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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 133–144 of 408
The Evolving Role of Headhunters in NED RecruitmentThe Evolving Role of Headhunters in NED Recruitment Understanding the Modern Boardroom Landscape The Changing Dynamics of Corporate Governance In recent years…Read more →
Why Tech Startups Need a Fractional CMO to Drive GrowthWhy Tech Startups Need a Fractional CMO to Drive Growth The Role of a CMO in Tech Startups Understanding the CMO's Responsibilities…Read more →
Scaling Marketing for Scaleups: The Role of a Fractional CMOMost scale-ups do not have a marketing problem. They have a marketing operations problem — activity that worked when the business was…Read more →
How a Fractional CMO Can Supercharge Your Startup GrowthHow a Fractional CMO Can Supercharge Your Startup Growth Understanding the Role of a Fractional CMO Defining a Fractional CMO A Fractional…Read more →
How SMEs Can Scale Marketing Without a Full-Time CMOHow SMEs Can Scale Marketing Without a Full-Time CMO The Marketing Challenge for SMEs Understanding the Unique Position of SMEs Small and…Read more →SME Marketing Challenges Solved by a Fractional CMOSME Marketing Challenges Solved by a Fractional CMO Understanding the Role of a Fractional CMO Defining a Fractional CMO A Fractional Chief…Read more →
Why Every SME Should Consider Hiring a Fractional CMOWhy Every SME Should Consider Hiring a Fractional CMO Understanding the Role of a Fractional CMO Defining a Fractional CMO A Fractional…Read more →
How NEDs Can Spot Groupthink Before It Damages StrategyGroupthink — the tendency of a cohesive group to converge on a consensus while suppressing dissent and critical evaluation — is one…Read more →
The NED’s Role in Private Equity-Backed CompaniesThe NED’s Role in Private Equity-Backed Companies Introduction to Governance in Private Equity-Backed Companies Understanding Private Equity-Backed Companies Private equity-backed companies are…Read more →The NED’s Role in Supporting Digital TransformationThe NED’s Role in Supporting Digital Transformation Understanding the NED's Role in Digital Transformation The Evolving Business Landscape In today's rapidly changing…Read more →
The NED’s Role in Safeguarding Corporate ReputationThe NED’s Role in Safeguarding Corporate Reputation Introduction to Corporate Reputation and Governance Understanding Corporate Reputation Corporate reputation is a multifaceted concept…Read more →
How NEDs Help Balance Shareholder vs Stakeholder InterestsOne of the quieter but most demanding parts of a non-executive director’s job is holding two things in tension at once: the…Read more →Knowledge Centre
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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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