Specialist finance recruitment consultancy Headstar has made two strategically important hires to bolster its Transactional Finance division, in response to a 152% year-on-year increase in net fee income generated through its services in this area.
The new appointments – Claudia Gooding and Matt Swift – join Headstar as senior consultants and will work alongside team manager Rachel Porteous to meet growing demand for transactional and part-qualified finance roles across Yorkshire and beyond.
With over five years’ experience in recruitment across a range of industries, Claudia Gooding will focus on permanent transactional and part-qualified roles in South Leeds, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Halifax, typically recruiting for roles up to £45,000.
Matt Swift, who has quickly risen through the recruitment ranks since starting in 2021, will lead on interim transactional finance appointments across West Yorkshire, meeting clients’ short-term and urgent needs while also supporting wider divisional requirements.
The expansion of the Transactional Finance division reflects surging demand from large businesses in particular for high-quality finance support in areas such as purchase ledger, sales ledger, credit management, payroll and financial analysis. Interim recruitment in particular is being driven by businesses seeking greater flexibility amid fast-paced change – with many short-term hires evolving into longer-term roles.
Transactional finance recruitment accounted for 15% of Headstar’s net fee income in 2024. The company expects this figure to grow further, driven by recent changes to employers’ National Insurance contributions, a growing need for more agile finance functions, and rising demand for professionals who can work effectively with new finance technologies.
James Roach, Headstar’s managing director, said:
“We’ve expanded our Transactional Finance division in response to the real and growing demand we’re seeing from clients. Businesses want access to skilled people who can hit the ground running – whether that’s on a permanent basis or to provide flexible interim cover – and this demand is only heading in one direction.
“Both Claudia and Matt bring a huge amount of experience and the down-to-earth character we value in all our consultants. We’re delighted to welcome them to the team and look forward to seeing the impact they will have in driving growth in this buoyant area.”
Headstar, originally known as FD Yorkshire Limited, was established 38 years ago and has grown significantly in recent years, expanding its client and contractor base which includes large corporates such as Algeco, Arrow Global, Transunion, myenergi and NG Bailey. The company recruits for the full spectrum of finance roles, from CFOs and finance directors through to transactional and accountancy practice positions – and is unique in being a finance recruitment consultancy founded by qualified finance directors.
