London Executive Recruitment

London executive search for MDs, CEOs, sales, tech and marketing leaders. Permanent, interim or fractional, from our Great Portland Street office.

  • Founded by Adrian Lawrence FCA, ICAEW
  • Permanent, interim and fractional C-suite hires
  • Offices in London and the West Midlands
Millennium Bridge at night

London Executive Search

Exec Capital is a London-based executive recruitment agency and executive headhunter placing CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CTOs, CMOs, Chairmen, and the full range of C-suite and director-level executives with UK businesses. Our executive search team conducts retained searches, interim executive placements, and fractional executive arrangements — for businesses in London and throughout the UK. Permanent C-suite and director mandates are run as retained executive searches: research-based candidate identification, direct and confidential approaches, personal assessment against the brief, and a shortlist to a timetable we agree with you at the briefing stage.

London carries more senior leadership roles than any other part of the UK. The Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 puts roughly 54,000 of the UK’s 145,000 full-time chief executive and senior official jobs in London — more than a third of the national total. The city is home to a large share of the UK’s private equity houses, financial services firms and technology companies, and those businesses generate a steady flow of executive search mandates. Exec Capital’s London office, at 167–169 Great Portland Street, W1W 5PF, and its network give the practice direct access to the executive talent pools these organisations need, alongside the national reach to source candidates from across the UK and to serve clients headquartered outside London.

We are realistic about where a specialist search firm earns its place in a market this crowded. London has global search houses with dozens of partners, and for a FTSE 100 chief executive search they are a natural choice. Where Exec Capital is most useful is the work those firms often treat as secondary: Managing Director and CEO appointments in owner-managed, PE-backed and scale-up businesses; sales, commercial, technology and marketing leadership; interim and fractional executives who need to start quickly; and regulated financial services roles such as fractional SMF16 compliance and SMF17 MLRO appointments, which run through our sister brand SMF Capital.

Short answer

Exec Capital is a specialist executive search firm with a manned London office on Great Portland Street. We find MDs and CEOs, sales and commercial directors, CTOs, CMOs and COOs for London businesses on a permanent, interim or fractional basis, and handle regulated SMF16 and SMF17 appointments through our sister brand SMF Capital. Tell us what you need and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right firm for it.

Tell us about your hire

What we search for in London most often

Most London executive search enquiries we receive fall into a handful of role families. These are the searches where our network is deepest and where we have the clearest view of the candidate market, so they are also where we are most likely to add something a generalist cannot. The table below is a quick guide; the notes underneath explain what tends to make each search in London different.

Role What London clients usually need Formats we fill
Managing Director / CEO A first external MD for a founder-led business, a new CEO for a PE-backed company, or a UK MD for an overseas group opening or growing a London office. Permanent, interim, fractional
Sales / Commercial Director Someone to build or reset a sales function, own the pipeline and pricing, and open new markets or channels. Permanent, interim, fractional
CTO Engineering leadership for a scale-up, a technical co-founder replacement, or a technology lead for a platform rebuild or due diligence. Permanent, interim, fractional
CMO / Marketing Director Brand and demand generation leadership, often the first senior marketing hire after a funding round. Permanent, interim, fractional
COO / Operations Director An operator to run the business day to day while the founder or CEO focuses on growth, investors or a sale. Permanent, interim, fractional
Interim and fractional executives Cover for a sudden departure, a turnaround or transaction, or senior capability a few days a week that the business cannot yet justify full time. Day-rate engagements
SMF16 / SMF17 (via SMF Capital) A compliance oversight holder, an MLRO, or a combined SMF16/17 for a smaller FCA-authorised firm, frequently on a fractional basis. Fractional, interim, permanent

Managing Directors and CEOs

The MD search is the one we are asked to run most often in London. The typical client is not a listed company but a business with somewhere between a few million and a few hundred million pounds of turnover: a founder stepping back and hiring the first external Managing Director, a private equity sponsor replacing a CEO after acquisition, or an international group appointing a UK Managing Director to run its London operation. Each of those is a different search. A founder succession needs someone who can earn the trust of a team that has only ever reported to the owner; a PE appointment needs a leader comfortable with a value creation plan and monthly board reporting to investors; an overseas parent needs someone who can run a UK entity with a degree of autonomy while reporting into a head office in another time zone. Our MD recruitment in London page covers this in more detail, including how we assess candidates for each situation.

