Most asset management professionals can name two or three executive search firms. The problem is that, in a market as fragmented as this one, two or three names will cover only a fraction of the live mandates at any given time.
The reason is Off Limits. When we work for a client, we guarantee that we will not approach any of their employees for any other role. That restriction means every search firm can represent only a small number of clients, and by extension only a small slice of the market. As we explain in our Executive Search guide for job seekers, the practical implication is that to cover the top 60 or 70 asset management houses, you will need to speak to 15 or more separate firms. Which means you first need to find them.
Here, in order of usefulness, are the best ways to do that.
The most efficient method I have found is LinkedIn itself. Look up a headhunter you already know in the asset management sector. On the right-hand side of their profile, you will see a panel labelled ‘People Also Viewed’. This will typically show a cluster of other recruiters working in the same space. Click through to any of them, repeat the process, and within twenty minutes you will have a list of 20 or 30 names across a dozen firms. It is the closest thing to a live map of the market, and it costs nothing.
A targeted search will surface firms that do not appear on LinkedIn. The most productive search strings are:
“Asset Management” “Executive Search” site:.co.uk “Investment Management” headhunters site:.co.uk
Be selective with what comes back: many agency recruiters present themselves as Executive Search firms, particularly in their website copy. If you are unsure which category a firm falls into, the Executive Search guide for job seekers sets out the distinguishing markers clearly. If you include the word ‘Recruitment’ in your search, you will get mainly agency headhunters rather than retained Search firms — useful if you want to cover that channel too.
This is a UK directory of recruitment firms, with filters for sector coverage and firm type: Retained Search, Agency, or Selection. The online version is incomplete and requires a subscription for full access, and the highlighted listings are paid placements rather than quality endorsements. Useful as a cross-reference, but not as a primary source. The City Business Library in the Guildhall keeps a physical copy of the directory, which you can access without charge.
The Association of Executive Search Consultants lists its member firms by region on its website. You need to register with its candidate platform, Bluesteps, for full directory access, but it is a reliable filter for confirmed Search firms: AESC membership implies a minimum standard of practice that agency recruiters cannot join under.
Because agencies advertise roles directly, job boards are a useful way to identify who is active in your area of the market. Search for relevant or adjacent roles on eFinancialCareers, LinkedIn Jobs, and the FT, and note the recruiter managing each advert. Even if a specific role is not a fit, it confirms the firm works in your sector.
Taken together, these five approaches should yield a working list of 20 or more firms within a few hours. We also maintain our own list of UK-based Executive Search firms specialising in Asset Management, which we are happy to share on request.
If you would like a copy, or would like to discuss your own position in confidence, please contact us at hello@godliman.com.
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