Roles

Exec Capital provides senior executive search across the full UK senior appointment landscape — C-suite executive roles, FCA-regulated firm Senior Manager Functions, Director-tier appointments, Non-Executive Director and board appointments, sector-specialist senior search, and fractional and interim engagement models. Every search is run by our executive search team and overseen by Adrian Lawrence FCA.

This page lists every senior recruitment service we offer. For substantive treatment of any specific role — including the role’s substantive scope, the candidate pool, search process, compensation considerations and what good looks like — see the corresponding hiring guide in our Knowledge Centre.

If you cannot see the specific senior role you need below, please get in touch. Many senior appointments are specific enough that they do not fit neatly into a service category, and we work across the whole senior search market rather than within rigid role definitions. The quickest route is usually a short call, after which we will tell you honestly whether we are the right firm for the hire and, if not, who might be.

Find the Right Senior Recruitment Service

The table below groups our live service pages by business function and by engagement format. Start with the function the role sits in, then choose the format that matches the problem you are solving. A permanent appointment suits a long-term seat with a full-time scope. An interim leader covers a gap, a transition or a defined programme on a full-time, fixed-term basis. A fractional or part-time executive gives you senior judgement for a set number of days a week or month, without the cost of a full-time hire. Every page sets out the scope of the role, what good candidates look like and how we run that type of search.

Compliance and SMF roles: our most requested appointments

The single most common senior request across our group is for a fractional or interim compliance officer holding the FCA’s SMF16 (Compliance Oversight) or SMF17 (Money Laundering Reporting Officer) function, or a combined SMF16/17 holder. Smaller authorised firms, newly authorised firms and firms covering a sudden departure often need an approved, experienced individual for one or two days a week rather than a full-time head of compliance. If that is your situation, start with our fractional compliance officer service, our fractional MLRO service or, where the vacancy is already open, our urgent SMF appointment route. Our guide to whether you need SMF16, SMF17 or a combined role helps you decide before you brief us.

Finance roles sit across two of our firms. Exec Capital handles CFO and Finance Director searches where the appointment is part of a wider leadership team build or a board-level programme, while our sister firm FD Capital specialises in fractional, interim and permanent finance leadership on its own, including combined CFO and regulated-firm finance appointments. Board appointments work the same way with NED Capital, and compliance roles with SMF Capital. You only need to brief one of us: the networks are shared across the group, and we will route the search to whichever team has the deepest coverage for the role.

If you are unsure which format fits, our guide to when a business should consider a fractional executive explains how a part-time leader works in practice, and the comparison table further down this page sets out the trade-offs between permanent, interim, fractional and part-time engagements side by side.

C-Suite Executive Recruitment

Senior C-suite appointments across UK businesses, including foundational C-suite roles (CEO, CFO, COO, CTO), specialist C-suite roles (Chief AI Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Chief Innovation Officer), and senior functional executive appointments. For role-specific senior hiring guides covering the substantive scope, candidate pool and search process, see our Knowledge Centre.

FCA-Regulated Firm Senior Manager Functions

Senior Manager Function appointments at FCA-regulated firms under SMCR — covering the senior accountability framework, Form A approval, fitness and propriety assessment, and the substantive personal regulatory accountability dimension. For substantive treatment of the SMCR framework and role-specific guidance, see our SMF Roles Guide. For the broader FCA-regulated firm senior search service, see our FCA-regulated firm executive recruitment hub.

Director-Tier Recruitment

Senior Director-tier appointments operating below the C-suite but above the heads-of-function level. Covers Managing Director, functional Directors, and senior Heads of function across UK businesses. The Director-tier landscape is broad and includes substantive variation by sector and firm size — see role-specific service pages for substantive treatment.

NED & Board Recruitment

Senior board-level appointments — Chairman, Non-Executive Director, Senior Independent Director, and committee chair appointments across UK listed companies, PE-backed and VC-backed firms, FCA-regulated firms, and larger private and family-controlled businesses. For substantive treatment of UK NED appointments and board construction, see our NED Hiring Guide and Board Construction Guide. For specialist NED recruitment with concentrated network depth, see our sister firm NED Capital.

Sector-Specialist Recruitment

Sector-specific senior search where sector dynamics shape role specifications, candidate pools and compensation materially. For substantive treatment of senior hiring across each sector context, see the corresponding sector pillar in our Knowledge Centre.