Sales and Commercial Directors

Sales leadership is the area where a good CV and a good hire diverge most often. London has a deep pool of people with impressive sales titles, and a smaller pool who have built a function from a low base, hired and managed a team through a full cycle, and delivered numbers that can be checked. Our job on a Sales Director recruitment mandate is to find the second group and to test their track record properly: what the team looked like when they joined, what they changed, what the revenue did, and how much of that was them rather than the market. The same applies to Commercial Directors, where the brief usually adds pricing, margin and key account ownership to the sales remit. Many London clients start with an interim or fractional sales leader to build the plan and the pipeline before committing to a permanent hire.

CTOs and technology leaders

London’s technology market is large and well networked, which makes CTO searches both easier and harder: there are plenty of candidates, but the best are in post, well paid and approached regularly. The brief needs to be precise about the stage of the business, the state of the platform and the size of team the CTO will lead, because a CTO who thrives running a 100-person engineering organisation is often the wrong choice for a ten-person team that needs someone writing code and making architecture decisions. For earlier-stage businesses, a fractional CTO is frequently the right first step: senior technical judgement for product roadmaps, investor due diligence and the first engineering hires, without a full-time salary.

CMOs and marketing leaders

Marketing leadership searches in London tend to split between brand-led consumer businesses and B2B companies that need a demand generation engine feeding the sales team. The skills overlap less than the title suggests, and a strong consumer CMO can struggle in a B2B role where marketing is judged on qualified pipeline rather than awareness. We place CMOs and Marketing Directors on all three bases, and the fractional CMO model is particularly common among London scale-ups that need senior strategy and a marketing plan before they are ready to build a full team.

COOs and operations leaders

The COO role varies more between businesses than almost any other C-suite seat. In one London company it means running operations, supply chain and customer service; in another it is effectively the chief of staff to a founder CEO, owning planning, people and process. We spend time at the briefing stage pinning down which version you need, because it determines the candidate pool entirely. Interim COOs are often used to stabilise a business through a period of change or ahead of a sale.

Interim and fractional executives

A large share of our London work is not permanent search at all. Interim executives cover a gap at full-time intensity for a defined period; fractional executives work a set number of days each week or month on an ongoing basis. Both are day-rate engagements, and both need a different sourcing approach from permanent search, because the candidate pool is made up of experienced independent executives rather than people in permanent roles. We keep in regular contact with interim and fractional leaders across London and the South East so that we can move quickly when a client needs someone to start.

SMF16 and SMF17 through SMF Capital

London has the UK’s largest concentration of FCA-authorised firms, and many of them are small: brokers, wealth managers, payments and lending businesses, and newly authorised firms that need a compliance oversight holder (SMF16) and a money laundering reporting officer (SMF17) but not two full-time people. These are senior manager functions that require FCA approval before the individual takes up the role. Our group handles this work through its specialist sister brand SMF Capital, which focuses on fractional, interim and permanent compliance and MLRO appointments, including combined SMF16/17 roles. If your London firm needs a part-time compliance officer, SMF Capital’s fractional compliance officer (SMF16) page is the place to start.

London Executive Search: What We Place

Exec Capital conducts executive search and headhunting across the full range of C-suite and senior director appointments. The most frequent London mandates include:

CEO and MD appointments. Chief Executive and Managing Director searches for London-based businesses across every sector — from PE-backed growth companies and financial services firms to technology scale-ups and professional services businesses. London’s executive talent market for CEO-level appointments is deep but competitive: the best candidates are consistently in post and require a headhunting approach rather than a reactive search. See our CEO Recruitment page.

CFO and Finance Director appointments. Chief Financial Officer and Finance Director searches for London businesses — including those requiring FCA regulatory familiarity, PE reporting experience, or transaction CFO capability. Adrian Lawrence’s ICAEW qualification gives Exec Capital a specific advantage in assessing CFO and finance leadership candidates that generalist London executive search firms cannot match. See our CFO Recruitment page. For fractional and interim FD requirements, Exec Capital’s sister practice FD Capital is the specialist.

