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The People Behind Your Perfect Placement

For over 20 years PinnacleHR has been the UK's most trusted recruitment and talent consulting partner — built on expertise, integrity, and a genuine commitment to your success.

London Manchester Birmingham 2004 Founded in London 10,000+ Careers Transformed 500+ Client Organisations
Our Story

Two Decades of Connecting Great People

Founded in 2004 by seasoned HR professionals Mark Thornton and Claire Okafor, PinnacleHR began as a boutique London practice with a simple conviction: that great recruitment is about relationships, not transactions.

From a single office in the City of London, we've grown into a nationwide operation with specialist divisions spanning technology, finance, legal, healthcare, and beyond. Today, our team of 120+ consultants operates across six UK offices, yet we've never lost sight of the personal, human approach that defines us.

"Our mission is to be the most trusted name in UK recruitment — for candidates seeking their best next step, and for employers building exceptional teams."

We are proud members of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), hold ISO 9001 certification, and are consistently ranked among the UK's top recruitment consultancies by independent research.

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What Drives Us

Our Core Values

Four fundamental principles that guide every search, every placement, and every client relationship we build.

Integrity

We operate with complete transparency and honesty at every stage. We tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear.

Excellence

We set the highest standards for ourselves. From the quality of our shortlists to the depth of our market knowledge — we never settle for ordinary.

Innovation

We embrace the latest recruitment technology, data analytics and AI-powered matching to deliver faster, smarter outcomes for clients and candidates.

Partnership

We build long-term relationships rather than one-off transactions. Your success is our success, and we invest accordingly in every engagement.

Meet the Team

Our Leadership

Experienced professionals who have built their careers in recruitment, HR, and consulting — dedicated to setting the standard.

Mark Thornton
Founder & Chief Executive

With 28 years in executive search and talent strategy, Mark founded PinnacleHR on the principle that every career decision deserves expert, personalised guidance.

Claire Okafor
Co-Founder & Managing Director

Claire brings 25 years of HR consulting expertise. She oversees our specialist divisions and ensures PinnacleHR maintains its reputation for exceptional service quality.

James Hartley
Director — Technology & Digital

A former tech industry CTO, James leads our technology division and oversees the AI-powered matching tools that give PinnacleHR its competitive edge in digital recruitment.

Priya Mehta
Head of Finance & Legal Divisions

Priya is a specialist recruiter with 18 years placing senior professionals across banking, asset management, private equity, and top-tier law firms throughout the UK.

Our Journey

Company Milestones

Two decades of growth, innovation, and expanding our reach to serve more clients and candidates across the UK.

PinnacleHR Founded

Mark Thornton and Claire Okafor open the doors of PinnacleHR in the City of London, focusing on finance and legal permanent recruitment for top-tier firms.

2004
2010

National Expansion

Offices opened in Manchester and Birmingham, launching our Technology and HR specialist divisions. Headcount grows to 45 consultants and 2,000+ placements achieved.

Digital Transformation

Launch of our proprietary candidate management platform and digital assessment tools. PinnacleHR named 'Best Use of Technology' at the National Recruitment Awards.

2016
2020

Remote Working Pioneer

Ahead of the curve, we launched our dedicated Remote Roles division and Virtual Career Coaching service, supporting clients and candidates through unprecedented change.

AI-Powered Matching

Introduced our award-winning AI-powered talent matching system, reducing time-to-hire by 40% and improving candidate-role compatibility scores to industry-leading levels.

2024
2026

PinnacleHR Today

120+ consultants, six UK offices, 10,000+ successful placements, and partnerships with 500+ leading organisations. The journey continues — better than ever.

Recognition

Awards & Accreditations

Industry recognition for the work we do and the standards we uphold every single day.

Best Recruitment Agency

NRA 2025 — Winner
ISO 9001:2015

ISO 9001 Certified

Quality Management
REC Full Member

REC Full Member

Since 2004

Best Tech Recruitment

TechRecruitAwards 2025

Investors in People

Gold Standard 2025
Trusted By

Our Partners & Clients

We work with some of the UK's most respected organisations across private, public and third sectors.

Become Part of the PinnacleHR Story

Whether you're seeking your next career move or building a high-performing team, our experts are ready to help you succeed.

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