What Quay Group does

Quay Group is a privately held UK specialist recruitment agency serving the ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) sector. Founded in 2013 by Tim Clarke and Caroline Clarke-Jack as Quay Crew, the firm was rebranded to Quay Group in June 2025 to reflect its expansion into four operating divisions: Quay Crew (superyacht crew placement), Quay Maritime (land-based maritime recruitment), Quay Estates (private residence and estate staff), and Quay Family Office (senior private staff for family offices and UHNW investment firms). Headquartered in Watford with offices in Bournemouth and Dallas, Quay operates with a team of 14 specialist consultants, each of whom is a former superyacht or hospitality professional, which underpins its domain-credentialed positioning in a niche where generalist agencies underperform.

The company earns revenue through professional-services placement fees on permanent, seasonal, and temporary hires across its four divisions, executing via a consultative, executive-search go-to-market model with direct client engagement (yacht owners, Captains, management companies, family offices, UHNW households). Pricing is not publicly disclosed but is consistent with specialist-recruitment fee structures (percentage of salary or fixed executive-search fees). Quay's go-to-market relies on direct consultant engagement, an online candidate portal (jobs.quaygroup.com), inbound job briefs via dedicated web forms, and content marketing (blog, salary surveys, Captain reports, webinars, Captain's Community events). Distribution is supported by partnerships with CrewPass (vetting), Pinpoint Works (client portal), MHSS (mental health), and MCA compliance certification under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.

The underlying technology stack is a recruitment database and candidate management system containing approximately 30,000 candidates (20,000 with 3+ years industry experience), with a client portal currently under redevelopment. No AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or public SDKs are described. Quay is founder-owned with no disclosed external funding or parent entity, operates across the UK, Europe, and the US, and has placed over 2,000 candidates on 350+ superyachts since inception.

Name

Quay Group

Legal name

Quay Crew Ltd

Website

https://quaygroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quay Group is a privately held UK specialist recruitment agency placing permanent, seasonal, and temporary staff across superyacht crews, land-based maritime, UHNW private households, and family offices via a 14-person consultancy team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Recruitment Services

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Labor (Dockworkers/Longshore) Staffing (BPACAEAL)

Keywords

• Superyacht crew recruitment
• Maritime recruitment services
• Private residence staffing
• Family office recruitment
• Executive search services

Headquarters

HQ city

Watford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Recruitment Placement Fees: The company earns revenue by placing candidates in permanent, seasonal, and temporary roles across superyacht, maritime, private residence, and family office sectors. Fees are likely placement-based (percentage of salary or fixed fee per hire).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Quay Group is a specialist recruitment agency operating four divisions: Quay Crew (superyacht crew recruitment), Quay Maritime (land-based maritime recruitment), Quay Estates (private residence recruitment for UHNW households), and Quay Family Office (family office recruitment). The agency places permanent, seasonal, and temporary staff across all levels using a curated database of 30,000 candidates and a team of 14 industry-experienced consultants.

Product overview

Quay Group is a specialist recruitment agency operating as a unified platform with four distinct divisions: Quay Crew (superyacht crew recruitment), Quay Maritime (land-based maritime recruitment), Quay Estates (private residence recruitment), and Quay Family Office (family office recruitment). The company, rebranded from Quay Crew in June 2025, serves the ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) sector, placing over 2,000 candidates on more than 350 luxury superyachts since 2013. Supporting services include a Crew Resources portal for candidate guidance, a Captain's Community for professional networking, and both candidate and client-facing online portals for managing recruitment activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quay Crew: Superyacht recruitment division specializing in placing crew on superyachts worldwide.
• Quay Maritime
• Quay Estates
• Quay Family Office

