Meet The Team

Jonathan Ellerbeck is the Managing Director and founder of Gravitas Recruitment Group. 

Jonathan joined Pathway Resourcing (part of SThree Group Plc) as a trainee consultant in April 2000, and quickly established himself as one of the firm's leading consultants. Jonathan maintained this personal success for a number of years, whilst simultaneously growing a team of almost 80 consultants, acting as a coach and mentor to trainee and more experienced consultants alike. Jonathan was promoted to Sales Director in 2008, assuming responsibility for all UK operations of Pathway Resourcing, including over 145 employees. In 2008, Pathway delivered the SThree Group over £17 million gross profit.

In 2010, Jonathan founded Gravitas Recruitment Group after recognising a niche in the market for an agency that could offer the specialisms of a boutique search and selection company, combined with the professionalism of a larger resourcing firm. In addition to his extensive market knowledge, Jonathan built Gravitas around four key values that continue to underpin all activity within the organisation: Respect, Integrity, Passion and Excellence.

Jonathan is dedicated to offering a marketing leading service to our clients, and retains a hands on role within the organisation, leading by example to ensure the highest levels of service to both candidates and clients.  Jonathan read Ancient History and Geography at University College London, and Kings College London respectively

Daniel is a founding Director of Gravitas Recruitment Group and is the Managing Director of Gravitas' Asia-Pacific business. With over 13 years' recruitment experience across contract and permanent markets, he is responsible for the day to day management and growth of our Asia Pacific businesses.

Daniel’s recruitment career started in 1999 working as a full time placement student at Hays Montrose accumulating in him winning Hays Group's top placement student UK. Upon graduating Daniel joined Pathway Resourcing, part of the SThree group in March 2003 and by December 2005 had broken a multitude of longstanding SThree group records on the way to becoming the top consultant globally. Daniel was then tasked with researching, establishing and managing brand new business ventures for the SThree Group including their first Middle East offering, which took him to Dubai before moving to Hong Kong to establish a new Insurance division.

Since Gravitas’ inception in 2010, Daniel has held the title of partner and Managing Director and is responsible for the full spectrum of management including training and development, account management, research, business development, operations, P&L and bottom line growth.

Daniel's hobbies include contemporary art, photography, business and Investments.

Alexandra is a founding Director of Gravitas Recruitment Group and is the Regional Director of Gravitas’ UK business.  With just over 13 years recruitment experience across contract and  permanent markets, she is responsible for the day to day management and growth of our UK based regional offices, whilst also having responsibility for the continued growth and development of the Internal Recruitment function, the Business Development function and the Learning & Development function.

Alexandra’s recruitment career started in 2001, shortly after graduating from Sheffield Hallam University.  She joined the SThree Group as a trainee recruitment consultant and very quickly became one of the top performers within the business.  Within 8 years she had become a highly successful Business Manager, with responsibility for a business unit generating £6 million GP, with over 60 consultants reporting to her.  She was influential in the re-development of the training and coaching programme, instrumental in implementing structure and process to sales teams, whilst working closely with the business development function to win a number of big client accounts and further developing the offering.  

Alexandra’s strong relationship with Jonathan and Daniel was pivotal to her decision to be a part of the Gravitas brand in 2010, alongside her ambition to want to grow and establish a recruitment business that was truly different to the norm!  Outside of work her hobbies include walking, running and anything that involves keeping fit in the outdoors. 

Zoe Brent joined Gravitas Recruitment Group in April 2014 as the Head of Strategic Planning & Implementation, a role created to facilitate the continued unprecedented growth of the Group. 

It primarily ensures that the service levels provided in all divisions & locations to our Clients, Candidates and Employees can be maintained at exceptional levels. 

We aim to anticipate the tipping points that all stakeholders experience as a business evolves, but more importantly to ensure we learn to adapt to stakeholder needs.

Zoe has over 15 years’ experience working for some of the largest and most prestigious names in the Recruitment Industry – but what makes her experience so relevant for this role is that she has worked on all sides of the business.  Her holistic view as a Candidate, Client, Recruiter and Head of Operations gives her a unique insight into the challenges Stakeholders face.

