London & South East
Executive search firms London: our Berkeley Square office
London & South East headhunting specialists
London has been a global commercial hub for centuries, and while the international port remains at the heart of the City, its manufacturing base has largely been replaced by service industries like financial tax and assurance, legal services and real estate. The City’s remarkable growth has been driven by its ability to evolve and meet the needs of a rapidly changing world economy. And its success in identifying and exploiting commercial opportunity has helped to generate a GDP larger than that of many nation states. London’s evolution continues today, creating a hugely dynamic centre of business excellence, where companies large and small thrive across diverse sectors.
London hosts the headquarters of multinational firms in business and professional services, education, consumer goods and services, health and social care, industrial, public sector and not-for-profit and technology. And this ability to support such a wide range of industries is a consequence of the City’s success in attracting leading talent from around the globe. London is a vibrant cultural hub, making it an attractive location for talented executives who come here to enjoy its thriving arts and culture scene, where media, entertainment and publishing compete for attention with sports and fashion.
Executive search firm London & South East
Stone Executive is one of the most respected executive search firms in London. Specialising in executive recruitment in London and the South East, our team of experienced London headhunters work with a wide variety of clients, including large public sector bodies plus SMEs and FTSE100 companies in a broad range of sectors. We have a strong presence in the region and an excellent network of contacts both locally and nationally, making us very well qualified to identify and recruit talented leaders across all industry and functional practices.
We adopt a direct recruitment methodology, proactively approaching high-performing individuals who are already gainfully employed. This gives our London clients access to senior talent they would not typically encounter through traditional recruitment channels. Clients often engage with us after attempting to appoint independently, particularly in the capital’s highly competitive executive market where demand for experienced leaders significantly exceeds supply.
Our Berkeley Square office provides a discreet, central London base from which our consultants serve clients across the capital and throughout the South East. The team operates to the professional and ethical standards expected of any retained executive search practice, with each engagement run as a confidential, named-consultant search from briefing through to appointment.
Our London executive search approach
Each consultant assigned to a London-based search brings:
-
Intimate knowledge of the London market and its leadership landscape in all major sectors.
-
An established network of senior professionals built through years of specialist practice in the capital.
-
The ability to assess cultural fit and long-term potential, not just CV credentials.
-
A direct approach that reaches candidates who are not actively seeking a move.
Our professional network across London and the South East has been built over nearly two decades, encompassing leading employers, professional bodies, and many of the most accomplished executives in the region.
Roles we recruit in London
Our London executive search practice covers the full spectrum of senior appointments across the capital and the South East. We are regularly retained on bespoke board, C-suite, and senior functional searches for clients ranging from FTSE-listed corporations and PE-backed businesses through to charities, public sector bodies, and high-growth privately owned firms. Typical mandates include:
-
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director appointments across all sectors.
-
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Finance Director, including for listed, PE-backed, and pre-IPO organisations.
-
Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Commercial Officer, and divisional leadership.
-
Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), and Chief Digital Officer for organisations driving technology and data agendas.
-
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Chief Revenue Officer for businesses focused on growth, brand, and commercial performance.
-
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Chief People Officer appointments shaping culture and workforce strategy.
-
General Counsel, Company Secretary, and senior in-house legal leadership.
-
Chair, Senior Independent Director, and Non-Executive Director appointments, supported by our wider board-level practice.
-
Sector-specialist directors and heads of function operating in the major industries based in the capital.
Where a brief calls for it, Stone Executive’s London consultants partner consultatively with our sector and function specialists from the wider business, drawing on the depth of insight built up over nearly two decades of senior appointment work and the discretion expected at this level.
FAQs
What does Stone Executive’s London office cover?›
Our Berkeley Square office in Mayfair is the base for executive search across London, the South East, the home counties and East Anglia, from Brighton and Portsmouth in the south to Reading, Oxford, Cambridge and Ipswich. From there we are retained on board-level and director-level appointments in financial services, technology, healthcare, legal, professional services and the public sector. Clients range from FTSE-listed corporations and PE-backed businesses through to charities, public sector bodies and privately owned firms.
What is the average fee for a headhunter in London?›
Executive search fees are usually structured as a percentage of the appointed candidate’s first-year compensation, commonly between 25% and 35%. For a London-based senior executive role with a salary of £150,000, that equates to roughly £37,500 to £52,500. Fees vary depending on the seniority and complexity of the appointment.
What is the difference between a recruiter and a headhunter?›
A recruiter typically works on a contingent basis, advertising roles and drawing from candidates already on the market. A headhunter conducts retained executive search, proactively identifying and approaching senior professionals who are performing well in their current roles. Executive search is a research-led process focused on finding the best candidate, not the most available one.
How long does an executive search in London take?›
A typical retained search for a senior executive in London takes four to eight weeks from briefing to offer acceptance. The process includes market mapping, confidential candidate approach, interview management, and referencing. Complex or board-level appointments may take longer.
How do I find the best executive search firm in London?›
The strongest indicator is genuine specialist depth in the sectors and roles that matter to you, not simply a London address. Look for named consultants leading the work rather than handing it off to junior researchers, a clear retained methodology with defined stages, and a track record of placements at the seniority you are recruiting for. A London-based office matters most for the consultants’ access to the local network: who is in post, who is moving, and who is worth approaching.
Who pays the fee to a London headhunter?›
The hiring organisation pays the search fee, not the candidate. Retained executive search is invoiced to the client in stages, typically a tranche on engagement, a second on shortlist delivery, and a final tranche on appointment, with the total calculated as a percentage of the appointed candidate’s first-year compensation.
Why partner with Stone Executive in London?›
Stone Executive has operated as a retained headhunting practice for twenty years, has completed more than 1,000 senior appointments across its sector practices, and was recognised in the Financial Times’ UK’s Leading Recruiters 2024. We are boutique by design, with six UK offices and every search led personally by a partner. In London that partner works from Berkeley Square, takes the brief, and stays with the appointment through to offer.
To discuss your London and South East executive search and recruitment needs, please contact our team on 020 7127 4322.
Berkeley Square House
Berkeley Square
London
W1J 6BD
At Stone Executive, we don't just fill roles - we shape futures. Request a call back today.