Fractional and Interim Engagements

Fractional, part-time and interim senior leadership engagements as alternatives to permanent appointments. For substantive treatment of when each engagement model fits, see our Fractional, Interim or Permanent Guide.

How an Exec Capital Senior Search Works

Whatever the role, every executive search we run follows the same disciplined path. The detail changes with the seniority of the appointment, the sector and whether the firm is regulated, but the stages do not. Keeping to them is what stops a senior search from drifting, and it gives the board a clear view of progress at every point.

We do not work to a fixed turnaround. Interim and fractional searches usually move faster than permanent ones because the candidates are available, but every search depends on the role, the market and how quickly interviews can be arranged, so we agree the timetable with you at briefing and report against it. The five stages below explain each step in more detail.

1. The brief

We start with a working conversation with the chair, CEO, founder or investor who owns the hire. We want to understand what the business needs this person to change in their first two years, who they will report to, what the board or investors expect, and what has and has not worked before. From that we agree a written role specification, the profile of candidate that fits, the package range and a timetable. A clear brief is the single biggest factor in whether a senior search succeeds.

2. Market mapping and approach

Our search team then maps the market: the businesses where suitable people are likely to sit, the individuals in the relevant roles, and the wider network of senior leaders across FD Capital Group. Most strong senior candidates are not looking for a move, so we approach them directly and in confidence, explain the opportunity properly, and find out whether the role genuinely fits their ambitions before anything goes further.

3. Assessment and shortlist

Candidates who are interested are interviewed in depth against the brief. We test what they have actually delivered, how they lead, and how they would handle the specific challenges of the role. The shortlist you receive sets out each candidate’s experience, achievements, motivation and package expectations, so your interviews can focus on fit rather than fact-finding. Our executive assessment guide explains the approach in more detail.

4. Interviews, references and offer

We run the interview process with you, gather feedback from both sides and keep candidates engaged. Before an offer we take detailed references, as set out in our reference checking guide, and for regulated roles we work through the fitness and propriety checks the firm will need. We then help you structure an offer the candidate will accept, covering base salary, bonus, equity, notice and restrictive covenants, using our guide to building an executive offer.

5. Resignation, notice and onboarding

Senior candidates often have long notice periods and may receive counter-offers. We stay close to the candidate through resignation and notice, and we keep in touch with both sides after the start date. Our executive onboarding guide covers how to give a new senior hire the best possible start in the first hundred days.

Permanent, Interim or Fractional?

Not every senior need calls for a permanent, full-time appointment. A permanent hire is usually right when the role is central to the business for the long term and the scope justifies a full-time leader. An interim executive suits a sudden departure, a turnaround, a transaction or a defined programme of change, and can often start within weeks because the best interims are between assignments. A fractional executive gives a growing business board-level experience for one to three days a week, at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire, and is increasingly common for CFO, COO, CMO and CTO roles in scale-ups and private equity-backed businesses.

Many clients use these models in sequence: an interim to stabilise the function, a fractional leader while the business grows, and a permanent appointment once the scope is clear. Our guide to what a fractional executive does and our fractional, interim or permanent guide set out the trade-offs, and we will give you an honest view of which model fits your situation.

Permanent vs Interim vs Fractional vs Part-Time

The four formats overlap, and the labels are used loosely in the market, so it helps to be precise. In the way we use them, an interim executive works full-time for a fixed period, usually to cover a gap or deliver a defined piece of change. A fractional executive works a set share of the week or month, on a continuing basis, and often holds the full title and accountability for the function. A part-time executive is similar, but the arrangement is more often an employment contract with reduced hours rather than a consultancy engagement. A permanent executive is a full-time employee in the role for the long term. The table below compares them.

Three questions usually settle the choice. First, how much senior time does the role really need? Many owner-managed and early-stage businesses find that a strong finance, compliance or operations leader for one or two days a week achieves more than a less experienced full-time hire. Second, how long will the need last? A defined project or a gap with an end date points to interim; an ongoing need with a part-time scope points to fractional or part-time; a growing, open-ended need points to permanent. Third, how urgent is it? If the seat is empty now, and particularly if it is an FCA-approved role, an interim or fractional appointment can hold the position while a permanent search runs.

Employment status also matters. Interim and fractional executives who work through their own company may fall within the off-payroll working rules (IR35), and whether the client or the intermediary decides status depends on the client’s size. The Companies Act size thresholds were raised for financial years beginning on or after 6 April 2025, but HMRC has said the change has no practical impact for off-payroll working until 6 April 2027 at the earliest; see the HMRC Employer Bulletin (April 2025). Our guide to IR35 for senior executive engagements covers the practical points to settle before the contract is signed.

