: Global recruitment firm listed on the London Stock Exchange with significant UK and City of London operations across financial services, professional support, and office support roles. Comparable in target customer base and vertical focus, though much larger and more diversified.
• Reed: One of the UK's largest generalist recruitment agencies with offices across London and a dedicated office support division. Comparable to Paragon in placing administrative and business support staff across the UK, though at significantly greater scale and breadth.
• Robert Half: Global staffing and recruitment firm with strong UK presence in administrative, financial, and office support placements. Comparable to Paragon in placing administrative and business support staff, though operating at significantly larger scale and with proprietary technology.
• Adecco: Global staffing leader with extensive UK operations covering temporary, permanent, and contract placements across administrative, financial, and professional support roles. Comparable to Paragon in offering both temporary and permanent administrative staffing solutions.

Direct peers

• Cobalt Recruitment: Specialist recruitment firm focused on property, construction, and related professional services in London. Comparable to Paragon as a niche-focused, London-based specialist recruitment consultancy serving professional services clients.
• Morgan McKinley: Global recruitment firm with strong City of London presence in financial services, accounting, and professional support recruitment. Comparable to Paragon in target sectors (investment banking, financial services) and executive/business support placement focus.
• Kennedy Pearce: London-based recruitment consultancy specializing in executive assistants, PAs, and business support staff for financial services and professional services firms. Directly comparable to Paragon in niche focus, client base, and City of London positioning.

Emerging players

• Leathwaite: Executive search firm specializing in financial services and professional services leadership placements. Comparable to Paragon as a London-based specialist serving financial services clients, though focused on senior executive search rather than business support roles.
• TotallyExec: UK-based recruitment consultancy focused on executive assistant, PA, and business support placements in London and the South East. Directly comparable to Paragon in niche specialization, customer base, and service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paragon-personnel-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paragon Personnel Ltd