Meet the Team

Our consultants have extensive knowledge and experience of the Finance industry and have recruited from Part-Qualified to Finance Director level into Commerce & Industry, Accountancy Practices, Public Sector, Financial Services and Legal Firms.

Picture of Nigel Jeyes

Nigel Jeyes

(Owner & Director)

Nigel has been in Finance Recruitment since 1990 and was a Director in the London office of one of the UK's leading recruitment businesses, before moving down to the South Coast and establishing Grafton Banks along with his wife Julia.

Working closely with Alex Gregory he then set up Grafton Banks Finance in September 2008 just as the economy was plummeting into one of the worst recessions in living memory. Despite the unfavourable economic climate, Alex and Nigel were able to steadily grow the organisation by employing their belief in outstanding professionalism and customer service.

Today Grafton Banks Finance has three offices - Hove, Reigate and West Malling and enjoys partnering with businesses and practices across Surrey, Sussex and Kent as trusted provider of accountants at all levels of qualification. Whilst the recruitment market remains challenging, Nigel, Alex and Julia have enjoyed seeing the business grow to the leading provider of recruitment services that it is today, along with their team of exceptional recruiters.

A keen sportsman in bygone years, Nigel still plays cricket, tennis, golf and the odd game of football, when time and the demands of his family allow.

Picture of Julia Jeyes

Julia Jeyes

(Owner & Director)

Julia Jeyes started up Grafton Banks Finance alongside Nigel and Alex. She has worked in recruitment for most of her career, specialising first in legal and now finance recruitment, including managing the legal team of a leading international recruitment company.

Julia has enjoyed being part of the part of the growth of the business alongside Nigel and Alex.

Grafton Banks Finance has three offices - Hove, Reigate and West Malling and enjoys partnering with businesses and practices across Surrey, Sussex and Kent as trusted provider of accountants at all levels of qualification.

Whilst the recruitment market remains challenging, Nigel, Alex and Julia have enjoyed seeing the business grow to the leading provider of recruitment services that it is today, along with their team of exceptional recruiters.  

Outside of work, Julia's main focus is on enjoying life with family and friends. 

Picture of Alex Gregory

Alex Gregory

Managing Director

(Qualified permanent and temporary finance recruitment, Sussex and Surrey)

Alex has over ten years Finance Recruitment experience. He started his recruitment career at Badenoch & Clark initially placing Qualified and Part Qualified Accountants on a contract basis. In January 2006 he then set up and managed a profitable Permanent Finance Division, covering Sussex & Surrey.

Previous to this and after graduating from Salford University Alex embarked on a two year round the world trip, where his experiences ranged from the delights of hospital life in Delhi to the more relaxed islands of the South Pacific!

In September 2008 Alex joined forces with Nigel to establish and grow Grafton Banks Finance Ltd.

Picture of Paul Bavin

Paul Bavin

Director
(Qualified permanent and temporary finance recruitment, Sussex and Surrey)

Paul has been working in recruitment since the summer of 2008 when he graduated from the University of Gloucestershire.

Starting his career with a leading international recruiter Paul worked across West Sussex and Hampshire placing part qualified accountants, progressing quickly he moved along the coast to recruit for permanent qualified candidates in East and West Sussex.

In November 2010 Paul joined Grafton Banks Finance to establish and grow their part qualified offering. In May 2013 he took over the management of the interim finance division.

To relax outside work Paul enjoys playing football and keeping fit by running and cycling.

Picture of Emma  Bavin nee Prior

Emma Bavin nee Prior

Director
(Permanent part qualified level finance recruitment, Sussex and Surrey)

After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2007, Emma started her career working for a large international recruiter specialising in interim finance recruitment across Hampshire and West Sussex.

In the summer of 2011, Emma joined Nigel, Alex and the team at Grafton Banks Finance to develop an interim finance division across East and West Sussex and Surrey. Emma works closely with Paul Bavin and specialises in placing interim finance professionals into companies across East & West Sussex and Surrey. Outside of work Emma's focus is on enjoying family life with her two sons and long-term partner. Emma likes to relax by reading a good literary classic - she is a Jane Austin fanatic - cycling across the South Downs and visiting remote areas of the world.

