What Lord Search & Selection does

Lord Search & Selection is a UK-based executive search and selection firm operating from its head office in Alvechurch, Birmingham, with a second office in Mayfair, London. The firm provides three core services — retained and contingency Search & Selection, Interim Management, and HR Consulting — delivered through twelve sector-specialist practice areas spanning Board & CEO, Accounting & Finance, Cyber Security/AI/Telecommunications, Construction & Infrastructure, Fintech & SaaS, FMCG, Healthcare Communications & Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing & Engineering, Procurement & Supply Chain, Public & Social Sector, and Sales & Marketing. The client base is hybrid, ranging from FTSE 100, Fortune 500 and AIM-listed corporates to SMEs, private equity-backed businesses, and UK public sector bodies including local authorities, NHS-linked organisations, and emergency services.

Revenue is generated on a professional services basis: retained search fees typically structured as one-third at commencement, one-third at shortlist, and one-third on placement, generally 20–35% of placed candidate compensation, alongside interim day rates of £500–£2,000+. The go-to-market is sales-led and consultant-driven, relying on direct client engagement, referrals, sector events, and a candidate registration portal rather than digital marketing at scale. The group is organised around Lord Search & Selection Ltd with adjacent operating subsidiaries Lord Accounting & Finance Ltd and Lord Interim Management LLP, and remains privately held with no disclosed institutional ownership, funding history, or revenue figures.

The firm operates as a traditional human-capital consultancy rather than a technology platform: there is no proprietary software, API, mobile application, or AI/ML capability disclosed, and the competitive position rests on consultant networks, methodology, and three decades of brand equity rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Lord Search & Selection

Legal name

Lord Search & Selection Ltd

Website

https://lord.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lord Search & Selection is a UK-based executive search firm with offices in Birmingham and London, placing senior leaders across twelve sector practices for FTSE 100, Fortune 500, public sector, and SME clients via Search & Selection, Interim Management, and HR Consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search & Recruitment

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO) (BPACAAAC), Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF), Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Interim management
• HR consulting
• Senior recruitment
• Board level appointments

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Executive Search & Selection Services: Retained and contingency-based executive search services placing senior-level candidates (Board, CEO, CFO, and other executive roles) with client organisations. Fees are typically structured as a percentage of the placed candidate's total compensation.
2. Interim Management: Providing interim executive professionals to organisations requiring temporary senior leadership, often for transformation projects or during leadership transitions.
3. HR Consulting: Advisory services related to talent acquisition strategy, organisational design, and human resources functions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lord Search & Selection is a UK-based executive search and selection firm that recruits senior executives and places interim managers into client organisations. The firm also provides HR consulting services covering talent acquisition strategy and organisational design, with sector-specialist practice groups across Accounting & Finance, Board & CEO, Public & Social Sector, Cyber Security & AI, Construction & Infrastructure, Fintech & SaaS, FMCG, Healthcare & Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing & Engineering, Procurement & Supply Chain, and Sales & Marketing.

Product overview

Lord Search & Selection offers a unified talent acquisition and management service portfolio built around three core offerings: Search & Selection (executive recruitment), Interim Management (temporary senior placements), and HR Consulting. These services are delivered through sector-specialist consultants who operate across defined practice areas including Accounting & Finance, Cyber Security AI & Telecommunications, Board & CEO, Construction & Infrastructure, Fintech & SaaS, FMCG, Healthcare Communications & Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing & Engineering, Procurement & Supply Chain, Public & Social Sector, and Sales & Marketing. The company is a specialist talent management provider serving clients ranging from Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies to SMEs and public sector organisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Search & Selection Executive search and selection recruitment service matching senior candidates to executive and senior management positions across multiple industry sectors. Targeted at organisations seeking Board, CEO, CFO, and other senior leadership talent.
• Interim Management Temporary senior management placements providing organisations with experienced interim executives for defined periods to address leadership gaps, transformation projects, or transition needs such as maternity/paternity cover.
• HR Consulting Advisory services helping organisations develop HR strategies, talent management frameworks, and organisational capability improvements. Targeted at clients seeking strategic human capital guidance beyond individual placements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 long-listed candidates interviewed for 5 Assistant Director posts at Haringey Council
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments14 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Signium: International executive search firm with a comparable sector- and function-led practice structure and a similar mid-sized positioning relative to the largest global search firms.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep practice-area specialisation; competes directly with Lord for senior-level and board mandates across UK and internationally.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with explicit practice-area structure (CFO, CIO, board, etc.) that mirrors Lord's sector-based practice model; a direct peer for senior-level retained searches.
• Norman Broadbent: London-listed UK executive search and leadership advisory firm operating sector practice groups similar to Lord's; a particularly close peer in size, geography, and FTSE/AIM client focus.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on senior leadership and board appointments; comparable in methodology (retained search, sector practices) and client profile (FTSE/Fortune 500).
• Odgers Berndtson: UK-headquartered international executive search firm with comparable sector practice areas and a focus on board-level and senior management appointments; directly competes with Lord for FTSE/Fortune 500 mandates in the UK.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm focused on board, CEO, and senior leadership placements; comparable to Lord in delivering retained senior-level searches across multiple sector practices.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Large global organisational consulting firm with a substantial executive search practice; overlaps with Lord on senior-level placements but operates at much broader scale across talent, rewards, and consulting services.
• Hays: UK-listed global recruitment and workforce solutions firm with a UK executive search capability and much broader staffing scale; comparable to Lord on UK FTSE/AIM client base but operates across all staffing levels.

Emerging players

• Michael Page: UK-originated global recruitment firm with growing senior and executive search capability; competes for some of Lord's functional and mid-to-senior finance/tech mandates in the UK.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Lord Search & Selection