FWB Park Brown
FWB Park Brown is a UK-based boutique executive search and board advisory firm founded in 1993, headquartered in Edinburgh with offices in Aberdeen, London, and Newcastle, placing C-suite and non-executive directors for enterprise, private equity, and public sector clients across nine verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FWB Park Brown does
FWB Park Brown (legal entity FWB Ltd.) is a UK-based boutique executive search and board advisory firm headquartered in Edinburgh. Founded in 1993 by Scott Black and Judy Wagner, the firm operates from four UK offices in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Newcastle, and London, serving enterprise, private equity, and public sector clients with cross-border mandates spanning over 50 countries. Its service portfolio centres on retained executive search and non-executive director placement, complemented by adjacent advisory offerings including Management Due Diligence, Market Mapping, Remuneration Benchmarking, and Psychometric and Ability Testing. Coverage spans nine verticals (Built Environment, Consumer, Energy Transition, Engineering and Manufacturing, Financial Services, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Professional Services, Public Sector and Not For Profit, Technology and Life Sciences) and ten functional disciplines (Chair/NED, CEO, CFO, Operations, Commercial, HR, IT/Digital, Supply Chain, Legal/Governance).
The firm differentiates through senior-relationship-led delivery, a 30+ year track record with recurring enterprise clients (Beam Suntory, Sky, Edrington, Scottish Friendly, Walkers Shortbread, Galvmed, Energy Ventures, Moray Council, Zero Waste Scotland), and a strategic partnership with the University of Edinburgh Business School for executive education, including the Executive Women in Leadership Programme. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is built on consultant expertise, candidate networks, and assessment methodology. Revenue is generated via project-based retained search mandates and related advisory fees, with pricing not publicly disclosed and determined by scope, seniority, and geographic complexity of each mandate. The business is founder-owned and operated, with Jamie Brown as Managing Director and Brian Williamson as Chair, and continues to operate without external institutional investment.
FWB Park Brown firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FWB Park Brown
- Legal name
- FWB Ltd.
- Website
- https://fwbparkbrown.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FWB Park Brown is a UK-based boutique executive search and board advisory firm founded in 1993, headquartered in Edinburgh with offices in Aberdeen, London, and Newcastle, placing C-suite and non-executive directors for enterprise, private equity, and public sector clients across nine verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FWB Park Brown industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI), Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK)
Keywords
Where FWB Park Brown is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
FWB Park Brown business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Executive Search Services: Retained executive search mandates for C-suite and senior leadership positions across all industry sectors. Project-based fees typically charged on success.
- Board Advisory Services: Non-executive director search and board composition advisory services.
- Management Due Diligence: Assessment services for leadership team evaluation during M&A and investment processes.
- Remuneration Benchmarking: Executive compensation analysis and benchmarking services.
- Executive Education Programmes: Leadership development programmes delivered in partnership with University of Edinburgh Business School, including the Executive Women in Leadership Programme.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Retained Executive Search Mandates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
FWB Park Brown product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FWB Park Brown is a boutique executive search and board advisory firm that identifies, assesses, and places senior leaders and board-level executives for enterprise and public sector clients. Its core offering centres on retained executive search mandates across multiple sectors, supplemented by management due diligence, market mapping, remuneration benchmarking, psychometric testing, and executive development programmes delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh Business School.
Product overview
FWB is an executive search and leadership advisory firm operating as a single integrated service offering rather than a modular software platform. The core offering centres on executive search and selection services for senior leadership and board-level appointments. The firm complements its search capabilities with a suite of advisory services including management due diligence, market mapping, remuneration benchmarking, and psychometric testing. Additionally, FWB offers executive development programmes through a partnership with the University of Edinburgh Business School, including the Executive Women In Leadership Programme. These services are delivered across multiple industry sectors including Built Environment, Consumer, Energy Transition, Engineering and Manufacturing, Financial Services, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Professional Services, Public Sector, and Technology and Life Sciences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Retained executive search and selection service identifying and placing senior leaders and board-level executives across all industries and business sectors, serving enterprise clients, private equity firms, and public sector organisations.
- Non-Executive Search Specialist search service for identifying and placing non-executive directors and board members, including Chair appointments, for enterprise and public sector clients.
- Management Due Diligence Comprehensive assessment and evaluation of senior management teams and leadership capabilities during investment, acquisition, or transaction processes for private equity and corporate clients.