Picture of Scarlett Newton

Scarlett Newton

(Permanent part qualified level finance recruitment, Sussex and Surrey)

Scarlett joined Grafton Banks Finance in the summer of 2018. She is an English and Media graduate of the University of Brighton and also has Level 2 & 3 AAT Accounting and Finance. Scarlett assists both the permanent and interim teams with candidate, client and office administration. Outside of work Scarlett enjoys watching football, reading and catching up on new TV series.

Picture of Ryan Leggett

Ryan Leggett

Manager, Kent office
(Qualified Permanent & Interim Finance Recruitment, Kent)

Ryan graduated from De Montfort University in the summer of 2008 with a Media Studies degree. He started his career with a multi-national bank before joining a leading international recruitment business in the summer of 2015. Since 2015 Ryan has specialised in the recruitment of fully qualified Accountants across Kent.

At Grafton Banks Finance, Ryan manages the Kent office. The Kent office covers the recruitment of qualified, part qualified and more junior level Accountants on a permanent and interim basis.

When outside of work Ryan enjoys spending time with his young family. When he gets a free weekend he enjoys travelling back to Suffolk (where he is from originally) to catch up with family and friends and to watch his football team (Ipswich Town).

Picture of Amy Butler

Amy Butler

(Qualified permanent and temporary finance recruitment, Sussex and Surrey)

Amy has over 12 years' finance recruitment experience. She started her career in London placing Accountants into Investment Banks and was then headhunted by Joslin Rowe to grow their permanent finance business, winning Biggest Impact on the Business in 2005 and gaining promotion to Director to oversee Accountancy, Risk, Insurance, Business Administration, HR and Legal permanent recruitment.

Amy took a career break to have her son and returns to recruitment at Grafton Banks Finance to specialise in placing senior finance professionals into the Sussex business community.

Outside work Amy's free time is fairly exclusively occupied by her 4 year old, but she squeezes in some live music and a boogie every now and then.

Picture of Jack Schilling

Jack Schilling

(Recruitment Consultant, Permanent & Interim Finance Recruitment Kent)

Jack joined the Grafton Banks Finance Kent office in the summer of 2019. He is a Business with Marketing graduate from the University of Brighton and has a CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management & Leadership.

Jack joined to work alongside Ryan in the Kent office and is involved in the recruitment of qualified and part qualified accountants into commerce and industry acrosss the county.

The team deal with roles on a permanent and interim basis.

Outside of work Jack enjoys attending Brighton football club’s home games as well as meeting up with friends for a drink.

Picture of Lloyd Durrant

Lloyd Durrant

(Permanent part qualified level finance recruitment, Sussex & Surrey)

Lloyd joins Grafton Banks Finance from a Brighton based recruiter, where he gained over two years' experience working within the accountancy and finance markets, placing part qualified accountants and transactional level finance staff across Sussex.

He joined our permanent division in Hove where he places part qualified accountants across Sussex and Surrey.

Lloyd works in both commerce & industry and also the public practice markets.

Outside of work, Lloyd is a keen sportsman playing football and golf at a competitive level. Lloyd also enjoys attending Brighton FC matches and spending time with both friends and family.

Picture of Victoria Woodin

Victoria Woodin

(Non/part qualified level recruitment, Kent)

Victoria joined the Kent office of Grafton Banks Finance in July 2023. She will work alongside Ryan Leggett and Jack Schilling in the recruitment of non/part qualified accountants into commerce and industry and accountancy practices across the county. Victoria is an experienced recruiter and, having taken her first steps in recruitment in 2015 and declared herself in love with the industry, she has never looked back.

Outside of work, Victoria is a family woman; three daughters and a partner leave very little time for anything else, however, she is a huge boxing fan and will also squeeze in sporting updates and podcasts whenever there's a spare moment!

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