Motivated by a genuine desire to ensure that every touch point of Gravitas Recruitment Group is a positive experience, she realises the value of seeing that everything is connected. As an example, she has previously been responsible for successfully driving retention initiates, realising engaged and happy employees effect a company’s retention which in turn is key to ensuring continuity of service to our Clients and Candidates.  It’s the little things that matter.
As an advocate of CSR, she actively promotes initiates for employees to get involved in local communities as well as charitable work. Outside of work she regularly volunteers for her local council, helping the elderly and disabled and commits to work for national charities when time allows.

Peter started in recruitment in 2001 working in the London office of a global financial services recruitment company specializing in Banking technology. He progressed to become the manager of their London Banking Technology division before moving to Asia in 2008 to build the companies Hong Kong office. He was responsible for building a 25 person business covering Banking & Investment  Technology, Insurance Technology, Banking & Investment Operations, Insurance and Change business lines. In  2014 Peter set up his own firm, Atlas Global Search with 2 other Partners which focused on Banking & Investment  Technology, Insurance Technology, Banking & Investment Operations and Change business lines. Atlas Global Search has built a strong brand in the market based around a quality approach to recruitment and has secured top PSL supplier status in a number of larger banks they work with.

JP joined Gravitas in March 2015 and brought over 12 years’ of recruitment industry experience, gained both within contract and permanent markets. He started his career with a leading international recruitment firm in London where he collected numbers of accolades including Top New-comer, Most Improved Recruitment Consultants and Company No 1 Performer in 2006. Subsequently JP was fast tracked into senior management and successively set up multiple new recruitment profit centers in Europe.

JP moved to Asia in 2010 where he built a new recruitment business in Singapore for a Banking specialist recruitment brand. In 2012 this startup company was voted as “APAC Best New Comer” and in 2013 “APAC Best Client Service” by The Global Recruiter Magazine. JP is currently responsible for all aspects of the growth for the Singapore business.

Jo Callaghan is a UK Business Manager at Gravitas Recruitment Group, heading up the UK Public Sector and NPO Team.

Drawing on her extensive experience of Public Sector recruitment, Jo founded Gravitas’ UK Public Sector/NPO Division.  Under Jo’s guidance, the team has established itself as one of the leading search and selection firms in the sector, working closely with government bodies, education organisations, the NHS, Housing organisations and other NPOs.

Before joining Gravitas, Jo was a Sales Manager at Real Staffing Group, part the of The SThree Group, where she initiated and managed many key accounts with large public sector bodies. During her time at Real Staffing, Jo won several accolades including Top Rookie and Top Team.

In 2013, Jo won Gravitas' Top Sales Consultant performance Award and mentored Gravitas’ Top Rookie.

Since joining Gravitas Jo has strived to add value to her team, her organisation and the market – and has excelled in this by opening up a Gravitas Manchester Office in 2014 which now acts as a hub for Public Sector and NPO.

Jo received a BSc in Politics and History at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, graduating in 2007 with a 2:1.

Dietrich offers a wealth of experience with over 16 years commercial knowhow within recruitment. Upon graduating from the University of West of England, he immediately embarked on an MBA at Cardiff university before moving into the recruitment world in 2000. Starting as a Trainee Consultant with Huxley, Dietrich has enjoyed a successful career path in recruitment working his way up from Consultant to Associate Director. His market focus has always fallen in various candidate driven niches and he holds a rich background in IT (front office) and more recently in Risk and Compliance. His 7 years’ experience with NJF and time spent with Ikas, working both in the UK and Singapore, will be invaluable to the Asia business giving a detailed understanding of candidate driven markets and the management of teams across the Asia and European hemispheres.

Taking his deep knowledge of recruitment from a FTSE 250 company, Joseph joined Gravitas as Principal Consultant, helping to develop and grow Digital Gravitas' brand and social networking approach to recruitment – he took his idea from a sheet of paper and wanted to make recruitment more interactive. He says “People assume innovation is about something new but it can be about just taking something that already exists and doing it better, just like Steve Jobs did with APPLE”. 

