Candidates

Exec Capital works with senior executives at every stage of a leadership career — whether you are actively considering a move, quietly open to the right opportunity, or simply want to be known to a specialist firm that recruits at your level. We recruit Chief Executives, Chief Operating Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Technology Officers, Chief Marketing Officers, non-executive directors and the full range of C-suite and Director-level roles, on a permanent, fractional and interim basis, across the UK and for international businesses hiring here.

This page explains how to register, how executive search works from your side of the table, what we look for and how we handle confidentiality, and links to our current jobs, salary guides, job descriptions and interview advice.

Register as a Candidate

Registering with Exec Capital takes around ten minutes. Send a current CV to recruitment@execcapital.co.uk or complete the candidate registration form, and tell us the role types you are targeting, preferred locations, current package and expectations, notice period, and whether you are available now, passively open or building a relationship for later. All registrations are treated in strict confidence — we do not share your details with any client without your explicit agreement for that specific role.

We recruit across CEO, COO, CFO, CTO, CMO, CIO, CAIO, CHRO, CCO and senior Director functions, for PE-backed businesses, founder-led companies, listed groups, family offices, financial services firms and organisations in most sectors. We also place fractional executives and interim leaders — if you are building a portfolio of part-time engagements or are available for interim assignments, say so when you register and we will record that separately.

A useful CV at this level runs to two or three pages, with a line on each employer (size, ownership, sector) and measurable outcomes for each role.

How Executive Search Works from the Candidate Side

Executive search is commissioned and paid for by the hiring organisation, not the candidate. We are retained to find the right person for a specific role, so we approach people because they fit a mandate rather than looking for a role to fit a person. Registering puts you in view when a relevant brief arrives; it does not mean a role will follow. A typical executive search runs like this:

• Briefing. We agree the role, reporting line, package and measures of success with the client.
• Research and approach. We map the market and our network and make confidential approaches, often to people who are not looking.
• Initial conversation. We discuss the role and your background against it. Raise any concerns about the business, package or timing here.
• Shortlist. With your agreement, we present you to the client with a written assessment.
• Interviews and assessment. Expect several stages with the hiring executive, board members and sometimes investors.
• Offer and resignation. We help with package negotiation, notice and handover.

Timelines are set by the client’s board diary as much as by us, and we will tell you honestly where a process stands, including when you have not been taken forward.

What We Look For in Senior Candidates

Every brief differs, but clients consistently ask us to test for the same things, and we look for evidence rather than adjectives:

• Outcomes. What changed in the business because you were there, and how it was measured.
• Relevant context. Ownership matters: a PE exit, a founder transition or an acquisition integration is directly relevant experience.
• Judgement and candour. How you explain decisions that did not work tells a board a great deal.
• Motivation. Why this business, why now, and what you would aim to achieve in the first year.

For roles at regulated firms, your regulatory history will be reviewed closely. Under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, firms must assess the fitness and propriety of senior managers, and many senior management functions need regulatory approval before the individual starts. The FCA notes the regime is being reformed, so we check the current position on each mandate. Our guide to fitness and propriety under SMCR explains what firms assess.

Confidentiality and How We Handle Your Details

Most of the executives we speak to are employed, and an indiscreet process can damage a career. We do not send your CV to any organisation without your agreement for that specific role, and we do not use your name to market ourselves to clients. If a client is confidential, we explain why and when the name will be shared. Confidentiality runs both ways: clients often share sensitive information during a search, such as a pending sale or an unannounced leadership change, and we ask candidates to treat it with the same care. If there are employers you do not want approached on your behalf, tell us and we will record it.

Current Executive Opportunities

Live roles are listed on our current jobs page as they are instructed. Many mandates are run through direct approach and never advertised, which is the main reason to register rather than rely on adverts alone.

Executive Salary Guides

Know the market before you negotiate. Executive packages vary widely by sector, location, size and ownership: a PE-backed CFO with equity and a listed-company CFO with an LTIP can have very different base salaries for similar work. Our salary guides give a starting framework, and our guide to equity and incentives for senior hires covers the rest of the package.

Executive Job Descriptions

Titles mean different things in different businesses: a Finance Director in an owner-managed company may carry more weight than a CFO in a large group. Our job descriptions set out typical scope, reporting lines and expected experience, which helps you judge whether a step is a genuine move up.

Interview Tips for C-Suite Executives

At C-suite level, interviews test leadership presence, commercial judgement and board-level communication as much as functional experience. Points candidates often underestimate:

You are also assessing them. Boards expect substantive questions about strategy, governance, the main challenges and what success looks like in year one. Not asking hard questions signals a lack of interest or confidence.

Specificity beats generality. “I led a significant transformation” tells a board very little. Name the problem, what you did, how long it took and the measurable result.

References are part of the process. Boards and search firms may speak to people in the market who have worked with you, beyond the names you provide.

The timeline is longer. Senior processes run over several stages and weeks. Check your notice period and any restrictive covenants or garden leave terms early, as they affect start dates.

Career Guides for Senior Executives

Our guides cover the decisions senior people face at career turning points.

Fractional and Interim Executive Careers

Fractional and interim work is now a career path in its own right. An interim executive usually works full time for a defined period, through a transaction, turnaround or leadership gap; a fractional executive works a set number of days a week or month on an ongoing basis, often for two or three businesses at once. Clients expect people who have done the role permanently and can make an impact quickly with little onboarding.

If you are new to independent work, think about structure early. Many interim and fractional executives work through their own company (GOV.UK explains how to set up a limited company), and the off-payroll working (IR35) rules govern how engagements are taxed; for medium and large clients, the client decides your status. Tell us your day rate, how many days you can commit and when you are next free.

Non-Executive Director Opportunities

Many senior executives build board portfolios alongside or after their executive careers. Non-executive roles mean oversight and challenge rather than running the business. For listed companies the UK Corporate Governance Code sets expectations on board composition, independence and time commitment.

Exec Capital recruits non-executive directors for PE-backed businesses, listed and AIM-quoted companies and private organisations. Our sister firm NED Capital specialises in non-executive and board-level appointments.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay anything to register?

No. Executive search is paid for by the hiring organisation; there is no charge to candidates.

Will you send my CV to clients without asking me?

No. We only put you forward after discussing the specific role with you and getting your agreement.

Should I register if I am not actively looking?

Yes, if you would consider the right move. Tell us what would make a move worthwhile.

How do I keep my details up to date?

Email an updated CV or a short note to recruitment@execcapital.co.uk when your role, package or availability changes.