COO and operational leadership. Chief Operating Officer and Operations Director searches for London-based businesses — particularly PE-backed companies, financial services firms, and technology businesses where the COO mandate combines strategic and operational accountability. See our COO Recruitment page.

CTO and technology leadership. Chief Technology Officer searches for London’s technology businesses — from fintech and SaaS companies to enterprise software and digital businesses requiring CTO-level engineering leadership and board-level technology strategy. See our CTO Recruitment page.

CMO and commercial leadership. Chief Marketing Officer and senior commercial leadership searches for London businesses across B2B technology, financial services, consumer, and professional services sectors. See our CMO Recruitment page.

Chairman and board appointments. Independent Chairman and Non-Executive Director searches for London-based boards — including listed companies, PE-backed businesses, and private companies building their first formal board. For NED appointments, Exec Capital’s sister practice NED Capital specialises in this market, and our London non-executive recruitment page explains how we approach board searches in the capital. See our Chairman Recruitment page.

Family office appointments. London has one of the largest concentrations of single and multi-family offices in Europe, and their senior hires — chief executives, CIOs, CFOs and heads of operations — need particular discretion. Our London family office recruitment page covers that work.

Hiring a senior leader in London?

Our team runs permanent, interim and fractional executive searches from our Great Portland Street office, with Adrian Lawrence FCA overseeing each mandate.

Executive Search →Tell us about your hire

London Executive Headhunting: Our Approach

Executive headhunting in London requires a fundamentally different approach from executive recruitment that relies on job postings and candidate databases. London’s most capable C-suite executives are consistently in post and not browsing executive job boards. They are managing investor relationships, running businesses, and being approached through trusted professional networks. Reaching them requires a headhunting approach — direct, confidential identification and outreach by an executive search team with the network and credibility to be taken seriously.

Exec Capital’s London executive headhunting process begins with a structured briefing — establishing the business context, the mandate requirements, and the specific candidate profile the search requires. The team then identifies the specific individuals whose track records match the brief — not a database search, but active research into the relevant executive talent pool — and approaches them directly and confidentially. Every candidate assessed is evaluated against the specific brief before being included in the shortlist.

This is what distinguishes a genuine London executive headhunter from an executive recruitment agency that posts vacancies and manages applications. The best London executive appointments — for businesses of all sizes — almost always require the headhunting approach. Our executive headhunters page sets out how direct approach works in practice and how we handle confidentiality when the incumbent is still in post.

When a London C-suite role is at an FCA or PRA-regulated firm, such as a CEO (SMF1), COO (SMF24) or Chief Risk Officer (SMF4), the appointment needs regulatory approval, and our sister practice SMF Capital specialises in these searches; see SMF recruitment in London.

How a London executive search works

Every search is different, but the stages are broadly the same whether we are looking for a permanent Managing Director, an interim COO or a fractional CMO. The table below shows what happens at each stage and what we need from you. We do not promise a fixed number of days for any stage: the timetable depends on the role, the market and how quickly interviews can be arranged, and we agree it with you at the briefing.

Stage What happens What we need from you
1. Brief A meeting at our London office, at yours or by video to agree the role, the reporting line, what success looks like in the first year, the package and the format (permanent, interim or fractional). Access to the decision-makers, an honest view of the business and its challenges, and the budget.
2. Search and research We map the companies and individuals who match the brief, draw on our network and the group’s pooled C-level contacts, and agree any target or off-limits companies with you. Sign-off on the target list and any confidentiality requirements.
3. Approach and assessment Confidential approaches, followed by in-depth interviews to test track record, motivation and fit against the brief. Availability for a mid-search update so the brief can be adjusted if the market says it should be.
4. Shortlist A shortlist of assessed candidates with written reports covering experience, achievements, motivations, package expectations and any concerns. Prompt feedback, so strong candidates stay engaged.
5. Interviews We arrange and brief both sides for each round, which can be held at our Great Portland Street office if a neutral venue helps confidentiality. Interview slots for the panel and a clear decision process.
6. Offer and references We manage the offer and negotiation, take references and, for regulated roles, coordinate the information needed for an FCA or PRA application. Approval of the package and the contract.
7. Onboarding We stay in touch with the new executive and with you through notice period and the first months in role. A planned induction and a named sponsor for the new leader.

