Directorbank
Directorbank is a London-headquartered executive search firm specializing in board-level and senior executive placements for private equity investors, their portfolio companies, and mid-market businesses across the UK and DACH region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Directorbank does
Directorbank is a London-headquartered executive search firm specializing in board-level and senior executive placements for private equity investors, their portfolio companies, and mid-market businesses across the UK and DACH region. The firm was founded in 1998 (per firmographic data, though internal source materials reference a 2009 founding date tied to the Frankfurt office launch) and operates through dual offices in London and Frankfurt, with a German practice that contributes approximately 40% of total firm revenue after 15 years of operation. The company is structured as Directorbank Executive Search Limited, a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales, with a German branch registered at AG Frankfurt am Main (HRB 111170).
The firm's core offering centers on Board Search, covering executive and non-executive director placements at CEO, CFO, COO, Chair, and NED levels, supplemented by Interim Solutions for temporary executive needs and Pre-Deal Recruitment Support for PE due diligence staffing. Service delivery is built around a proprietary Candidate Network of entrepreneurially-minded business leaders developed over 20+ years and maintained by an in-house research team that conducts market mapping and tracks career moves and deal activity. In October 2025, Directorbank announced a partnership with AssessioAI to add science-backed, AI-driven leadership assessment capabilities to its search process.
Directorbank generates revenue through professional service fees tied to successful placements, operating on retained and contingent mandates with pricing not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, relying on direct consultant engagement with PE firms and a programme of networking dinners across London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Frankfurt that connect PE clients with board-level candidates. The firm serves a named blue-chip PE client roster including Bridgepoint, LDC, Equistone, BGF, Cinven, 3i, Advent International, Montagu, Altor, and Graphite Capital, with portfolio company engagements spanning manufacturing, technology, healthcare, retail, food & beverage, and environmental services.
Directorbank firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Directorbank
- Legal name
- Directorbank Executive Search Limited
- Website
- https://directorbank.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Directorbank is a London-headquartered executive search firm specializing in board-level and senior executive placements for private equity investors, their portfolio companies, and mid-market businesses across the UK and DACH region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Directorbank industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF)
Keywords
Where Directorbank is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Directorbank business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Executive Search Services: Retained and contingent search mandates for executive and non-executive director placements across PE-backed, privately owned, and listed mid-market companies. Revenue is generated through professional service fees tied to successful placements.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Directorbank product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Directorbank is an executive search firm providing executive and non-executive director recruitment services for private equity investors, their portfolio companies, and the wider mid-market. The firm places board-level candidates including CEOs, CFOs, COOs, Chairs, and NEDs through retained and contingent search mandates, with supplementary interim executive placement and pre-deal due diligence staffing for PE firms.
Product overview
Directorbank is an executive search firm offering a unified service portfolio centered on board-level recruitment. The core offering comprises Board Search (executive and non-executive director placement), Interim Solutions (interim executive placement), and Pre-Deal Recruitment Support (PE-focused due diligence staffing). These are supported by a proprietary Candidate Network developed over 20 years. The AssessioAI Partnership augments the search service with science-backed leadership assessment tools combining validated psychometrics with AI-driven analysis. The company operates sector-specific practices (Business Services, Consumer, TMT, Healthcare, Industrial, CFO, International) and maintains offices in London and Frankfurt covering UK and DACH markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Board Search Executive and non-executive search services for Private Equity investors, their portfolio companies, and wider mid-market businesses, recruiting board-level positions including CEO, CFO, COO, Chairs, and NEDs.
- Interim Solutions Placement of high-impact interim executives across the SME market for scenarios such as bridging management gaps, leading change programmes, bringing expertise, or delivering critical projects.
- Pre-Deal Recruitment Support Sourcing skilled, PE-literate industry experts on behalf of private equity firms for due diligence projects and strategic input during PE assessment processes.
- Candidate Network A talent pool of entrepreneurially-minded business leaders with demonstrable track records of value creation, developed over 20 years for executive and non-executive placement.
Companies that use Directorbank
Customer profileNamed customers30 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Directorbank technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Directorbank partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AssessioAIcoreDirectorbank announced a new partnership with AssessioAI in October 2025 to bring science-backed, technology-driven leadership assessment to clients. AssessioAI combines decades of validated psychometrics with AI and business context to evaluate deeper leadership capabilities and team dynamics. The partnership enables Directorbank to go beyond the CV, interview and references to measure leadership competencies and provide a more holistic candidate assessment.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Directorbank competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep European presence and a strong board practice. Comparable to Directorbank's CEO, CFO and NED mandates for PE-backed mid-market companies across the UK and DACH.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with one of the most established board practice franchises worldwide. Comparable to Directorbank at the board and CEO level for PE-backed mid-market companies, though significantly larger and with broader geographic coverage.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a dedicated Financial Services and Private Equity practice. Overlaps directly with Directorbank's C-suite and board-level search for PE-backed businesses but operates at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
- Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm with a large executive search business and dedicated financial services/PE practice. Competes with Directorbank for senior leadership mandates at PE-backed businesses while also offering broader talent and consulting services.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with strong board, CEO and financial officer practices serving financial services and PE clients. Directly comparable to Directorbank's board search offering, particularly for CFO and CEO placements, though at greater scale.
Direct peers
- Pedersen & Partners: European executive search firm with strong DACH presence and a dedicated private equity practice. Closely comparable to Directorbank on UK/DACH geographic footprint, mid-market and PE-backed client focus, and board-level search services.
- Tyzack Partners: London-based boutique executive search firm focused on board-level and senior leadership placements, including for PE-backed and listed mid-market companies. Closely comparable to Directorbank in scale, geography and client segment.
- Odgers Berndtson: UK-headquartered executive search firm with a strong mid-market and board-level practice across multiple sectors. Highly comparable to Directorbank in target client profile (PE-backed and privately owned mid-market companies) and core service of C-suite and NED search.
- Norman Broadbent: UK-listed executive search firm with a dedicated board and interim practice serving PE-backed and growth-stage businesses. Comparable to Directorbank in target segment (PE and mid-market) and core service of board-level search.
Emerging players
- Savannah Search: Specialist PE-focused executive search boutique operating in the UK and Europe. Comparable to Directorbank's PE-literate, mid-market positioning and pre-deal recruitment support offering, though smaller and more narrowly focused on PE.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Directorbank social profiles
Digital presenceDirectorbank compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Directorbank financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Directorbank leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Directorbank subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Directorbank funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Directorbank M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Directorbank
What does Directorbank do?
Directorbank is an executive search firm providing executive and non-executive director recruitment services for private equity investors, their portfolio companies, and the wider mid-market. The firm places board-level candidates including CEOs, CFOs, COOs, Chairs, and NEDs through retained and contingent search mandates, with supplementary interim executive placement and pre-deal due diligence staffing for PE firms.
Is Directorbank a public or private company?
Directorbank is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Directorbank founded?
Directorbank was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Directorbank based?
Directorbank is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Directorbank make money?
One revenue line is on record: executive Search Services.
Who are Directorbank's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Egon Zehnder, Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Korn Ferry and Russell Reynolds Associates. Direct peers are Pedersen & Partners, Tyzack Partners, Odgers Berndtson and Norman Broadbent. Savannah Search is listed as an emerging player.
Does Directorbank have an API?
No public API is recorded for Directorbank.
What industry is Directorbank in?
Directorbank's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAF, Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt). Its NAICS code is 561312.