What a New Senior Hire Typically Delivers in the First 90 Days

Whatever the function, the first three months of a senior appointment follow a recognisable pattern, and agreeing it before the start date is one of the simplest ways to protect the hire. The detail differs by format.

Permanent leaders

• Days 1–30: listen and assess. Meet the board, the team, key customers, suppliers and, where relevant, investors and the regulator relationship owner. Review the numbers, the plan and the risks. Identify any urgent issues that cannot wait.
• Days 31–60: diagnose and decide. Form a view of the team’s strengths and gaps, the processes that need to change and the quick wins available. Agree priorities with the CEO or board.
• Days 61–90: plan and start delivering. Present a plan for the first year with measurable outcomes, begin any team changes, and deliver a small number of visible improvements that build credibility.

Interim leaders

An interim has less time to settle in and is usually hired to deliver something specific. Expect a rapid diagnostic in the first week or two, a written plan agreed with the sponsor shortly after, and visible progress against defined milestones within the first month. For a cover assignment, the priority is stability: keeping the function running, decisions moving and stakeholders confident while the permanent search runs. A good interim also leaves a clear handover note for whoever follows.

Fractional and part-time leaders

With fewer days on site, a fractional executive has to be selective. In the first 90 days a fractional CFO might put in place a reliable monthly reporting pack, a rolling cash forecast and a board-ready budget. A fractional compliance officer holding SMF16 typically reviews the compliance monitoring programme, the policies and the breach and complaints logs, produces a compliance risk assessment and agrees a monitoring plan with the board, while a fractional MLRO under SMF17 reviews the firm-wide money laundering risk assessment, customer due diligence files and suspicious activity reporting process. The first annual MLRO report often follows. Agreeing which days are fixed, how the executive can be reached between them and what the board expects to see each month avoids most of the problems that fractional arrangements run into.

Our 100-day plan for executive placements sets out a fuller template you can adapt for any senior hire.

Engagement and Fees

We agree commercial terms before any search starts, and we explain them in plain language. The structure depends on the format of the appointment rather than the job title.

• Permanent appointments: retained search. Permanent C-suite, director and board searches can be run on a retained or contingent basis, with the fee calculated with reference to the first-year package; we agree the structure with you at briefing. Retained search gives the hire priority, a dedicated search team and a full map of the market, which is what most senior and confidential appointments need.
• Contingent options. For some roles below board level, a contingent arrangement, where the fee is payable only on appointment, can make sense. We will tell you honestly when it does and when it is likely to produce a weaker shortlist.
• Interim and fractional appointments: day-rate basis. Interim and fractional executives are engaged on a day rate (or a monthly retainer for a fixed number of days), which includes our margin. You are invoiced for days worked, with no separate search fee in most cases, and you can usually convert an interim or fractional executive to a permanent hire on terms set out in advance.
• What is included. Briefing and role specification, market mapping, direct approaches, candidate assessment, shortlist reports, interview management, referencing, offer and package negotiation, support through notice and counter-offers, and check-ins after the start date. For FCA-approved roles we also help the firm prepare for the approval application.

We do not publish fee percentages or day rates on this page because they depend on the role, the seniority, the format and the market for that skill set at the time. Our guide to retained vs contingent executive search explains how the two models differ and when each is worth using, and we will set out our terms in writing after the first conversation.

Executive Pay and Packages

Getting the package right is central to securing the candidate you want. Senior packages in the UK vary widely by role, sector, business size and ownership: a CFO in a private equity-backed business may earn less in base salary than in a listed group but much more through equity, while a regulated firm will need to build its remuneration around the rules that apply to its senior managers. We benchmark every package against current searches and the market, and our executive salary guide, C-suite salary guide and executive compensation guide set out current ranges and how bonus and equity are typically structured.

Senior Hiring in FCA-Regulated Firms

Senior appointments in banks, insurers, investment firms, payments and e-money businesses and other regulated firms carry an extra layer of work. Payment and e-money institutions sit outside SMCR and have their own rules, covered below; for firms within it, the following applies. Under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, many senior roles are Senior Manager Functions that need regulatory approval before the person can take up the role, and each senior manager carries personal accountability for their area. That shapes the search: candidates must be able to pass fitness and propriety assessment, and the firm must allow time for the approval process. Our guide to the FCA Form A approval process explains what is involved, and our SMF salary guide covers pay for these roles. For compliance, MLRO and SMF16 and SMF17 appointments, our sister firm SMF Capital specialises in this tier.