Interim and fractional searches follow the same stages in a compressed form. Because the candidates are independent executives who are often available at short notice, the work concentrates on assessment and references rather than on long approach campaigns. For more detail on our method, including how we structure the research phase, see our guide to executive search methodology.

For roles at FCA-authorised firms, there is an extra step after the offer. Senior manager functions need regulatory approval, and under section 61 of the Financial Services and Markets Act the regulator has three months to decide a complete application, with the clock pausing if it asks for more information. The FCA’s Senior Managers and Certification Regime pages set out how the regime works; our guide on how long FCA SMF approval takes explains what this means for your start date.

London Executive Recruitment Agencies: How We Compare

London’s executive recruitment market includes large global search firms, boutique specialist practices, and contingency agencies. Exec Capital operates as a boutique retained specialist — focused exclusively on C-suite and director-level appointments, with every search run by our specialist team and overseen by Adrian Lawrence FCA, and with a candidate assessment methodology built around verified commercial track records in comparable businesses.

The most important distinction between London executive recruitment agencies is whether they operate on a retained or contingency basis. Retained executive search firms are engaged to conduct a specific, research-based search — their accountability is to the outcome of the appointment. Contingency agencies send available candidates and charge on placement — their accountability is to the volume of CVs presented. For permanent C-suite and director-level appointments, the retained model consistently produces better appointments and is the model Exec Capital uses; interim and fractional appointments are arranged on a day-rate basis.

Choosing an executive search firm in London

If you search for executive search firms in London you will find hundreds of them, from household-name global partnerships to one-person practices. Choosing well matters more than the fee: a weak search costs months, and a wrong appointment at the top of a business can cost far more. These are the questions we would ask if we were in your position.

Retained or contingent?

A retained search firm is paid in stages to run a defined search, and commits time to mapping the market and approaching people who are not looking. A contingent recruiter is paid only on placement and is therefore incentivised to present whoever is available quickly. Contingent recruitment works well for many mid-level roles. For a chief executive, managing director or other senior appointment where the best candidates are in post, retained search is usually the better fit. Our guide to retained vs contingent executive search explains when each makes sense.

Specialist or generalist?

Large generalist firms bring brand, research teams and international reach. Specialists bring depth in a particular role family or sector and, often, more senior attention on each search. Neither is automatically better. The useful question is whether the firm has placed people in roles like yours, in businesses like yours, recently. A firm that places FTSE 100 chief executives may not be the right choice for the first external MD of a family-owned company, and the reverse is equally true. For regulated financial services firms, our overview of the top executive search firms for FCA-regulated firms sets out the main options, including the large houses.

Questions to ask any London search firm

  • Who will actually run the search? Find out who will do the research, the approaches and the interviews, not just who will attend the pitch.
  • What similar roles have you filled recently? Ask for examples at the same level and in comparable businesses, described in enough detail to be credible.
  • Which companies are off-limits? A search firm cannot approach executives at its own clients. With large firms, the off-limits list can rule out a large part of the market.
  • How will you assess candidates? Look for structured interviews, track record checks and referencing, not just CV screening.
  • How do you report progress? Agree regular updates and a mid-search review before you sign.
  • What happens if the appointment does not work out? Ask about the replacement terms and any conditions attached.
  • Can you also offer interim or fractional cover? If the role is urgent, a firm that can place an interim while the permanent search runs saves you running two processes.

How our engagements and fees are structured

For permanent appointments we work on a retained basis, with the fee linked to the first-year package of the person appointed and payable in stages through the search. For interim and fractional appointments we quote an all-inclusive day rate, so you know exactly what the engagement costs and there is no separate placement fee on top. Every engagement includes the briefing, the research and approach work, assessment interviews, written candidate reports, interview coordination, offer management and referencing. We set out the terms in writing before any work starts, and we are happy to talk through the commercial options on a first call. If you would rather discuss it directly, contact us or call 0203 834 9616.

