Meet the Team

From 2006 to 2007, Tim was lucky enough to spend two years as a Deckhand on MY Sai Ram and MY Leander, two excellent charter yachts. After leaving yachting, Tim moved up to London for a career in recruitment. Tim worked predominantly in the Finance and Accounting sector supplying senior staff to a variety of clients including Barclays, HSBC, Goldman Sachs and Thomson Reuters. Quay Crew was set up in 2013 to provide a different recruitment service to yachts, which has now expanded to Quay Group; encompassing yachting, land-based maritime, private residence and family office recruitment. Whilst managing the Quay Group team of 14, Tim also coaches Captains and advises UHNWIs and family offices. One of the things Tim loves most about his role is offering career and mentoring advice to Captains and senior Deck Officers. He also enjoys writing yachting related blogs which attempt to educate and guide crew in their chosen career.

Caroline entered the yachting industry in 2005 as a Junior Stewardess on MY Kahalani. She progressed through the ranks quickly and was Chief Stewardess on MY Capella C before finally becoming Chief Stewardess / Purser on MY GU. After leaving yachts, Caroline spent over two years working for one of the high profile international crew agencies, which is based out of Antibes. Here she learnt a huge amount about the industry and how crew agencies operate, which has influenced the direction and business ethos of Quay Crew, which has now expanded to Quay Group. Since setting up the company in May 2013, Caroline has successfully managed the interior department and its specialist consultants and resourcers.

Les brings 23 years of recruitment experience to Quay Group, with a track record of driving top and bottom-line growth across a number of highly technical industry sectors. After graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry from Southampton University, he built a career spanning Executive Search, Contingency Recruitment, Technical Recruiting and RPO solutions.

As Head of Recruitment at Quay Group, Les leads the consultant team, focusing on coaching, recruitment standards, process improvement, reporting and the adoption of new technology to help the desks grow and perform at their best. Outside of work, Les is a family man and self-confessed rugby dad, with two sons practising their tackling technique on him daily. Hopefully you’ll get to work with him soon!

New Zealand-born Simon has enjoyed an extensive and global career in the superyacht industry spanning more than 25 years. Most recently Simon was Build and Operational Captain on Elixir / Gigagi, 55m Amels for six years. As well as being Captain on several prestigious superyachts, Simon has also worked in the boat building sector and as a project manager onshore. Now residing in Bournemouth with his wife and children, Simon brings a wealth of experience to Quay Crew on our Captain recruitment desk.

Avid watersports fan, Tom, joined the superyacht industry in 2015 working as a Deckhand for two and a half years onboard a 90m Private Yacht. During his time as crew, Tom gained his Yachtmaster and trained as a jet ski instructor. At the weekends, he runs a flyboard centre and jet ski safaris in Poole Harbour alongside his role at Quay Crew. Tom is our Officer Consultant and has been at Quay Crew for over 8 years! He’s responsible for sourcing the best Bosuns and Officers. He also skippers a range of Princess and Sunseeker yachts out of Poole during the summer months for owners and charters.

After graduating in Business Management from Surrey University, Chris spent a couple of seasons onboard a variety of sailing and motor yachts. He recently moved ashore to join Quay Group, having seen a growing need for high level recruitment within the yachting industry.

Born in Genoa, Chris speaks fluent French and Italian and still follows his home city club, Genoa CFC. Before yachting he was a professional horseman and worked in the horse racing industry, completing a diploma with distinction. In his free time he follows the racing, travels around Europe, and is learning Norwegian.

His language skills and understanding of the yachting industry bring valuable insight to the Deckhand desk at Quay Crew.

Alex began his maritime career at the RNLI in Poole from 2012 to 2017, before transitioning into yachting. He has since held roles as 2nd Engineer on a 50m yacht, ETO/3rd Engineer on a 75m new build, 2nd Engineer/ETO on a 99m vessel, and ETO/AVIT on an 85m yacht.

In 2019, Alex met his wife in the industry and they recently married! Outside of work, he’s a passionate rugby fan and enjoys gaming. Having completed his travels of four of the seven continents, he’s planning his fifth adventure next year.

