Professional Services
Our professional services practice is one of our most experienced teams and works across both the legal and accounting professions. We have deep expertise in placing Partners, Directors, Senior Associates, Senior Managers and Managers for both large, mid-sized, and small firms. Our clients are UK, US and European firms in the UK and from our Hong Kong office we work for both local and international practices.
The nature of our assignments is incredibly varied and includes fee earners across tax, legal, treasury and restructuring and support staff across legal and finance.
Examples of completed assignments
| Senior Consultant - Treasury | Big 4 |
| Funds Tax Partner | Big 4 |
| Transfer Pricing Partner | Big 4 |
| Financial Services Tax Partner | Big 4 |
| Senior Direct Tax Litigation Expert | |
| Team move: Private Client and Trusts Team | |
| Head of Tax Disputes - Practice |
Our People
Charles
Ferguson
London office
Charles is the co-founder of the Pure Group. He is a well known figure in the industry and specialises in recruiting senior level tax professionals across the banking, practice and commercial sectors. Charles has 18 years’ experience undertaking executive search and selection assignments at partner, director and senior management levels. He has also managed numerous high-profile recruitment marketing campaigns for a wide range of clients.
Charles graduated from Southampton University in 1987 and, after a short spell training in audit, began his career in executive recruitment.
As well as spending time with his family, Charles enjoys rugby and cricket from the safety of the stands or armchair. He regularly goes to the theatre and enjoys London’s excellent restaurants.
Chris
Nelson
London office
Chris is the co-founder of the Pure Group. He has a leading reputation in tax and front office banking search. He has been responsible for some of the highest profile and most senior moves in the last decade in these disciplines. Specifically, Chris handles partner and team moves in the profession and director level assignments in commerce and banking.
Chris spent his early career with Arthur Andersen as a tax consultant in their London office after reading Law at Leeds University.
Chris’s interests include golf and marathon running, though seldom at the same time.
Tim
Jones
London office
Tim leads our Debt Finance and Restructuring Practice and focuses on search assignments for mid level and senior appointments within Leveraged Finance, Debt Advisory and Private Equity. He has successfully complete searches for roles in Origination & Execution teams, Structuring, Syndications, Portfolio Management, Sponsor Coverage and Credit.
He joined Pure in 2006 to develop our offering in this area and also has extensive experience of recruiting at senior levels within Financial & Operational Restructuring, Business Support & Workout and Distressed Private Equity.
Tim graduated in Economics and Business Studies from Sheffield University.
Tim has a passion for travel and has visited over 35 countries. Prior to joining Pure, Tim took a 12 month sabbatical and travelled extensively in South America, Australasia and Japan.
Adam
Akbar
London office
Adam joined Pure in 2005 from a well-recognised international search firm. He is responsible for leading and expanding our finance search practice, specialising in the placement of Controllers, Directors,Treasurers and CFOs. He has spent his entire career working in the field of finance appointments, during which time he has executed high-profile assignments for a wide variety of businesses from multinationals to SMEs. Adam primarily works in partnership with consumer-focused and services based businesses.Adam graduated in Economics & Management from Cardiff University.
Adam is a passionate football fan, an avid reader and a keen travel enthusiast.
Barrie
Sanderson
Hong Kong office
Barrie leads our Asia Search Practice from our Hong Kong office.
Through our flexible, whole market, approach he works with a broad range of Commerce & Industry, Financial Services and Private Practice clients on their senior Tax, Legal and Finance needs.
A UK tax qualified professional, Barrie joined Pure in early 2004 to build our market leading tax professional services business in the UK. From 2006 he then led the development of our wealth advisory business completing assignments with a broad range of tax structured finance, investment advisory, private banking and professional services clients.
Barrie recruits across Tax and Wealth Advisory and leads our Legal and Finance offerings.
Ian
Addison-Smith
London office
Ian co-heads our Actuarial & Risk practice across all functions with a specialism in Pensions & Investments. He works closely with market leading consultancies, banks, asset managers (including fiduciary managers) and corporate clients. His focus encompasses both UK and International search and selection mandates for senior and mid level actuaries.
He has an extensive network in this space and a track record of consistent delivery across a range of search assignments.
Prior to joining Pure, Ian worked for a boutique search firm where he managed the UK Pensions & Investments Actuarial team. Before this he spent a period of time with a clinical research group in a statistical analysis capacity. Ian holds a Masters (with Distinction) in Applied Linguistics from the University of Nottingham and First Class BA (Hons) degree in English Language & Literature from the University of Liverpool.
Ian watches more football than he plays and is a beginner rock climber. He is a keen acoustic guitarist with a particular passion for flamenco music.
James
Everett
London office
James co-heads our Actuarial & Risk division across all functions with a specialism in the Insurance arena. He joined Pure in 2009 from a boutique recruitment firm where he was responsible for the performance and development of the UK business.
He has delivered on a variety of mandates at mid and senior management levels and built extensive networks across the insurance industry. Having worked across multiple geographies including the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa he has established a diverse client base ranging from established insurance companies and consultancies to start up operations. James' sector provides him with a complete focus of the insurance market and he has successfully placed Chief Actuaries, Senior Management and Directors.
James has a passion for travel having spent time living and working across Asia. An avid sports enthusiast he will turn his hand to most sports.
Hilary operates in the London market, where she focuses on placing Partners and Associates in a broad range of law firm clients.
A graduate of Hull University, she trained as a solicitor with a City practice, before moving into legal recruitment. With over 20 years experience, she has worked in London and Asia, with clients ranging from leading City firms to niche practices. She has been involved with senior appointments, lateral hires and recruitment issues across a range of specialisations.
When not providing an unpaid taxi service for her teenage boys, Hilary’s interests include travel, tennis and time for a good book.
Matias
Figueiras
Hong Kong office
Matias joined the Hong Kong practise as a consultant in July 2011 with a focus on developing the tax search business for Asia Pacific. He specialises in the placement of middle to senior level tax positions within professional services, financial services and commerce and industry across the region.
Prior to joining Pure Search, Matias spent over five years in front office corporate banking with Standard Chartered Bank. Initially he worked with the Global Corporate client coverage team in Beijing and Shenzhen and eventually with the Commodity Finance team in Hong Kong as a Client Relationship Manager. He is a French/ Argentinean and native to Hong Kong and speaks English, French and Mandarin.
Matias graduated with a B.A Geography degree from University College London and a has a Chinese Language Diploma from the Beijing University of Language & Culture.
He is a keen tennis player and enjoys travelling and water sports.