London Sectors We Recruit For

Exec Capital recruits C-suite and director-level executives across London’s principal business sectors. The areas where we have the deepest London candidate networks include:

Financial services and fintech. London is the UK’s financial services capital and Exec Capital recruits across asset management, wealth, fintech, payments and regulated financial services — including executives with FCA regulatory familiarity, SM&CR experience, and PE-backed financial services track records.

Technology and SaaS. London’s technology sector is one of the most active executive search markets in Europe. Exec Capital places CEOs, CTOs, CFOs, and CMOs with London-based technology businesses from Series A through to exit — with specific experience in the commercial model transitions, engineering leadership requirements, and investor reporting that technology businesses require at each growth stage.

Private equity-backed businesses. London is the centre of the UK’s PE market and Exec Capital has an active network of executives with verified PE portfolio experience — who understand the 100-day plan discipline, operating partner relationships, and pace of delivery that PE ownership requires. See our private equity recruitment capability.

Professional services. London’s professional services sector — spanning legal, consulting, accounting, and specialist advisory businesses — requires executives with the credibility to lead senior professionals, the commercial instinct to drive revenue growth, and the governance discipline to manage partner or board structures.

Consumer, retail, and hospitality. London’s concentration of consumer businesses — from established brands to growth-stage D2C businesses — generates active demand for CMOs, commercial directors, and CEOs with direct consumer market experience.

London market notes

A few facts about the London leadership market shape how we run searches here. We use official data where it exists and avoid quoting survey figures we cannot check.

London holds more than a third of the UK’s chief executive roles

The ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (2026 provisional results) estimates around 145,000 full-time jobs in the UK classified as “chief executives and senior officials” (SOC 1111). Of those, around 54,000 are in London, based on where people work. No other region comes close: the South East, the next largest, has around 16,000. The regional breakdown is published in ASHE Table 15 (region by occupation). For a search firm, this matters in two ways. It means the London candidate pool for senior roles is deep, so a well-run search should produce real choice. It also means competition for the strongest people is intense, because many other employers are fishing in the same pool.

London pay sits well above the national figure

The same ONS release puts median gross annual pay for full-time chief executives and senior officials at £135,068 in London, against £95,516 for the UK as a whole. The ONS category is broad — it covers public sector and charity chief executives as well as private sector leaders, and it measures employee pay rather than bonuses, equity or carried interest — so it is a guide to the gap rather than a benchmark for any particular role. In practice, London packages for MDs and C-suite executives in growth businesses are often weighted more towards bonus and equity than base salary. Our C-suite salary guide covers package structure by role.

Hybrid working has widened the search area

Many London businesses now expect senior leaders in the office for part of the week rather than every day. That has changed the shape of a London search. Candidates living in the commuter belt and beyond — Oxford, Cambridge, Reading, Brighton, Birmingham — are now realistic options for many roles, which can widen the pool considerably. It also means the attendance expectation needs to be stated in the brief, because it is one of the first things a senior candidate will ask about.

Interim and fractional demand is concentrated in London

London’s density of private equity-backed companies, venture-funded scale-ups and smaller FCA-authorised firms makes it the UK’s most active market for interim and fractional executives. These businesses often need senior capability quickly, or need it for a few days a week, and the flexible models suit them. The supply side is concentrated in London too: many experienced independent executives are based in and around the capital.

Notice periods shape the timetable

Senior executives in London are usually in post, and senior notice periods often run to several months. That is frequently the longest part of a permanent appointment, which is why many clients bring in an interim executive to cover the gap while the permanent hire works their notice.

Interim and Fractional Executive Recruitment in London

London’s executive market has seen significant growth in interim and fractional executive appointments — driven by the PE sector’s use of interim executives during transactions and value creation phases, and by the growth of fractional executive models among London’s scale-up and growth-stage businesses. Exec Capital places interim and fractional executives alongside permanent appointments across all C-suite and director-level roles.

For interim CEO, CFO, COO, CTO, and CMO requirements at short notice, see our interim executive recruitment service. For fractional C-suite arrangements, see our fractional C-suite page. For fractional and interim Finance Director and CFO requirements specifically, Exec Capital’s sister practice FD Capital is the specialist.

Choosing the right format is often the most important decision a London client makes, and it is one we are happy to talk through before any search starts. The table below summarises how the options compare.

