Hire a CFO

Hire a Chief Financial Officer

You have already decided your business needs a CFO. The question now is who will find you the right person, how quickly, and how confident you can be in the quality of that shortlist.

FD Capital is a specialist CFO and Finance Director recruitment practice founded and personally led by Adrian Lawrence FCA — a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Every CFO search we conduct is run by an ICAEW-qualified professional who has spent years working alongside CFOs in scaling businesses. When you instruct us, you deal directly with Adrian. No junior consultants. No account management layers.

We have placed fractional, part-time, interim, and permanent CFOs with UK businesses of every size since 2018 — from pre-revenue start-ups to PE-backed growth businesses and £200m+ revenue enterprises.

Who Will Handle Your CFO Search

Why Businesses Choose FD Capital to Hire Their CFO

Founder-Led From First Call to Placement

Most recruitment firms assign your search to a junior consultant who has never worked as a CFO. At FD Capital, Adrian Lawrence FCA personally reviews every brief, screens every candidate, and is available to you throughout. That matters when you are hiring a CFO — the most strategically significant appointment most businesses make.

A Candidate Network Built Over Seven Years

FD Capital has been operating since 2018. Our active candidate network spans fractional CFOs, portfolio CFOs, interim specialists, and permanent finance directors across every major UK sector — from technology and SaaS to manufacturing, professional services, financial services, and healthcare. We know this market intimately.

Speed Without Compromise

Our standard shortlist is delivered within 3–7 working days. When a business has an urgent requirement — a CEO whose CFO has resigned, a fundraising round in progress, a PE transaction that needs financial leadership immediately — we can compress that further. Speed and quality are not in conflict when you know the market and have the relationships.

Professionally Qualified Candidates as Standard

Every candidate we put forward holds a professional accountancy qualification — ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or equivalent — unless you specifically require a CFO from a non-accounting background such as investment banking or private equity. We do not present unqualified candidates.

No Long-Term Commitment Required

You do not have to commit to a permanent hire to work with us. FD Capital recruits fractional CFOs and part-time CFOs who provide senior financial leadership on a flexible basis. If your business does not yet have the workload or budget for a full-time CFO, a fractional engagement can give you the financial leadership you need without the fixed cost.

What Our Clients Say

Types of CFO We Can Help You Hire

The right type of CFO engagement depends on your business stage, workload, and budget. We recruit across all engagement models:

We can advise you on which type of engagement best fits your current requirements. Call 020 3287 9501 for a no-obligation conversation.

How the CFO Hire Process Works

From first call to signed offer, most placements complete within two to four weeks. Here is how the process runs:

Sectors We Recruit Across

FD Capital has placed CFOs across the full breadth of the UK economy. Our sector coverage includes:

Transparent Fees and No Hidden Costs

We provide a clear fee structure agreed at the outset of each search. There are no hidden costs, no retainer fees for searches that do not complete, and no ongoing billing. We work on a success-only basis for most permanent and interim placements. Fractional CFO engagements are structured differently — we will explain the full fee arrangement in your initial call.

Our pricing reflects the value of placing a senior financial leader who will shape the financial strategy of your business for years. It does not reflect the volume-recruitment pricing of a generalist agency.

Our Credentials and Accreditations

FD Capital Recruitment Ltd is registered at Companies House (no. 13329383). The practice is ICAEW-registered, and founder Adrian Lawrence holds a full ICAEW practising certificate. FD Capital is also an accredited member of the Good Business Charter and a Living Wage Foundation accredited employer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly can you deliver a CFO shortlist?

Our standard turnaround is 3–7 working days from brief to shortlist. For urgent requirements — a business in active fundraising, an executive search with a firm deadline, or a CFO who has resigned at short notice — we can often compress this significantly. Call us to discuss your timeline.

Do you only recruit permanent CFOs?

No. We recruit fractional, part-time, interim, and permanent CFOs. Many of our clients start with a fractional or part-time engagement and transition to a permanent hire as the business grows. We can structure the search to suit your current needs.

What makes FD Capital different from a generalist recruitment agency?

Specialisation and seniority. FD Capital recruits only CFOs, Finance Directors, and Financial Controllers. Our founder Adrian Lawrence FCA is himself a qualified accountant who has worked alongside CFOs throughout his career. When you speak to FD Capital, you are speaking to someone who genuinely understands the role, the market, and what good looks like. Generalist agencies recruit across dozens of functions. We do one thing.

Can you help if I am not sure which type of CFO engagement I need?

Yes. This is one of the most common conversations we have. Many business owners are clear that they need senior financial leadership but uncertain whether that means a fractional arrangement, a part-time hire, or a permanent appointment. Adrian can advise on what is most appropriate for your business stage, headcount, turnover, and projected growth.

What is your fee structure?

We operate on a success-only basis for most searches, with fees agreed at the outset. We are happy to discuss our structure on an initial call with no obligation on your part.

Do you work outside London?

Yes. FD Capital recruits CFOs across the UK, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh, and all major business centres. We also support remote and hybrid CFO appointments where the role does not require a fixed location.

Related Pages

If you are still evaluating your options, the following pages may be helpful:

• Fractional CFO Recruitment
• Part-Time CFO Recruitment
• Interim CFO Recruitment
• CFO Recruitment
• Outsourced CFO Services
• Hire an FD or CFO — complete our brief

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.

Start Your CFO Search Today

If you are ready to hire a CFO, the fastest route is a call. Adrian Lawrence will speak with you personally, understand your requirement, and give you an honest assessment of what the market looks like for your brief. There is no obligation and no cost for the initial conversation.

FD Capital Recruitment Ltd  |  167-169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF  |  Companies House no. 13329383  |  ICAEW-registered practice