Fractional and Interim Compliance Officers: SMF16 and SMF17

Compliance is where flexible senior hiring is most common in regulated firms, and it is the type of appointment we are asked about most often. Under SMCR, the Compliance Oversight function (SMF16) is held by the senior manager responsible for the firm’s compliance function, and the Money Laundering Reporting function (SMF17) by the senior manager responsible for anti-money laundering oversight. Both are Senior Manager Functions that need FCA approval before the individual can perform them, and the FCA’s current consultation on moving some functions to a notification regime keeps SMF16 and SMF17 within pre-approval. The rules on approvals sit in chapter SUP 10C of the FCA Handbook.

Smaller firms rarely need a full-time head of compliance and a separate full-time MLRO. A directly authorised IFA, a small broker, an investment firm in its first years or a consumer credit business may be well served by one experienced, approved individual holding both SMF16 and SMF17 for one or two days a week, with junior support in-house. The test is whether the person has enough time, authority and access to the board to do the job properly for the firm’s size and risk, and the FCA will look at that when it considers the application. Our guides to choosing between a permanent, interim and fractional compliance hire and to the fractional MLRO role go into the detail.

When the seat is empty now

If a compliance officer or MLRO leaves unexpectedly, the firm can use someone to cover the function temporarily without prior approval under the temporary-cover provisions in SUP 10C. Since the SMCR changes that took effect on 24 April 2026, the firm has 12 weeks to submit an approval application for the person covering, and the cover can continue while the FCA determines it. The FCA has since consulted on extending that period to 18 weeks. Under section 61 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, the regulator must decide a complete application within three months, with the clock paused while it waits for information it has requested. Our guide to interim SMF16 and SMF17 cover explains how to use these rules in practice, and our page on how long FCA SMF approval takes covers the approval timetable.

Payment and e-money firms

Authorised payment institutions and e-money institutions are outside SMCR, so they do not appoint SMF16 or SMF17 holders. They still need capable compliance leadership: the FCA assesses the people responsible for managing the business, and firms in scope of the Money Laundering Regulations must appoint a nominated officer under regulation 21 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. We recruit MLROs and heads of compliance for these firms on the same permanent, interim and fractional basis; see our guide to senior hiring at payment institutions.

For permanent appointments, our SMF16 head of compliance hiring guide and SMF17 MLRO hiring guide set out what to look for, and our sister firm SMF Capital runs compliance and SMF searches across the group.

Board and Non-Executive Appointments

Board appointments are a different kind of search. A strong non-executive director or chair brings independent challenge, relevant experience and judgement rather than day-to-day delivery, and the board needs to think carefully about the skills, experience and diversity it is missing. Listed companies must also meet the expectations of the UK Corporate Governance Code on board composition, independence and succession. Our board construction guide and CEO succession planning guide cover these questions, and our sister firm NED Capital specialises in non-executive and chair appointments.

Who We Place and Who We Work With

Our clients are the people who own a senior hire: founders and owner-managers, chairs and CEOs, private equity and venture investors, and the boards of regulated firms. The businesses range from owner-managed companies making their first external senior appointment to private equity-backed groups, listed companies and FCA-authorised firms. The common thread is a role where the wrong appointment would be expensive and the right candidate is unlikely to be found through an advert alone.

Typical clients

• Owner-managed and family businesses appointing a first external Managing Director, CFO or COO, or bringing in a fractional leader while the founder steps back from day-to-day control.
• Private equity and venture-backed companies strengthening a management team after investment, replacing a leader during the hold period or preparing for exit. Our portfolio company executive recruitment service is built around investor timetables.
• FCA-regulated firms, including banks, insurers, brokers, investment and wealth managers, consumer credit firms, payment and e-money businesses and cryptoasset firms, hiring approved senior managers, compliance officers, MLROs and independent non-executives.
• Scale-ups building a leadership team for the first time, often through a mix of fractional and permanent appointments; see our scale-up executive recruitment service.
• Listed and pre-IPO companies appointing executive directors, chairs, independent non-executives and committee chairs.
• International businesses setting up or growing a UK subsidiary and needing a UK leadership team with local regulatory and market knowledge.

