Name

Arkesden Partners

Legal name

Arkesden Partners Ltd

Website

https://arkesden.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB), Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG), Specialized/Niche-Vertical RIAs (e.g., Medical, Tech, Executives, Athletes) (FSAAACAL)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Private equity recruiting
• Alternative investment consulting
• Investment talent placement
• Fund manager advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Executive search and consultancy retainers: Fee-for-service executive search mandates typically at Partner, Investment Director, Principal, Senior Associate and Associate levels for alternative investment funds. Engagements also include advisory work on compensation, carry structures, LTIPs, D&I, and employee retention programmes. Revenue is project-based (per mandate) rather than recurring subscription.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arkesden Partners is a boutique executive search and consultancy firm that places senior investment professionals (Partner, Investment Director, Principal, Senior Associate, Associate) into buyside alternative investment fund managers (GPs) across five dedicated practice verticals: Private Equity, Private Credit, Real Estate, Energy & Infrastructure, and Investor Relations & Client Solutions. The firm also advises fund clients on compensation structures (carry, LTIP, fixed pay), D&I hiring strategies, and employee retention programmes.

Product overview

Arkesden Partners is a boutique executive search and consultancy firm, not a software platform. Its offering is organized as a unified specialist search practice spanning multiple buyside sectors (Private Equity, Real Estate, Private Credit, Energy & Infrastructure, and Investor Relations & Client Solutions), supplemented by a separate published research product (HeadCount) and diversity research report (Gender Diversity Report). The five sector-specific practice areas form the firm's core service portfolio and operate as parallel verticals under the Arkesden brand, each led by a named Partner or Senior Consultant. HeadCount is a recurring half-yearly report tracking people moves across Private Equity functions, and the Gender Diversity Report is an annual diversity report — both are analytical publications rather than software modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Equity Search Practice Executive search and consultancy placing investment professionals into Private Equity and broader investment funds across Europe and CEEMEA at MD, Investment Director, Principal, Investment Manager, VP and Senior Associate levels, covering Small/Mid/Large Cap PE, Fund of Funds, Co-Investments, Secondaries, and sector/geographic focused funds. Co-led by Jamie Rothery-Starling and Ross Lumsden.
• Real Estate Search Practice Executive search service placing individuals into buyside Real Estate across Europe and CEEMEA, executing mandates at Investment Director, Principal, Senior Associate and Associate levels across Core, Core Plus, Value Add, Opportunistic, Asset Backed, Operational and Corporate Strategies. Headed by Partner Molly McPherson.
• Private Credit Search Practice Executive search placing individuals into the Private Credit market at Partner, Investment Director, Principal and Senior Associate levels across Direct Lending (Senior, Junior & Unitranche), CLO, NPL, Asset Backed Credit, Special Situations, Performing & Non-Performing Lending, Mezzanine Credit, NAV Fund Finance, and Secondary Credit. Founded and led by Managing Partner Adam Cairns, with Senior Consultant Eden Trenerry covering Private Credit and Real Assets Credit.
• Energy & Infrastructure Search Practice Executive search placing individuals into buyside Energy and Infrastructure clients at Investment Director, Principal and Senior Associate levels, covering Acquisition, Investment Management and Asset Management mandates across Infrastructure, Transport, Power & Utilities, and Chemicals & Industrials sectors including renewables, hydrogen, energy storage, grid infrastructure and low-carbon technologies. Led by Partner Alex Cornell.
• Investor Relations & Client Solutions Search Practice Dedicated executive search practice specialising in Investor Relations and Client Solutions across Private Equity, Private Credit and Real Assets, operating from London across EMEA and the US. Mandates cover Sales & Distribution, Product Specialists, and Client Servicing & Project Management at Associate through to Head of Team levels. Led by Senior Consultant David Beal.

Quantifiable outcome

• 750+ investment mandates completed since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship pro-bono d&i partner supporting quarterly junior-women networking events in london and the firm's gender-diversity pipeline., minor — website design and build vendor only. and minor — molly mcpherson serves as a panellist with wire on diversity in pe; relationship is industry-engagement rather than a formal commercial alliance..

• Level 20flagship pro-bono d&i partner supporting quarterly junior-women networking events in london and the firm's gender-diversity pipeline.GTM or Marketing PartnerArkesden partners pro bono with Level 20 to help organise quarterly networking events in London for junior women considering careers in PE. Events provide early-career guidance in a tailored, personal setting. Eden Trenerry and Lottie Morgan work directly with Level 20 to promote greater representation of women in alternative investments. Contact for participation is Shannon Peel ([email protected]).
• UXB Londonminor — website design and build vendor only.Implementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUXB London is credited on the Arkesden website footer as the firm that 'Designed and built' arkesden.com and provides a linked content-management service (BoomCMS). It is a vendor relationship rather than a commercial or strategic alliance.
• WIREminor — molly mcpherson serves as a panellist with wire on diversity in pe; relationship is industry-engagement rather than a formal commercial alliance.OthersMolly McPherson (Partner and Head of Real Estate) is a panelist with WIRE, a women-in-finance/network organisation. She works with WIRE to improve diversity in Private Equity and appears on industry panels to advocate for greater female representation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carter Bain: UK boutique executive search firm focused on private equity and private credit investment professionals. Directly competes with Arkesden on buyside mandates at Partner-to-Associate levels, with comparable vertical specialisation and similar client base of mid- and large-cap GPs.
• PI Partners: Boutique executive search firm specialising in alternative investments, private equity and private credit talent across Europe. Comparable to Arkesden on vertical coverage, fund-manager client base and partner-led enterprise delivery model.
• Oxean Partners: Buyside-focused executive search firm placing senior professionals into private equity, private credit, infrastructure and real estate funds. Closely comparable on alternative-asset vertical coverage, GP client base and boutique senior-led engagement model.
• Stonewood Search: Boutique executive search firm focused on senior appointments within private equity, real estate and alternative asset managers. Comparable to Arkesden on target customer (GPs), vertical depth and mandate-level fee model.
• Norman Broadbent: UK-listed executive search and advisory firm with a Financial Services practice covering private equity and asset managers. Comparable to Arkesden on boutique scale, UK base and buyside client coverage, though broader in sector scope.

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Financial Services/Private Equity practice. Overlaps with Arkesden on buyside mandates at senior levels but operates at significantly larger scale with global office footprint and broader sector coverage.
• Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm with a significant Private Equity and Financial Services executive search practice (Ross Lumsden previously worked at Korn Ferry's PE practice). Competes with Arkesden on senior buyside mandates while offering broader consulting, RPO and assessment services.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with a Private Capital practice placing senior leaders into GPs (David Beal was previously at Russell Reynolds' Private Capital team). Competes directly with Arkesden on senior buyside mandates, particularly within IR and Client Solutions.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Financial Services practice that includes private equity, private credit and alternatives coverage. Overlaps with Arkesden on senior buyside investment professional mandates but operates a much broader sector mandate.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a Financial Investors practice covering PE, infrastructure and private credit. Comparable to Arkesden on senior buyside mandates while serving a broader range of industries and geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arkesden-partners-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arkesden Partners