Our blog covers topics of interest to Finance Directors and Chief Financial Officers alike.
HOW FD CAPITAL WORKS
The FD Capital blog focuses on topics of interest for Finance Directors (FDs) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs). It provides insights into the evolving role of financial leadership, especially in areas such as corporate finance, private equity fundraising, and mergers and acquisitions. The blog also covers practical career tips, such as competency-based interview preparation, effective business planning, and leveraging digital tools for financial transformation.
Key themes include:
Digital Transformation in Finance: Articles discuss how interim and part-time CFOs can harness technology, such as AI and big data, to drive financial innovation and efficiency.
Strategic Leadership: The blog emphasizes the expanding role of FDs and CFOs in aligning financial goals with business strategy and managing talent.
Career Development: FD Capital provides tips on enhancing LinkedIn presence, preparing for executive interviews, and transitioning into roles like Portfolio Finance Director.
This content is useful for finance professionals seeking to stay updated on trends, best practices, and leadership strategies within the finance sector.
The Finance Director's and CFO's Blog
Wise’s US Licence Refusal: The Senior Hiring Lesson for Regulated Firms
When a regulator refuses an application, the failure is not always in the systems. In the case of Wise’s US …
TNFD vs TCFD: How the Two Frameworks Relate
TNFD vs TCFD: How the Two Frameworks Relate TNFD and TCFD are often mentioned together and just as often confused. …
FATF: What FCA-Regulated Firms Need to Know
Financial Action Task Force directly, yet its work shapes the anti-money-laundering obligations every regulated firm has to meet. FATF sets …
ESG Compliance Officer: The Role and What FCA Firms Need
ESG Compliance Officer: The Role and What FCA Firms Need Sustainability and ESG have moved from a reputational concern to …
SMF3 vs SMF1: Executive Director vs CEO Under SMCR
SMF3 vs SMF1: Executive Director vs CEO Under SMCR SMF1 and SMF3 are two of the most senior controlled functions …
CRO vs CCO: How the Two Functions Differ at FCA Firms
CRO vs CCO: How the Two Functions Differ at FCA Firms The Chief Risk Officer and the Chief Compliance Officer …
Head of Internal Audit: Career Path at FCA-Regulated Firms
Internal audit is the third line of defence — the function that gives the board independent assurance that the first …
Consumer Duty: What Firms Have Learned
Consumer Duty One Year On: What Firms Have Learned The Consumer Duty came into force on 31 July 2023 for …
Appropriateness Assessments Under MiFID II: A Practical Guide
Appropriateness is one of the most misunderstood obligations in investment conduct regulation — frequently confused with suitability, often applied mechanically, …
Inducements and Conflicts of Interest: FCA Expectations in 2026
Inducements and conflicts of interest sit at the heart of investment firm conduct regulation, and they have been a persistent …
Head of Regulatory Reporting: Career Path and Salary Benchmarks 2026
Regulatory reporting has moved from a back-office compliance task to a role that boards and regulators watch closely. Reporting failures …
SMF17 MLRO: Career Path and What Firms Look For
The Money Laundering Reporting Officer is one of the few roles where an individual is personally named as accountable for …
FD Capital works closely with our clients to identify their needs, creating a close working relationship between businesses and our team of talented FDs and CFOs. Our recruitment service allows you to find the perfect candidate on either a part-time, interim or full time basis.
Our blog covers news items of interest to our clients and candidates looking for their next senior finance roles. FD Capital works closely with PE houses and specialises in helping business with their Private Equity Fund raising.
Many of our blog posts cover topics that our team gets involved with on a day to day basis, such as Corporate Finance and increasingly Financial Services as more of our clients are based in the City of London or are involved in M&A activity of some shape or form.
We curate a list of candidates that are hand selected for your company with the skills and experience you need to scale your business. Visit our how we work page to learn more about our approach.
Our blog posts now feature as news items on Google News
Latest Thinking from FD Capital
Practical insight on FCA regulation, financial crime compliance, CFO leadership and Finance Director practice — written by Adrian Lawrence FCA and the FD Capital team.
FCA conduct rules, COBS suitability, best execution, whistleblowing and the practical expectations of regulatory oversight in FCA-regulated firms.
The MLRO role, AML frameworks, PEP screening, source of wealth and financial crime compliance in FCA-regulated firms — written for practitioners and those who hire them.
The CFO role across sectors and situations — SaaS finance, PE-backed businesses, cybersecurity risk, remote leadership, crisis periods and the fractional CFO model in practice.
The Finance Director role across sectors, salary benchmarks, what FDs earn, and the practical guides to transactions, business structures and financial concepts that FDs navigate daily.
All content written by Adrian Lawrence FCA — ICAEW Fellow and FCA practising certificate holder.
About Our Founder
FD Capital was founded by Adrian Lawrence FCA, a Chartered Accountant with over two decades of experience in finance leadership and executive search. Adrian holds a BSc from Queen Mary College, University of London and is a Fellow of the ICAEW. Before founding FD Capital he worked across private, listed, owner-managed and PE-backed organisations, giving him direct experience of the finance challenges and hiring decisions that CFOs are appointed to solve. He personally leads our most senior CFO searches and conducts candidate interviews himself — which is why our assessment process goes substantially deeper than a standard recruiter screen. He holds a practising certificate and this website is associated with his own ICAEW registered Practice. Every brief Adrian takes is informed by having sat on both sides of the table.
Published Research & Thought Leadership Adrian Lawrence FCA, founder of FD Capital, actively contributes to advancing the understanding of fractional and interim finance leadership in the UK. His recent peer-reviewed publications on ResearchGate explore the strategic impact of these flexible executive models on business growth, transformation, and scalability — particularly for SMEs, scale-ups, and PE/VC-backed companies.
- The Evolution of Fractional CFO Leadership in Modern UK Businesses (March 2026) — Examining how fractional CFOs are reshaping financial strategy in dynamic markets.
- The Strategic Role of Fractional and Interim Executives in Supporting Organisational Growth and Transformation (March 2026, co-authored) — Insights into how these roles drive efficiency, fundraising success, and long-term value creation.
These works build on Adrian’s 20+ years of hands-on experience in executive finance recruitment and reflect FD Capital’s commitment to evidence-based, high-impact solutions. Our placements draw directly from these principles to deliver shortlists in 3–7 days that align with real-world strategic needs.
FD Capital operates in accordance with recognised executive search standards and professional recruitment best practices. We support the principles outlined in the UK government’s executive search code of conduct
To discuss your Finance Director requirement, call 020 3287 9501 or complete the form on this page.
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