A recruiting pro with two decades getting it right, Matt has moved from the UK to build vibrant businesses and careers in the Hunter.
If you can thrive in London’s cutthroat recruitment scene, you’ve clearly got what it takes. This is the backstory of Matt Vass, who has moved across the world to join our team as Senior Recruitment Consultant for finance and engineering.
With nearly 20 years in recruitment, British-born Matt is a seasoned pro. His career kicked off while travelling in Australia, when he landed a role at Cisco in North Sydney. But it wasn’t long before a new opportunity with Hays pulled him back to the UK.
“I was handed a finance desk in North West London that hadn’t been developed. I came in fresh, built relationships with firms across the region, and grew it from the ground up.”
Later, Matt was relocated to Bank, London’s major financial district, for a new challenge. “It was a steep learning curve, but one that sharpened my skills in a competitive market. I worked with everyone from boutique firms to large financial institutions.”
“My experience working in many different teams across industries and locations, and success in London and through times of remote working during COVID, makes me extremely adaptable.”
Aligned with our Verve approach
While Matt ended up working in healthcare recruitment in his later years in the UK, his background in finance, combined with his expertise in tough markets, made him someone we wanted on our team.
When Matt first got in touch, he thought he was applying for a role in Newcastle, UK. But when he realised it was here in Australia, he wasn’t put off. In fact, he jumped at the chance, having always wanted to return.
After his first conversation with our CEO, Clare Ferguson, and Director, Simon Rutten, it was clear that he was a great fit—both professionally and personally.
Matt is highly aligned with the Verve way of working: built on relationships, networks, and trust. He’s passionate about helping clients build forward-thinking teams and placing candidates in roles they love. Something he says “never gets old.”
He also brings a dry Pommie sense of humour. Another reason he’s great to have around.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Matt to the Verve Partners team and our finance and engineering desks,” says Simon.
“He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in recruitment and has joined us from the UK with our support and sponsorship. His industry expertise, proven track record, and deep understanding of both the sectors and their verticals will be a tremendous asset to our team.”
“Most importantly, Matt is a fantastic cultural fit!”

Ready to start a conversation
Now settling into our Newcastle office, Matt is set to hit the ground running. He’ll be connecting with our finance and engineering clients and candidates, strengthening relationships, and starting new conversations with those keen to benefit from his expertise.
“My goal is to get to know our candidates quickly, meet every client we work with, and the ones we’d like to. I want to build a reputation as a no-nonsense but personable operator who gets results.”
Matt’s also getting to know the region he’ll be supporting, from Newcastle and the Hunter to the Central Coast.
To start, he’ll be working closely with Simon and Clare, tapping into their deep expertise across the finance and engineering markets. We’re sure Matt Vass will be a name the Hunter will come to know.
If you’re a business or candidate in the finance or engineering space, reach out to Matt today for a chat on 0447 313 525.