Executive search, headhunting and executive recruitment in the United Kingdom
UK scaleups tend to hire their first commercial or people executive later than their US peers, then need that appointment to be right first time. Where most executive recruitment firms hand you an account team, you get one accountable advisor who headhunts the market personally.
What shapes leadership hiring in United Kingdom
- London remains the centre of gravity for fintech, legal and enterprise software leadership hiring.
- IR35 rules shape how interim and fractional leaders are engaged — worth settling before a search starts.
- UK boards increasingly ask for structured assessment evidence, not just interview impressions.
Sectors I search in
- Fintech and financial services
- Enterprise software and AI
- Professional and legal services
- Healthtech
- Consumer and marketplaces
Compensation
UK leadership offers are typically structured as base plus bonus with EMI options at venture-backed companies; I benchmark bands before a role goes to market so shortlists don't stall on money.
How engagements run
Working hours overlap fully with the UK business day. Engagements run as retained search, fractional talent leadership, or advisory sprints.
Hiring hubs
- London
- Manchester
- Cambridge
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Remote-first UK
For executives
UK-based leaders can register interest for remote and relocation-friendly mandates, or work with me on a targeted market approach.
Career servicesFor employers and boards
Best fit when you are hiring a first Head of Talent, replacing a senior leader discreetly, or entering the UK from another market.
Executive search serviceFrequently asked
Do you cover Ireland as well?
Yes — Dublin-based and remote Irish roles are handled alongside UK searches.
Can you support a UK company hiring into Africa or the US?
That is a large part of my work: cross-border leadership hiring where the employer needs local market intelligence they don't have in-house.
How do executive search and headhunting firms find candidates?
Through direct, confidential headhunting rather than advertising. I map the leaders already doing the job at comparable companies, approach them privately, and assess them against the outcomes of the role — so shortlists include people who were never going to answer a job post.
What is the difference between executive search firms and executive recruiters?
Executive recruiting firms usually work on contingency and volume, and forward profiles from a database. Retained executive search is a partner-led mandate: market mapping, direct approach, structured assessment and referencing, with one accountable advisor on the search from brief to appointment.
How do I find and choose an executive search consultant?
Ask who will actually run the search, how the market will be mapped, what assessment evidence you receive with the shortlist, and how confidentiality is handled. With me the answer is the same on every mandate: I run it personally and you see the evidence behind each shortlisted leader.
What recruitment solutions work best for scaling teams?
It depends on stage. A single critical leadership hire suits retained executive search; three to five priority hires in a quarter suit a hiring sprint; an ongoing hiring plan without a talent leader suits fractional talent leadership or an embedded partner.
How do executives get access to confidential, unadvertised roles?
Most senior mandates never reach a job board. Registering interest puts your profile in front of me directly, and if there is a close match a recruiter emails you to arrange a short call. Nothing goes to a company until you say yes.