Format Best when Commitment How it is paid
Permanent The role is core to the business long term and you need full ownership of it. Full time, open-ended employment Salary and benefits; retained search fee
Interim A sudden vacancy, a turnaround, a transaction or a project with a clear end point. Full time for a defined period All-inclusive day rate
Fractional You need senior judgement on an ongoing basis but not five days a week. A set number of days a week or month, ongoing All-inclusive day rate
Part-time employed You want reduced hours but the individual as an employee rather than a contractor. Fixed part-time hours, open-ended Pro-rata salary; retained search fee

Other ways to hire a senior leader in London. If you already know the format, our role-specific pages go into more detail: interim Managing Director, fractional Sales Director and interim COO are three of the most common London requests.

Who we place

Our London clients are mostly businesses below the FTSE 350, where the leadership hire is a significant decision and the owners or investors want a search firm that pays close attention to it. Typical clients include:

  • Founder-led and owner-managed businesses hiring their first external MD, a COO to take day-to-day operations off the founder, or a sales leader to take the business beyond the founder’s own network.
  • Private equity and venture-backed companies appointing or replacing a CEO, CTO, CMO or Commercial Director after an investment, or ahead of an exit.
  • Overseas groups setting up or growing a UK business in London and needing a UK Managing Director or country lead who can work across time zones and reporting lines.
  • Technology and SaaS scale-ups building a senior team after a funding round, often starting with fractional leaders before making permanent hires.
  • Professional services and B2B services firms appointing commercial, marketing and operations leaders.
  • Smaller FCA-authorised firms — brokers, advisers, payments and lending businesses — needing fractional or interim SMF16 and SMF17 holders, handled through SMF Capital.
  • Family offices and private investment structures making discreet senior appointments.

The executives we place are typically experienced operators who have run a business, a function or a team through a period of growth or change, and who can show what they delivered. For regulated roles, they also need to meet the regulator’s fitness and propriety standards.

Looking for an executive role in London? This page is written for employers. If you are a senior executive interested in permanent, interim or fractional opportunities, please register as a candidate or browse our current executive opportunities.

Meeting us in London

Our London office is at 167–169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF, a short walk from Great Portland Street, Regent’s Park and Oxford Circus Underground stations. The office is staffed, and the team regularly holds client briefings and candidate interviews there. Many clients prefer to brief us in person for a senior search, and a neutral venue is useful when a search is confidential and you would rather not have candidates seen at your own premises. The group also has a West Midlands office in Cannock, which supports searches across the Midlands and the North.

If you would like to arrange a meeting, call 0203 834 9616 or email recruitment@execcapital.co.uk and we will find a time that suits you, at our office, at yours or by video.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Exec Capital based in London?

Our London office is at 167–169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF. We serve clients across London and throughout the UK, and place executives nationally — the strongest candidate for a specific mandate is identified by track record and fit, not geographic proximity to the client’s office.

Do you only recruit for London-based businesses?

No — Exec Capital recruits C-suite and director-level executives for UK businesses across all locations. London is our base and the source of a significant proportion of our mandates, but we regularly recruit for businesses in Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol, Leeds, and throughout the UK. Executive search mandates do not require the client to be London-based.

What is the difference between a London executive search firm and a London executive recruitment agency?

An executive search firm conducts a retained, research-based search — identifying and approaching specific candidates whose track records match the brief. An executive recruitment agency typically operates on a contingency basis — presenting candidates from their database and charging on placement. For C-suite appointments, retained executive search consistently produces better outcomes. Exec Capital runs permanent C-suite appointments as retained executive searches, and arranges interim and fractional executives on a day-rate basis.

How long does a London executive search take?

It depends on the role, the market and the candidates’ notice periods, so we agree the timetable with you at the briefing rather than quoting a standard figure. A permanent C-suite search runs through research, approach, shortlist and interviews before an offer, and senior notice periods can add several months before the new executive starts. Interim and fractional appointments are usually much quicker because the candidates are independent and often available sooner. Call 0203 834 9616 to discuss your timeline.

Who are the best executive search firms in London?