Products and services

• Quay Crew (Superyacht Recruitment) Specialist superyacht crew recruitment service matching quality crew with quality superyachts. Places permanent, seasonal, and temporary crew at all levels, from deckhands to Captains, for charter and private yachts worldwide. Targets yacht owners, Captains, and yacht management companies.
• Quay Maritime (Land-Based Maritime Recruitment)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ candidates placed since 2013
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CrewPasscoreTechnology or IntegrationCrewPass carries out enhanced criminal background checks, ID verification and certification validity for superyacht crew and land-based yachting professionals. Quay Crew has integrated CrewPass into their recruitment process and encourages clients and candidates to seek approved status to maximise employability. CrewPass Approved stamps last two years.
• Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHSS is a specialist provider of mental health support services to seafarers and maritime industry worldwide. Quay Crew is the exclusive superyacht recruitment partner, proactively promoting positive mental health practices. They give all placed crew access to MHSS international 24/7 mental health helpline and deliver educational webinars to Captains, HODs and management companies in partnership with clinical psychologists at MHSS.
• Pinpoint WorkssupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with Pinpoint Works - a project management software that acts as a client portal for new build superyachts. All new build superyachts recruited for exclusively can utilize the software, providing stakeholders full oversight of candidates with all CVs and documents in one place, streamlining the recruitment process.
• Scaramouche Sailing TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerScaramouche Sailing Trust raises funds for school sailing programme at Greig City Academy in inner-city London. Quay Crew actively sources and promotes employment opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds. They fund 100% of STCW and ENG1 medical for suitable candidates and donate any recruitment fees back to the Trust.
• She of the SeasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerShe of the Sea is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion across the international yachting industry. Quay Crew is a Pledge Signatory, supporting their mission to minimise discrimination and raise awareness of equal rights through best practice recruitment methods.
• Blue Ducks FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Ducks Foundation is dedicated to improving mental health of yacht crew members through innovative fundraising initiatives and dedicated support programs. Quay Crew proudly supports this organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for this essential cause.
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuay Crew is committed to comply with provisions of Maritime Labour Convention 2006 to ensure free, fair and safe placement services for crew. This includes protection of crew confidentiality and personal data, maintaining up-to-date vessel information, and ensuring no crew member is subject to exploitation. They are an MCA Certified Recruitment and Placement Agency.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crew4Yachts: Online superyacht crew marketplace and recruitment service placing deckhand-to-Captain-level crew globally, competing with Quay Crew on speed and candidate reach in the same niche.
• Bespoke Bureau: Specialist UHNW private household and family office staffing firm placing butlers, house managers, EAs and private staff, directly comparable to Quay Estates and Quay Family Office.
• YPI Crew: Monaco-based superyacht crew placement firm (part of YPI Group) competing head-to-head with Quay Crew for permanent and seasonal Captain, Officer, and Interior placements on large yachts globally.
• Eden Private Staff: UK-based UHNW private household and domestic staff recruiter serving estate managers, house managers, chefs, and butlers, overlapping with Quay Estates in the UK private-residence market.
• Luxury Recruitment: UHNW and luxury hospitality recruiter placing staff into private households, family offices, hotels, and restaurants — overlapping with Quay Estates and Quay Family Office's high-net-worth client base.
• Polo & Tweed: Specialist UHNW private household and domestic staff recruiter placing Estate Managers, House Managers, Chefs, and Butlers — directly comparable to Quay Estates and the broader Quay Family Office offering.
• Hill Robinson: Large yacht management and crew recruitment firm offering permanent and rotational Captain and crew placements on private and charter superyachts, overlapping directly with Quay's core superyacht recruitment desk.
• Cerulean Yacht Crew: Boutique superyacht crew recruiter focused on permanent and rotational placements across Captain, Interior, Deck, and Engineering roles, directly comparable to Quay Crew's specialist desk structure.

Broad incumbents

• Michael Page: Global generalist professional recruiter that supplies senior consultants to Quay (e.g., Phil Clark previously at Michael Page) and increasingly targets luxury, maritime, and private-client verticals as adjacent growth markets.
• Robert Walters: International generalist professional recruiter with established luxury, hospitality, and private-client practices that increasingly compete with Quay's estates and family office desks at the senior end.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/quaygroupuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quaygroup1
• Instagraminstagram.com/quaygroup_

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Quay Group