- Market Mapping Detailed market intelligence and competitive landscape analysis to identify potential candidates and inform market positioning for executive search mandates.
- Remuneration Benchmarking Executive compensation analysis and benchmarking services to ensure competitive remuneration packages for senior leadership appointments.
- Psychometric and Ability Testing Comprehensive psychological and aptitude testing services for executive candidate evaluation and development.
- Executive and Non-Executive Education Senior leadership development programmes delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh Business School, including board preparation and executive coaching for senior executives.
- Executive Women In Leadership Programme Specialised leadership development programme designed to accelerate the careers of women executives, delivered through partnership with the University of Edinburgh Business School.
Quantifiable outcome
- Recruited candidates in over 50 countries across the world
Companies that use FWB Park Brown
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments18 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
FWB Park Brown technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
FWB Park Brown partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- University of Edinburgh Business SchoolcoreStrategic partnership for delivery of Executive Leadership Programmes including the Executive Women in Leadership Programme. FWB collaborates with the Business School on executive education and development programmes, bringing together academic rigor with practical executive search expertise.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
FWB Park Brown competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Up Group: UK executive search firm specializing in C-suite and senior leadership placements across multiple sectors. Comparable boutique scale, UK focus, and executive search core service offering.
- CEDAR Search: London-based boutique executive search firm focused on consumer, retail, and leisure sectors. Comparable in boutique scale and consultative model, with sector overlap in FWB's consumer vertical.
- Norman Broadbent: UK boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm serving board, C-suite, and senior functional roles across multiple sectors. Comparable in firm size, UK-headquartered boutique positioning, and multi-sector + multi-discipline coverage.
- Saxton Bampfylde: UK-based boutique executive search firm specializing in board, CEO, and senior leadership appointments across sectors including public sector and not-for-profit. Highly comparable boutique model, UK base, and not-for-profit/public sector strength overlap with FWB.
- Odgers Berndtson: UK-headquartered international executive search firm offering C-suite and board advisory services across multiple sectors. Most direct comparable given similar boutique-to-mid-tier scale, UK roots, multi-sector coverage, and board-level search focus.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large executive search practice covering RPO, board, and C-suite mandates. Major incumbent competitor offering overlapping services (search, due diligence, benchmarking, assessment) at scale.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with multi-sector coverage, including dedicated practice areas for Financial Services, Private Equity, and Technology. Established incumbent whose competitive threat to FWB intensifies on larger, cross-border mandates.
- Heidrick & Struggles (Aberdeen/Energy) [see Heidrick]: [Duplicate removed in favor of single Heidrick entry; energy-sector specialists within global firms such as Odgers, Heidrick, and Storm4x represent relevant competitors for FWB's Aberdeen-based energy and energy transition mandates.]
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong C-suite and board practice across sectors. Larger incumbent competitor that overlaps in CEO, board, and cross-border senior leadership mandates but operates at materially greater scale.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm serving board, CEO, and senior leadership appointments across all major industry sectors. Major incumbent competitor with overlapping sector coverage and integrated advisory services similar to FWB.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FWB Park Brown social profiles
Digital presenceFWB Park Brown financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FWB Park Brown leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
FWB Park Brown funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FWB Park Brown 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 FWB Park Brown
What does FWB Park Brown do?
FWB Park Brown is a boutique executive search and board advisory firm that identifies, assesses, and places senior leaders and board-level executives for enterprise and public sector clients. Its core offering centres on retained executive search mandates across multiple sectors, supplemented by management due diligence, market mapping, remuneration benchmarking, psychometric testing, and executive development programmes delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh Business School.
Is FWB Park Brown a public or private company?
FWB Park Brown is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was FWB Park Brown founded?
FWB Park Brown was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FWB Park Brown based?
FWB Park Brown is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does FWB Park Brown make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Executive Search Services are the primary driver. The others are board Advisory Services, management Due Diligence, remuneration Benchmarking and executive Education Programmes.
Who are FWB Park Brown's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Up Group, CEDAR Search, Norman Broadbent, Saxton Bampfylde and Odgers Berndtson. Broad incumbents are Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles, Heidrick & Struggles (Aberdeen/Energy) [see Heidrick], Egon Zehnder and Spencer Stuart.
Does FWB Park Brown have an API?
No public API is recorded for FWB Park Brown.
What industry is FWB Park Brown in?
FWB Park Brown's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAI, Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search. Its NAICS code is 561312.