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 …
Maximising Value: Strategies for Improving EBITDA Before Business Exit
For any business heading toward a sale or exit, EBITDA is the number that matters most. As the standard measure of operating profitability, it is what acquirers assess and the basis on which valuation multiples are applied — so improving it in the period before …
How Much Does a Virtual CFO Cost in the UK?
For a growing business that needs senior financial leadership but cannot yet justify a full-time hire, a virtual CFO is often the sensible answer — the strategic guidance of a Chief Financial Officer on a flexible, part-time or project basis. The first question most founders …
Common CFO Hiring Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Hiring a Chief Financial Officer is one of the most consequential appointments a business makes — and one of the easiest to get wrong. The CFO is far more than a senior accountant: they are a strategic partner to the CEO, a source of financial …
How Carried Interest Works in Practice
Carried interest — almost always shortened to “carry” — is the single most important element of how the people who run private equity and venture capital funds are paid. Alongside the annual management fee, it forms the two-part compensation model that rewards a fund’s general …
How to Hire a Fractional CFO in London: A Complete Guide for Growing Businesses
How to Hire a Fractional CFO in London: A Complete Guide for Growing Businesses Understanding the Role of a Fractional CFO Defining a Fractional CFO A Fractional CFO, also known as a part-time or outsourced CFO, is a financial expert who provides executive-level financial management …
Accredited Member of GBC
Carbon Offset via TreeNation
