Below is our reading of the UK retained executive search market at H2 2026 — where compensation is going, which sectors are hiring hardest, and what we see as the two structural shifts most likely to reshape the market in the next twenty-four months.
The compensation reset has been sharpest at CSO, CDO and CISO
The last twenty-four months have seen compensation move fastest for three functional roles. Chief Sustainability Officer compensation in regulated financial services has moved up 25-40% at total-compensation level. Chief Data Officer compensation — particularly where the role includes AI leadership — has moved 20-35%. Chief Information Security Officer compensation in regulated financial services has moved 15-25%. Traditional CFO, CTO and CMO compensation has moved more slowly (5-15%) but consistently.
PE portfolio hiring is the highest-volume commercial driver
The wave of Series C-to-exit private equity portfolio hiring — CEOs, CFOs, Chairs, non-executive directors — is the highest-volume commercial driver in the UK market right now. Fund vintages sitting on unrealised gains, delayed exits, and a broadening range of thesis-driven bolt-on strategies are all pushing sponsor teams to reset leadership across their portfolios. Our Sponsor Coverage practice has grown from a distinct capability to a core part of our practice mix.
Family office hiring is the highest-margin niche
Family office executive search — Chief of Staff, Family Office CFO, CIO, Estate Manager, Principal Private Secretary — remains a distinct and highest-margin niche. Compensation is high, mandates are confidential, and the candidate pool is small enough that only firms with genuine network reach can deliver. This niche has grown consistently over the last five years and shows no sign of slowing.
Two structural shifts to watch
Shift 1: AI leadership is becoming a distinct executive seat
The Chief AI Officer or Head of AI role, still emerging in mid-market UK businesses, is increasingly a distinct seat in enterprise and regulated environments. In the next twenty-four months we expect to see AI leadership hiring separate from CDO hiring in most large organisations.
Shift 2: The Chief Communications Officer emerges as a distinct board-adjacent role
The CCO / Chief Communications Officer role — internal, external, crisis, ESG, investor communications — has emerged in the last five years as a distinct board-adjacent seat, particularly in regulated industries and businesses with material reputational exposure. In many organisations it is now clearer for the CCO to report separately to the CEO rather than into the CMO. Expect this to accelerate.
Related reading
For fee and process mechanics, see the retained executive search fees explainer. For sector-specific market commentary, see our recent insights on the biotech CEO market, the consumer CEO market, the hospitality leadership market, the UK CISO market, and the bifurcated CMO market. For our full practice offering, see Target Search.