About Us

Challenger is a boutique recruitment firm focused on Financial Services, Accounting & Finance and Risk & Compliance markets. Over the last 15 years, we have built a successful track record, delivering outstanding opportunities for our talent communities, whilst delivering high-calibre talent and optimum solutions for our clients. We provide contingent, retained and temporary assignments both in Ireland and other financial centres.

Challenger’s vision is to grow into one of the leading international recruitment firms across 5 specialist areas:
Financial Services, Accounting & Finance, Legal, Risk & Compliance, Technology & Digital and Sales & Marketing

Our success to date, and our ambitions going forward, are based on our deep international networks, expert understanding of our markets, and our rigorous search methodology. We utilise the latest tools and technologies to support our experienced & dedicated consultants. Challenger was founded by Nabil McNaughton in July 2021.

Financial Services

Accounting & Finance

Legal, Risk & Compliance

Technology & Digital

Meet The Team

Founder & Managing Director

Nabil McNaughton

Nabil has over 15 years of recruitment experience both domestically and internationally covering Financial Services and Accounting & Finance.

He has supported a wide range of clients from Startups to Global Financial Institutions to develop high-calibre teams. Nabil has cultivated an extensive, global, professional network, and is a respected search partner in the market - trusted by clients and candidates to deliver results. Nabil is very passionate about the Challenger business and team, their clients and talent communities.

"I am very passionate about the challenger business and am excited about growing our own team and our service offering. It's also a privilege to partner with our clients and candidates on a daily basis and to help them achieve their career and business objectives"

Beyond the Desk…
Nabil’s passions include spending time with his family and friends, most sports, running, going to the gym, all types of music, and the occasional sing-song. In a former life, Nabil played rugby with Greystones and now enjoys commenting on the games from the couch as well as coaching his son’s under 9s team.

Principal Consultant

Gillian Scerri

Gill has over ten years of experience in recruitment and financial services, covering asset management, fund services, banking and product management.

She spent the first six years of her career working in the fund’s industry and eventually transitioned into recruitment, availing of her finance background to build strong relationships and lead a high-performing team.

Over her time in recruitment, Gill has built her credibility by consistently offering exceptional service and delivering results for both her clients and candidates.

Within Challenger, Gill supports our Funds, Asset Management & Wealth Management Clients with particular expertise across Operations, Investments & Finance.

"What I love about recruitment is that I really get to the crux of why a person wants a new role and match them to a position, culture and firm that significantly betters their quality of life"

Beyond the Desk…
Gill’s passions include yoga, anything related to wellness and nutrition, painting, writing and coffee. She is the adventurous type and her favourite thing to do is pack her rucksack and explore cultures vastly different to her own, covering 25 countries so far. It is her goal to see as much of the world as possible!

Recruitment Consultant

Aoife Bourke

Aoife is the newest member at Challenger. Recruitment is her dream career and her Masters in Work and Organisational Psychology and her background in..

Aoife is the newest member at Challenger. Recruitment is her dream career and her Masters in Work and Organisational Psychology and her background in sales have equipped her with the necessary skills and attitude to excel in her role.

She specialises predominantly in Fund Operations, Legal Support and CoSec and has built up an excellent rapport in the market. She enjoys talking to professionals every day to help them find the perfect role.

"I love working in recruitment because I get to speak with great people every day and help them find the perfect role. Nothing beats the feeling of a placement resulting in a happy candidate and a happy client!"

Beyond the Desk…
Aoife’s passions are music (all types – except country!) and loves going to concerts. She also enjoys reading and all things psychology.

The Challenger Way

“CHALLENGER” was derived from our desire as a firm to challenge traditional recruitment and how things can and should be done. We have our own unique way of doing things in Challenger. Our interactions, insights, recruitment methodologies, process and tools are all geared around delivering an exceptional experience for our customers.

As a new entrant to the market, we want to challenge the competition, delivering a refreshing recruitment offering that our customers truly value. We equally strive to step outside of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves daily, to ensure we are a genuine market leader who lives and breathes our values of Excellence, Dedication, Passion, Authenticity, Enjoyment and Accountability.

Our Process

Our Mission

“At Challenger, our mission is to accelerate career and business growth for our customers by aligning top talent with ambitious firms, through expert financial recruitment”. We strive to be the respected partner in mid to senior-level recruitment across Financial Services, Accounting & Finance, Legal, Risk & Compliance and Sales & Marketing by providing highly personalised service to clients and candidates and building real relationships, over the long term.

We take pride in our unique position to act as a sounding board and advisor to both our clients and candidates. We are solution-focused and are relentlessly driven by the desire to provide our candidates with genuine, career-defining opportunities whilst enabling our clients to build high performing teams and to consistently enhance their brand in the market.

Our Values

Excellence

We challenge ourselves to be the best recruitment firm in the market, delivering a professional, world-class service to all our partners, each and every time.

Authenticity

We have integrity and are genuine, transparent and ethical in our approach and communications. We want your TRUST and know we have to work hard to gain it. We are up for the challenge.

Passion

We love what we do and are truly grateful that we get the opportunity, each day, to help our clients and candidates achieve their goals. It is a job that we are hugely passionate about and a challenge we take very seriously.

Enjoyment

Critical to our success, we strive to make the experience of working with
Challenger really enjoyable for both our customers and our colleagues.

Dedication

We work exceptionally hard to ensure we deliver on our promises to our customers and our colleagues.

Accountability

Above all else, we are responsible for providing excellent service and achieving results for our clients, candidates and colleagues. We are committed to doing what we say we will do and to underpromise and overdeliver.