There is no single answer, because the best firm depends on the role. The large global partnerships are strongest on FTSE and multinational board searches. Specialist firms tend to be stronger in particular role families, sectors or business sizes. Exec Capital’s strengths are MD and CEO searches below the FTSE 350, sales, commercial, technology and marketing leadership, interim and fractional executives, and — through SMF Capital — regulated compliance and MLRO roles. Ask any firm you are considering which comparable roles it has filled recently.

What does executive search in London cost?

Permanent executive search is normally charged as a fee linked to the appointed executive’s first-year package, payable in stages. Interim and fractional executives are charged on a day rate. Our day rates are all-inclusive, so there is no separate agency fee on top. We confirm terms in writing before starting and are happy to discuss them on an initial call.

Can you place a Managing Director for a London business?

Yes. MD and CEO appointments are among the searches we run most often in London, for founder-led businesses, PE-backed companies and overseas groups appointing a UK Managing Director. We place MDs on permanent, interim and fractional terms.

Do you recruit fractional SMF16 and SMF17 holders in London?

Yes, through our sister brand SMF Capital, which specialises in compliance oversight (SMF16) and MLRO (SMF17) appointments, including combined SMF16/17 roles for smaller firms. Both are senior manager functions that need FCA approval before the person starts, and the individual must be assessed as fit and proper. Recent FCA consultations on streamlining the approval process do not remove the pre-approval requirement for these two functions.

Can I meet you in person to brief a search?

Yes. The team holds client meetings and candidate interviews at our Great Portland Street office, and we are happy to come to you or meet by video if that is easier. Many clients prefer an in-person briefing for a senior search.

Who oversees each search?

Every search is run by our specialist team, with Adrian Lawrence FCA overseeing each mandate. Adrian is a Chartered Accountant and former listed-company Finance Director with more than 25 years at C-suite level.

London Executive Search — Start a Conversation

Exec Capital places C-suite and director-level executives with London businesses and UK businesses nationwide. Permanent, interim, and fractional. Retained search for permanent appointments, with the timetable agreed at the briefing.

Retained search

Research-based, not database — timetable agreed at the brief

Headhunting

Direct approach to executives not actively looking

All sectors

Financial services, technology, PE-backed, professional services

London Executive Search by Role


Sources and Further Reading

Specialist Practice Areas

Where We Recruit Most Often

Four specialist practice areas where Exec Capital runs the most senior search activity — each with role-specific service pages and a paired set of Knowledge Centre guides covering the substantive thinking behind each appointment.

Practice Area

Family Office

Senior appointments at single family offices, multi-family offices and private wealth structures.

Family office hiring guides →

Practice Area

Private Equity

Senior appointments at PE firms and portfolio companies across the deal cycle.

Private equity hiring guides →

Practice Area

Technology & AI

Senior technology, AI and digital leadership appointments across the C-suite and senior director tier.

Technology hiring guides →

Practice Area

Turnaround & Restructuring

Senior leadership for turnaround, restructuring and transformation situations where pace and commercial confidence matter.

Stage & situation guides →

Every search is run by our specialist team, with Adrian Lawrence FCA overseeing each mandate.

Browse all recruitment services → · Tell us about your hire →

The Exec Capital Group

Exec Capital is part of FD Capital Group, founded by Adrian Lawrence FCA, and operates alongside four specialist sister practices, each focused on a specific area of leadership hiring. The C-level network built by each brand is pooled across the group, which widens the candidate pool for every search:

FD Capital — Specialist in fractional and interim Finance Director and CFO placements, placing senior finance leaders with UK businesses on a fractional, interim, and permanent basis since 2018.

NED Capital — Specialist Non-Executive Director and Chairman recruitment for UK boards across all sectors and ownership types.

Accountancy Capital — Specialist accounting and finance recruitment, placing qualified accountants, financial controllers, and senior finance professionals across the UK.

SMF Capital — Specialist recruitment for FCA senior manager functions, with a particular focus on fractional, interim and permanent SMF16 compliance oversight and SMF17 MLRO appointments.

Published Research

Adrian Lawrence has published academic research on fractional financial leadership and its role in UK business growth, available on ResearchGate:

These publications reflect Adrian’s commitment to advancing understanding of senior finance leadership models in the UK market.

