How long does FCA SMF approval actually take? A realistic timeline for regulated firm boards
The Gap Between the Statutory Position and Reality The FCA’s statutory position on SMF approval timelines is reasonably well known: the regulator has three months from receipt of a complete Form A application to reach a decision. Most boards treat this as the planning figure. …
How the FCA Form A approval process works: a practical guide for regulated firm boards
What Form A Is and Why It Matters Every individual appointed to a Senior Management Function at an FCA-regulated firm must receive FCA individual pre-approval before taking up their role. That approval is requested through Form A — the standard notification form submitted via the …
When does a firm need a CFO? When does a firm need a Finance Director?
By Adrian Lawrence FCA, Founder, Exec Capital A specific question that comes up frequently in senior finance hiring conversations: should the firm be hiring a CFO or a Finance Director? The two titles are sometimes used interchangeably and sometimes with substantively different meaning, and the …
What’s the realistic timeline for a senior executive search?
By Adrian Lawrence FCA, Founder, Exec Capital A practical question that comes up early in most senior search conversations: how long does the search actually take from start to finish? The honest answer is that a substantive senior search runs 12-18 weeks from formal mandate …
The fractional-versus-permanent decision is harder than it looks
UK senior hiring decisions increasingly start with a question firms didn’t routinely ask five years ago: should this be a fractional appointment, an interim, or a permanent hire? The fractional senior hiring market has matured substantially in the UK over the past decade — particularly …
What boards keep getting wrong about NED diversity
By Adrian Lawrence FCA, Founder, Exec Capital UK board diversity has improved substantially over the past decade — the FTSE 350 looks materially different from how it looked in 2015 — and the substantive arguments for diverse boards are now well-rehearsed. What’s also true is …
How SMCR is changing the senior appointment timetable for FCA-regulated firms
By Adrian Lawrence FCA, Founder, Exec Capital Boards at FCA-regulated firms approaching senior appointments often underestimate the timetable. The substantive search work — brief, market mapping, candidate engagement, assessment, offer — proceeds on a familiar calendar. The Form A submission, fitness and propriety assessment and …
The compensation trend that’s quietly reshaping UK senior hiring in 2026
By Adrian Lawrence FCA, Founder, Exec Capital There’s a structural shift in UK senior compensation that doesn’t get the attention it warrants. Headline base salaries at the senior end have moved within recognisable bands over the past three years; the underlying mix of cash, deferred …
Why senior team strength now drives PE exit valuations more than ever
By Adrian Lawrence FCA, Founder, Exec Capital PE-backed exit conversations have changed materially over the past two years. Where senior team composition was historically discussed late in the process — typically once an indicative offer was on the table and management presentations were being prepared …
Maximizing Value: Strategies for Improving EBITDA Before Business Exit
Introduction Importance of EBITDA in Business Valuation EBITDA, which stands for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization, is a critical metric in business valuation. It provides a clear picture of a company’s operational profitability by focusing on earnings derived from core business activities. By …
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