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Insights for boards and senior leaders
The Executive Blog
Practical articles on hiring and leading at the top of a business: C-suite and board appointments, executive pay, fractional and interim leadership, and Senior Manager roles in FCA-regulated firms.
All articlesFCA and SMF rolesBoards and NEDsCEOs and MDsCFOs and finance leadersTechnology leadersFractional and interimHiring and successionPE and family offices
Guidance for boards and the people they appoint
Founders, chairs, investors and executives ask us the same questions again and again. When does a growing business need its first CFO or a full-time CEO? What should a COO earn? Is a fractional executive enough, or is it time for a permanent appointment? We publish our answers here, in plain English and grounded in the searches we run every week.
Articles are written by founder Adrian Lawrence FCA, a Fellow of the ICAEW, and our search team. They cover leadership hiring and succession, executive compensation and equity, board and non-executive appointments, private equity and family offices, technology leadership and Senior Manager Function appointments in regulated firms, and we update them when the rules or the market change.
For boards and investors, we cover how to scope a senior role, what to pay, how to assess candidates and take references, and when interim or fractional leadership makes more sense than a permanent hire. For executives, we cover interviews, offers and equity, notice and restrictive covenants, and the move from an executive career to a board portfolio. We also follow the regulatory changes that shape senior hiring, from the Senior Managers and Certification Regime to the UK Corporate Governance Code.
New to the topic? Start with one of our core guides, or use the search and topic filters above to find what you need.
Start here
Executive salary guide →What C-suite and director roles pay across the UK. What is a fractional executive? →How part-time C-suite leadership works and what it costs. CEO succession planning →A practical guide for UK boards. SMF roles guide →Every Senior Manager Function, and who needs approval.Latest articles
Showing 37–48 of 438
Senior Board Appointments at Challenger Banks: SMCR, PRA Expectations and the Talent PoolSenior Board Appointments at Challenger Banks: SMCR, PRA Expectations and the Talent Pool Senior appointments at challenger banks sit in one of…Read more →
Chief Operating Officer (SMF24) Appointments at FCA-Regulated FirmsChief Operating Officer (SMF24) Appointments at FCA-Regulated Firms The Chief Operating Officer role at an FCA-regulated firm has been transformed by a…Read more →
Head of Internal Audit (SMF5) Recruitment at FCA-Authorised FirmsHead of Internal Audit (SMF5) Recruitment at FCA-Authorised Firms The Head of Internal Audit is one of the most structurally complex appointments…Read more →
Hiring a Chief Risk Officer (SMF4) at an FCA-Regulated FirmHiring a Chief Risk Officer (SMF4) at an FCA-Regulated Firm Appointing a Chief Risk Officer at an FCA-regulated firm is one of…Read more →Chair of Audit Committee (SMF11) Appointments at FCA FirmsChair of Audit Committee (SMF11) Appointments at FCA Firms The Chair of the Audit Committee at FCA-regulated firms is among the most…Read more →
Chair of Risk Committee (SMF10) Appointments at FCA FirmsChair of Risk Committee (SMF10) Appointments at FCA Firms The Chair of the Risk Committee role at FCA-regulated firms has become one…Read more →
Senior Independent Director (SMF14) Recruitment at FCA FirmsSenior Independent Director (SMF14) Recruitment at FCA Firms The Senior Independent Director role at FCA-authorised firms has become one of the most…Read more →
First-Time Chair at a Regulated Firm: What FCA Approval RequiresFirst-Time Chair at a Regulated Firm: What FCA Approval Requires The first Chair appointment at an FCA-regulated firm is a particular kind…Read more →
Chair Recruitment for FCA-Regulated Firms: The SMF9 Brief and What Boards Should Look ForChair Recruitment for FCA-Regulated Firms: The SMF9 Brief and What Boards Should Look For Appointing a Chair at an FCA-regulated firm sits…Read more →Executive Director Appointments at FCA-Regulated Firms: The SMF3 BriefExecutive Director Appointments at FCA-Regulated Firms: The SMF3 Brief The Executive Director designation under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime is one…Read more →
CEO Appointments at Challenger Banks: PRA Expectations and Dual-Regulation RealityCEO Appointments at Challenger Banks: PRA Expectations and Dual-Regulation Reality Appointing a Chief Executive at a UK challenger bank sits inside a…Read more →
Recruiting a CEO for an FCA-Authorised Firm: What Makes the Brief DifferentRecruiting a CEO for an FCA-Authorised Firm: What Makes the Brief Different Appointing a Chief Executive at an FCA-authorised firm sits within…Read more →Knowledge Centre
Go deeper with our guides
Structured guides that bring the best material together by topic. See the full Exec Capital Knowledge Centre and our Insights.
About the Exec Capital blog
Exec Capital is a specialist executive search firm and one of the five specialist firms of FD Capital Group. We appoint CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CTOs, Managing Directors, commercial and HR leaders, non-executive directors and Senior Manager Function holders on a permanent, interim and fractional basis across the UK, from our offices in London and the West Midlands.
Hiring for your leadership team? See our executive search services and the C-suite roles we recruit. Looking for a role? Register as a candidate or browse live executive jobs.
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