Rutherford Cross
Rutherford Cross is a UK-based executive search firm placing senior finance professionals — including CFO, Tax, Treasury, Audit, Risk, and Commercial Finance leaders — into blue-chip enterprises and major banks. Operating as part of the employee-owned Livingston James Group, it serves clients across the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rutherford Cross does
Rutherford Cross is a UK-based executive search and selection firm specialising exclusively in senior finance professionals. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Glasgow with a second office in Edinburgh, the firm operates as a brand under the Livingston James Group, which became the first employee-owned business in the Scottish recruitment sector. Rutherford Cross places candidates across a broad range of finance specialisms — Senior Tax, Treasury, Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance, Advisory, Corporate Development, Private Equity, Financial Leadership, Credit Management, Commercial Finance, Audit & Assurance, and Recently Qualified roles — and across four primary sectors: Financial Services, Industry & Commerce, Professional Services, and Public & Not for Profit. It has also launched an Interim Hub for contract and interim placements and runs multi-role recruitment campaigns for named clients such as Heriot Watt, AGS Airports, and Dobbies Garden Centres.
Rutherford Cross firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rutherford Cross
- Legal name
- Livingston James Ltd
- Website
- https://rutherfordcross.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rutherford Cross is a UK-based executive search firm placing senior finance professionals — including CFO, Tax, Treasury, Audit, Risk, and Commercial Finance leaders — into blue-chip enterprises and major banks. Operating as part of the employee-owned Livingston James Group, it serves clients across the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Rutherford Cross is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Rutherford Cross business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Recruitment Search & Selection: Retained search and selection services for senior finance professionals. The firm places candidates across various finance roles including Tax, Treasury, Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance, Advisory, Corporate Development, Private Equity, Financial Leadership, Credit Management, and Commercial Finance positions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Rutherford Cross product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rutherford Cross is a UK-based executive search and selection firm dedicated exclusively to senior finance professionals. The firm runs retained search assignments for blue-chip organisations, major banks, and leading accountancy and law firms, placing candidates across specialisms including Tax, Treasury, Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance, Advisory, Corporate Development, Private Equity, Financial Leadership, Credit Management, Commercial Finance, and Audit & Assurance, plus interim and contract engagements.
Product overview
Rutherford Cross operates as a unified market-leading Search & Selection platform focused exclusively on senior Finance Professionals across the UK. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of recruitment services structured by specialism (including Senior Tax, Treasury, Internal Audit/Risk/Compliance, Advisory/Corporate Development/Private Equity, Financial Leadership & Control, Transactional Finance, Financial & Statutory Accounting, Commercial Finance, Audit & Assurance, and Recently Qualified roles) and by sector (Financial Services, Industry & Commerce, Professional Services, and Public & Not for Profit). Additional offerings include interim and contract placement services and dedicated recruitment campaigns for specific clients. The platform does not consist of separate software products but rather delivers human-delivered executive search and selection services through specialist consultants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Senior Finance Executive Search & Selection
- Interim & Contract Finance Recruitment
- Recently Qualified Finance Recruitment
- Dedicated Recruitment Campaigns
Companies that use Rutherford Cross
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rutherford Cross technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rutherford Cross partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland)coreRutherford Cross has been a Careers Partner of ICAS every year since 2017. The firm sponsors the ICAS Admissions Ceremony (since 2019), celebrating the achievements of finance leaders of the future. Since 2023, Rutherford Cross was the sole sponsor of the ICAS Careers and Salary Survey, gathering insights from over 1,500 CAs globally. ICAS is a global professional body for Chartered Accountants with approximately 24,000 members and 3,000 CA students.
- Livingston James GroupcoreRutherford Cross is part of the Livingston James Group, which became the first employee-owned business in the recruitment sector in Scotland. This parent company relationship provides the strategic framework for Rutherford Cross's operations and ownership structure.
- BGF (Business Growth Fund)minorBGF partnered with Rutherford Cross on the inaugural Padel League networking event, contributing to creating networking opportunities for the Scottish finance market.
- Addleshaw GoddardminorAddleshaw Goddard partnered with Rutherford Cross on the inaugural Padel League networking event, supporting the creation of networking opportunities for the Scottish professional community.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Rutherford Cross competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marks Sattin: UK specialist recruitment firm focused on finance, accounting, audit, tax, and treasury roles across multiple seniority levels. Closest comparable in terms of exclusive finance specialism and UK market focus.
- 1st Executive: UK executive search and interim provider focused on senior finance, risk, compliance, and change & transformation roles. Directly comparable in specialism and seniority focus.
- Wade Macdonald: Specialist UK recruitment firm covering accountancy & finance, audit, tax, treasury, and legal roles. Comparable niche focus and overlap with Rutherford Cross's specialism coverage.
- Goodman Masson: UK specialist recruiter focused on finance, accounting, tax, and technology professionals, with strong London presence. Overlaps directly on senior finance search and selection.
- Morgan McKinley: Global professional services recruitment firm with deep UK and Ireland coverage in accounting, finance, and banking. Comparable in targeting senior finance professionals via retained search.
- Investigo: UK recruitment firm with finance, accounting, audit, and change & transformation specialisms. Similar service-line breadth to Rutherford Cross's finance-focused portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Robert Half International: Global staffing and consulting firm with a dedicated finance & accounting practice. Larger incumbent that competes with Rutherford Cross for senior finance mandates but at broader scale.
- Hays: Global recruitment firm with a strong UK accounting & finance division. Competes on senior finance mandates but as part of a much broader multi-sector portfolio.
- Michael Page International: Global recruitment firm with established UK finance & accounting practice. Competes on senior finance placements but operates across many other disciplines at scale.
- Reed: Large UK-based generalist recruiter with a finance and accounting practice. Indirect competitor on senior finance mandates but with a much wider service range.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Rutherford Cross social profiles
Digital presenceRutherford Cross financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rutherford Cross leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Rutherford Cross funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rutherford Cross M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rutherford Cross
What does Rutherford Cross do?
Rutherford Cross is a UK-based executive search and selection firm dedicated exclusively to senior finance professionals. The firm runs retained search assignments for blue-chip organisations, major banks, and leading accountancy and law firms, placing candidates across specialisms including Tax, Treasury, Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance, Advisory, Corporate Development, Private Equity, Financial Leadership, Credit Management, Commercial Finance, and Audit & Assurance, plus interim and contract engagements.
Is Rutherford Cross a public or private company?
Rutherford Cross is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Rutherford Cross founded?
Rutherford Cross was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rutherford Cross based?
Rutherford Cross is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Rutherford Cross make money?
One revenue line is on record: recruitment Search & Selection.
Who are Rutherford Cross's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marks Sattin, 1st Executive, Wade Macdonald, Goodman Masson, Morgan McKinley and Investigo. Broad incumbents are Robert Half International, Hays, Michael Page International and Reed.
Does Rutherford Cross have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rutherford Cross.