Knowledge Centre

Senior Manager Function (SMF) Hiring Guides for FCA-Regulated Firms

The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) places personal accountability on designated Senior Manager Function holders at FCA-regulated firms. Every SMF appointment — CEO, Chair, CRO, Head of Internal Audit, and the committee chair functions — requires regulatory approval (from the FCA, or from the PRA with FCA consent at dual-regulated firms) before the role is taken up, other than short-term temporary cover. The guides below cover each SMF role in depth: the regulatory requirements, the candidate profile, the search process, and the specific fit-and-proper assessment considerations that regulated firm boards and nomination committees must work through.

Executive SMF Roles

Non-Executive & Chair SMF Roles

Note on SMF2 (CFO at regulated firms): Senior CFO appointments at FCA-authorised firms — including SMF2 (Chief Finance function) at dual-regulated firms — are handled by our sister practice FD Capital, which specialises exclusively in senior finance leadership. SMF16 compliance oversight and SMF17 MLRO appointments are handled by our sister brand SMF Capital. The other SMF roles above are placed directly by Exec Capital.

Accreditations and Standards

Exec Capital is accredited by the Good Business Charter — a recognised standard for responsible business practice covering fair pay, employee wellbeing, environmental responsibility, and ethical conduct. Exec Capital follows the principles of the Standard Voluntary Code of Conduct for Executive Search Firms published on GOV.UK, which promotes transparency, fairness, diversity, and professionalism in senior executive appointments. Exec Capital is also a supporter of Tree Nation’s reforestation programme.

What Our Clients Say

“Adrian worked with us as our Fractional CFO for six months and we are genuinely grateful for the contribution he made. His financial expertise and calm, professional approach gave us confidence in our numbers and supported better decision-making across the business. I would recommend Adrian and Exec Capital without hesitation.”

Josh Haugh — MAS Technicae Group (International) Ltd, West Sussex

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Exec Capital conducts retained executive search for UK businesses across all sectors. Permanent, interim, and fractional C-suite and director-level appointments, run from our London office at Great Portland Street.

Our Executive Search Services

Looking for an executive search firm in London?

Tell us about the role and we will come back to you with an honest view of the market, the right format and how we would run the search. Briefings can be held at our Great Portland Street office, at yours or by video.

Tell us about your hire

Call 0203 834 9616 · recruitment@execcapital.co.uk

Related London Executive Search Services

Exec Capital places leaders in London on permanent, interim and fractional terms, from our office at 167–169 Great Portland Street. Every search is run by our specialist team, with Adrian Lawrence FCA overseeing each mandate.

PRACTICE AREA

MD & CEO Search


Managing Directors and chief executives for founder-led, PE-backed and international businesses in London.

→ MD Recruitment in London

→ Executive Search


Managing Director salary guide →

PRACTICE AREA

Commercial Leadership


Sales, commercial and marketing leaders who build pipeline and revenue, permanent or flexible.

→ Commercial Director Recruitment

→ Interim Sales Director


Sales Director salary guide →

PRACTICE AREA

Board & Family Office


Chairs, non-executive directors and discreet senior appointments for London boards and family offices.

→ London Non-Executive Recruitment

→ London Family Office Recruitment


How to hire a NED →

PRACTICE AREA

Interim & Fractional


Senior leaders on a day rate, full time for a defined period or a few days a week.

→ Fractional Managing Director

→ Interim CTO


Retained vs contingent search →


Every search is run by our specialist team, with Adrian Lawrence FCA overseeing each mandate.

About the author

Adrian Lawrence FCA is the founder of Exec Capital. He is a Chartered Accountant holding an ICAEW practising certificate in his own name, with more than 25 years’ experience operating at C-suite level. His background spans private equity-backed businesses, owner-managed companies and listed environments, giving Exec Capital a practitioner’s understanding of what senior leadership hires actually require. View Adrian’s ICAEW profile.

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Tell us about your executive hire

Share a few details about the role and your timetable. Our executive search team will review your brief and come back to you the same working day.

  • Same-day response from the team that runs our C-suite and board searches
  • Confidential from the first conversation, with no obligation to proceed
  • Permanent, interim and fractional C-suite and director roles across the UK

Your details are used only to respond to your enquiry.