Sectors

We work across financial services, technology and SaaS, manufacturing and engineering, healthcare and life sciences, energy and renewables, real estate and construction, consumer and retail, education, professional services and the family office market. The sectors page lists each of our sector practices, and our locations page covers the UK regions and cities where we run searches. We place candidates across the UK, with offices in London and the West Midlands, and many fractional and interim roles are now run on a hybrid basis.

Who we place

Candidates are experienced senior leaders: CEOs and MDs, CFOs and Finance Directors, COOs, commercial, sales and marketing leaders, technology, data and AI executives, HR and people directors, approved senior managers in regulated firms, compliance officers and MLROs, and non-executive directors and chairs. Many of the strongest are not actively looking, and a significant share of our interim and fractional candidates hold several part-time roles at once. Because the network is shared across FD Capital Group’s five firms, a search for one function can draw on contacts built across all of them.

Cross-Portfolio Specialisms

Senior search across the wider portfolio of Adrian Lawrence FCA’s senior search firms — for appointments where sister-firm specialism produces a stronger outcome than running everything through Exec Capital.

Knowledge Centre

For substantive treatment of senior hiring across every category on this page — including long-form hiring guides covering role-by-role substantive scope, candidate pool, search process, compensation considerations and what good looks like — see our Knowledge Centre. Our guides are written by Adrian Lawrence FCA and our search team, drawing on the searches we run.

For Senior Executives Considering a Move

This page is written for employers, but if you are a senior executive, interim or fractional leader looking for your next role, you can register with us and browse current opportunities. Tell us the formats you are open to, including whether you hold or have held an FCA Senior Manager Function, as approved SMF16 and SMF17 holders with fractional capacity are in particular demand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which senior roles does Exec Capital recruit?

We recruit C-suite executives, Managing Directors and functional directors, non-executive directors and chairs, and Senior Manager Function holders in FCA-regulated firms, on a permanent, interim and fractional basis across the UK. If the role you need is not listed on this page, tell us about it and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right firm to help.

How long does a senior search take?

It depends on the role and the market. Interim and fractional appointments can often be made within weeks. A permanent C-suite or board search usually takes longer, because the strongest candidates are not actively looking and often have long notice periods. We agree a realistic timetable with you at the brief stage and keep you updated throughout.

Do you work with smaller and founder-led businesses?

Yes. Alongside private equity-backed businesses, listed groups and regulated firms, a large share of our work is with founder-led and family-owned businesses making their first senior appointments, often a first CFO, COO or external Managing Director.

Can candidates register with you?

Yes. Senior executives can register as a candidate and browse our live executive jobs. Many senior appointments are made through confidential searches that are never advertised, so registering is the best way to hear about them.

Can you find a fractional SMF16 or SMF17 compliance officer?

Yes. This is one of our most frequent requests. We find experienced compliance officers and MLROs who can hold SMF16, SMF17 or both on a fractional basis, typically one or two days a week, and we check at the outset that the candidate’s time and experience fit the firm’s size and risk so the FCA application is credible.

What is the difference between fractional and part-time?

In practice the two overlap. We use “fractional” for an experienced executive engaged for a set number of days, usually through their own company and often working with other clients, and “part-time” for a reduced-hours role that is more often an employment contract. The right choice depends on the scope, how long the need will last and employment status.

How quickly can an interim executive start?

Often much faster than a permanent hire, because many interims are between assignments and do not need to serve notice. The actual start date depends on the candidate, the contract and, for FCA-approved roles, how the firm uses the temporary-cover rules while the approval application is prepared. We agree the timetable with you at briefing.

How are your fees structured?

Permanent senior searches can be retained or contingent, and we agree the fee structure with you at briefing. Interim and fractional executives are engaged on a day rate that includes our margin. We explain the terms in writing before the search starts, and there is no charge for the first conversation.

Do you recruit finance and board roles, or should I use FD Capital or NED Capital?

Either route works. Exec Capital runs CFO, Finance Director and board searches, and our sister firms FD Capital and NED Capital specialise in finance leadership and non-executive appointments. The networks are shared, so you only need to brief one firm and we will make sure the right specialists work on the search.

Can an interim or fractional executive become permanent?

Yes, and it is common. Many clients start with an interim or fractional leader, then offer a permanent role once the scope is clear. The conversion terms are agreed at the start of the engagement so there are no surprises later.