Having spent over seven years in the hospitality sector, including managing top-tier restaurants like Rick Stein’s in Sandbanks, Matt brings a wealth of industry knowledge to Quay Crew. Matt’s recruitment career specialised in placing talent in high-end hospitality roles, from Michelin-starred restaurants and 5 Red Star hotels to private estates. His recruitment expertise also extends to automotive and sales recruitment.

A dedicated MMA enthusiast with two cage competitions under his belt, Matt also excels in racket sports – particularly, table tennis in his youth. Matt’s love for food and wine means that he is often seeking new culinary experiences!

Abbey leads recruitment for the sub-40m Yacht desk, combining hands-on yacht experience with nearly a decade in estate agency and sales management. With a strong background in building relationships, winning new business, and delivering exceptional service, she brings a people-focused and proactive approach to recruitment across the sector.

Her experience working onboard yachts across housekeeping, service, and deck operations has given her a genuine understanding of the demands of life at sea, as well as the importance of professionalism, versatility, and the right cultural fit onboard. It also helped develop her strong work ethic, attention to detail, and passion for delivering exceptional experiences.

Over the past nine years, Abbey has worked across all areas of estate agency, from first-time buyers to ultra-high-net-worth properties, progressing into Sales Management along the way. She enjoys working closely with people, understanding their needs, and making what can often feel like a stressful process run as smoothly as possible.

Outside of work, Abbey loves travelling, fitness, and spending time with friends and family.

Bethany transitioned from a career in aviation as a British Airways stewardess to luxury hospitality, working for prestigious private households and 2.5 years working on a number of prestigious yachts.

With experience in housekeeping, service, administration, and nannying on top-tier yachts, she brings first-hand industry insight and understanding of top-tier hospitality to her role at Quay Crew. In her spare time, Bethany enjoys travel, fitness, and perfecting her latest baking creations.

As a highly experienced recruiter, Phil brings a proven track record spanning more than 15 years of consulting, primarily in finance roles.

Having worked previously for two of the biggest brands in the recruitment world, Hays and Michael Page, Phil is adept at building long-term trusting and confidential client relationships, making successful placements through executive search.

At Quay Group, Phil works closely with yachting companies and suppliers, family offices and UHNW individuals, to pair them with C-Suite and senior personnel for their private and corporate needs.

In his personal life, Phil is an enthusiastic cook, having worked with two Michelin-Star chefs, and even once opening his own restaurant. He ferments and bottles (very) hot sauces! A father of three, Phil is also a dab hand at DIY and is nearing the completion of a three-year property refurbishment project on his home in Dorset.

Stacy joined Quay Group as Recruitment Consultant in our Quay Family Office division, specialising in sourcing exceptional private staff for ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) family offices and investment firms worldwide.

Stacy has extensive experience within STEM recruitment, where she built long-lasting relationships with clients and candidates. She also has a background in IT and engineering. Originally from Reading, Berkshire, Stacy relocated to Dorset in 2022 to live a seaside lifestyle with her family. A sun-lover and avid traveller, she has visited over 20 countries, with Spain being her personal favourite. Outside of work, she is a keen baker, crafting celebration cakes and cupcakes, and enjoys great food, wine, and embracing life by the sea.

Kara joins Quay Group as Accounts & Office Manager, bringing more than 20 years of experience across finance, people operations and executive support, gained across a diverse range of sectors including emergency services, engineering, charity and education.

Highly organised and happiest when keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes, Kara looks after the day-to-day accounts alongside office management, people administration and support for the Directors. She enjoys being the person people can rely on and has a particular love of a good spreadsheet and an efficient process!

Outside of work, Kara enjoys south coast life with her husband, four children and their crazy working cocker spaniel, Bonnie. When she’s not paddleboarding, hiking or climbing, she can usually be found playing netball or helping with her husband’s grassroots youth football team.

With 15 years’ experience in Marketing across a range of professional services, Jonny is a passionate and commercially minded Marketing expert. He has a strong track record of taking marketing campaigns to the next level to deliver real, measurable ROI. Jonny holds a master’s degree in Consumer Marketing, and he has been Head of Marketing at multiple service companies, including leading financial recruitment firm Axon Moore.

As Head of Marketing at Quay Group, Jonny owns the whole marketing function and focuses on driving high-quality campaigns and marketing activities. Outside of work, Jonny is a busy Dad and spends his weekends going on adventures with his two young children. When he gets time with friends, he enjoys playing golf and basketball, as well as going on nights out.