Welcome to SRM Executive Search
The SRM Executive Search practice is led by founder Stewart Robertson, who has a wealth of experience recruiting CFO and Financial Management positions.
Our executive search consultants have recruited for a large number of multinational groups, utilising extensive networks to source high calibre finance leaders when internal networks and direct sourcing methods have been exhausted.
We have recruited a significant number of CFO and Finance Director roles for small, high-growth businesses across a range of sectors. As a business owner, Stewart can uniquely empathise to find the right finance executive to meet the growing needs of your business.
Meet the team
Andrew Setchell
CEO
Andrew’s career began in 1996 having previously spent 4 years with PWC as an Accountant. He has an extensive background sourcing for a multitude of businesses, partnerships and organisations across the finance and accounting market place.
Rory MacSween
Founder
Rory started his recruitment career in 2007, developing an extensive network recruiting into specialist tax departments for global financial and commercial organisations. In recent years he has focused on W&I, tax and contingent risk broking and underwriting positions, becoming a market leader in the M&A insurance market internationally. Rory leads SRM’s M&A Insurance team.
Stewart Robertson
Founder & Director
Stewart began recruiting qualified finance professionals in 2002. With an extensive finance network, he’s the trusted advisor to some of the UK’s most prestigious businesses. He leads SRM’s Executive Search practice.
Richard Boyd
Director
Richard is a Director for SRM in London, responsible for qualified level financial recruitment, search and selection hires through to FD and CFO level across Greater London, with a principal focus on property, real estate and B2B markets. Prior to joining SRM, Richard worked for two larger recruitment consultancies, having begun his recruitment career in 2003 and has focussed on the London market since then. His focus is simple yet profound: to bridge the gap between exceptional talent and the companies that need them. In an era of automation, he’s a firm believer in the power of human connection, networks and acting as a trusted advisor to his clients whether you are an SME or a larger corporate organisation.
Chris Excell
Head of Legal Recruitment
Since completing his training in 2008, Chris has established himself as a highly regarded expert in legal executive search. He has worked across various disciplines, including intellectual property, energy & projects, competition, litigation, and corporate law, with a focus on law firms, patent and trademark attorney firms, and in-house legal teams. His international reach has enabled him to conduct successful searches across the EMEA region and the US, with key locations including the UK, Brussels, Dublin, Paris, Oslo, and Stockholm.
Among his notable accomplishments, Chris has launched a new office in Dublin for a client, relocated several high-performing teams – including a market-leading IP team in Paris – and facilitated early merger discussions between law firms.
Chris takes pride in working on a retained, close-knit basis with his clients to ensure they achieve the results they need.
Rob McKay
Director – Interim and Fractional Practice Lead
Rob has worked in recruitment for fifteen years, the majority of which has been focused on Interim recruitment in London. During this time, he has focused across a wide variety of specialist finance disciplines, including general accounting, corporate finance, restructuring and treasury and tax. This breadth of experience means he is uniquely placed to assist in any situation where temporary resources may be required. Rob’s experience means he is comfortable in taking the pressure around an interim need and distilling it into a workable solution for clients. He minimises the risk of a temporary hire in a period when most businesses tend to be going through some sort of flux. At SRM he focuses on the London market, where he assists a wide range of businesses from start-up and scale-up to blue-chip organisations.
James Rodgers
Business Director - Tax
James joined the recruitment industry in 2004 having initially trained as a Solicitor. He solely focusses on the in-house tax market and with 20+ years of experience is a trusted advisor to a wide range of organisations and tax professionals across C&I and FS. He has been fortunate to work with a huge variety of businesses from well-known international listed companies all the way through to smaller owner-managed private enterprises.
Tom Harrington
Principal Consultant - Finance
Tom is a Principal Consultant for SRM in our London office. He is responsible for qualified level financial recruitment, search, and selection hires through to FD and CFO level across Greater London, with a principal focus on B2B markets such as energy, construction, professional services and tech infrastructure. Tom has a broad range of clients, from high growth venture capital or private equity backed SMEs through to large global complex FTSE/Nasdaq-listed businesses. He prides himself on consulting with both clients and candidates, giving honest value-add advice and up-to-date market information to help both achieve their goals.
Why use us over a traditional executive search firm?
A flexible and client centred approach
Initial representation made by experienced consultant not a researcher
Speed of turnaround and delivery
SRM has recruited a number of accounting professionals across the Berkeley Group in London, and elsewhere in the UK, consistently finding strong people, including Finance Director level hires.
Our executive search process
The process and timeline for a search will be tailored for your indvidual requirements. A typcial search may take up to twelve weeks.
Week 1
BRIEFING
Week 2-3
RESEARCH
Week 4-5
LONG & SHORTLIST
Week 6-7
CLIENT INTERVIEWS
Week 8
APPOINTMENT
Week 10-24
FOLLOW UP
- Devise candidate criteria and search geography
- Candidate brief / advert developed and agreed
- Timelines and actions set
- Market mapping, candidate research and market recommendations
- Target candidate approaches commence and recommendations
- Initial candidate evaluation
- Prioritisation of candidates against brief
- Sift and longlisted candidates interviewed by SRM
- Shortlist finalised
- Formal 1st interviews with client
- Psychometric reports (if required)
- Ongoing candidate support
- Offer made via SRM
- SRM manage offer negotiations with candidate
- References
- Offer acceptance
- Detailed feedback to unsuccessful candidates
- On-boarding and post-appointment support to candidate during notice period
- Feedback gathered on search to ensure continuous improvement
Recent executive search assignments
Divisional Finance Director
£140k, FTSE 100
Midlands
Group Financial Controller
£90k, AIM Listed
West Sussex
CFO
£120k, PE Backed FinTec
London
Head of Group Reporting
£90k, AIM Listed
West Sussex
Finance Director
£130k, Online Gaming / Marketing
London
FP&A Director
£100k, FTSE 100
Surrey
Unlike traditional executive search firms, we work with our candidates to build long term relationships, regardless of whether we have an immediate mandate for them.
Ultimately, it is in our long term interest to work as trusted partners to our candidates, whether it’s your first move into an executive level role or if you're an experienced board director.
As part of our service to candidates in this market, we offer advice on:
-
- Transitioning to an Executive level role
- How to network
- CV and LinkedIn profiles
- Working with traditional search firms
The straight forward recruitment consultancy
Executive Search news & insight
The finance leadership market across Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire is changing rapidly. With continued growth across a number of sectors, demand for experienced Finance Directors, CFOs and FP&A leaders remains strong. But the profile of the finance leader organisations need is evolving too. Download the whitepaper to explore the 2026 market in detail.
For tax professionals considering their first move from practice into industry, one of the biggest misconceptions can be surprisingly simple: assuming that a job title tells you everything you need to know about a role. But once you move in-house, job titles become far less reliable as a measure of seniority, scope or earning potential.
Our locations
UK
Whilst our executive search consultants are based in London, we recruit across the whole of the UK.
Based on St John Street, near Farringdon station, we're in a great location to easily meet with our clients and candidates.
International
Each role we recruit is treated as a bespoke search assignment which means we are able to source candidates internationally to work in any location.
We are often successful where traditional recruiters fail as we proactively recruit across borders.
About to hire your next leader?
Get in touch with one of our experienced consultants who will work hard to understand your unique requirements. Please send us a job description or give us a call on + 44 (0)7376 802264.