Wanting to make recruitment more interactive Joseph helped start Gravitas and founded DigitalGravitas, now a leading network event attracting passionate developers who love to drink and talk TECH. 
Having sponsored events at Droidcon, Mobile World Congress, Digital Dumbo etc…he’s determined to drive a more community approach to recruitment. ”People buy into People and good relationships breed further good relationships”.
As the Business Manager of Digital, he has grown what was initially a Native Group to a business promoting recruitment within Native | Web | Design | Testing Sectors.

Joseph attended University of Southampton and studied BioMedical Science.

Andre Rossouw brings to Gravitas over a decade of Accounting & Finance experience. His fresh approach to growing and developing a high performance team has lead to many successes, both presently and in the past.

As a hands-on Finance Manager, Andre understands the need to be immersed within all the activities of the business, whilst also planning for sustainable growth and global expansion.

He believes that supporting the management team and developing relationships with external stakeholders, in particular clients and candidates, is paramount to achieving group objectives.
                         
Andre is passionate about playing a part in Gravitas reaching it's full potential.   

Steve Lockwood is Associate Director at Gravitas Recruitment Group, leading the Yorkshire Commercial Team.

With more than 18 years’ experience in permanent and interim professional services recruitment, he’s built a commercially successful career on a foundation of mutually beneficial, long-term relationships. Steve’s approach is both collaborative and consultative, underpinned by an honest and informed professionalism.

Beginning his career as a technology recruiter in 1999, Steve joined Michael Page in 2002 where he was responsible for launching their Practice and Public Sector brands across the Midlands. Shortly after, he assumed his first leadership role in Oxford, adding Swindon just 2 years later.

Since 2010, Steve has performed  leadership roles with major International Recruitment businesses, before spending a year providing executive-level Interims into the world’s leading Business & Support Services organisations.

Steve leads the  Gravitas Yorkshire Commercial division, taking day to day responsibility for the growth and development of the team. In addition, Steve will be utilising his experience of Interim Management to enhance Gravitas’ offering at the top of the technology and digital value chain.

Steve’s hobbies include Road-Biking, Rock Climbing and the very occasional Triathlon.

Ross Katz is a Business Manager at Gravitas Recruitment Group, heading up the permanent Banking & Finance team.

Drawing on his extensive experience of financial sector recruitment, Ross founded Gravitas’ permanent Banking & Finance team. Under Ross’ guidance, the team has established itself as one of the leading search and selection firms in the City, working closely with investment and retail banks, trading houses, hedge funds, asset managers and financial software houses.

Before joining Gravitas, Ross was a Principal Consultant at Real Global Markets, part of the SThree group, where he initiated and managed many key accounts with tier 1 investment banks. During his time at Real Global Markets, Ross won several accolades including SThree UK Top Consultant  2011, and Real Staffing Top Consultant 2010 and 2011.

Ross then moved to Cititec, where he quickly established himself as the leading permanent consultant, whilst managing the permanent IT Banking division.

Ross received a BSc in Management Studies at the University of Nottingham, graduating in 2008 with a 2:1.

Shilen Shah is a Business Manager at Gravitas Recruitment Group, heading up the contract IT Banking & Finance team.

Shilen founded Gravitas’ contract IT banking and finance division, bringing with him nearly eight years' experience of IT recruitment in the City. Shilen continues to work closely with his clients and candidates, but also acts as a mentor to the contract IT Banking team, where his experience, understanding of the market and professional manner have helped establish Gravitas as a market leader in financial sector recruitment.

Shilen started his career as part of the SThree graduate recruitment scheme, where he specialised in placing Microsoft developers.  During his time at SThree, Shilen  grew a team that consulted across various IT roles within the Investment banking market in London, setting up a highly successful contract IT Banking business. During his time at SThree, Shilen won many accolades including SThree UK Top Consultant 2009, and Real Staffing Banking IT Top Consultant 2007,2008,2009,2010.

Shilen received a BSc in Business Management and Public Policy at Aston University, graduating in 2006 with First Class honours.