Portfolio NED Recruitment

• Non‑Executive Directors bring independent oversight, fresh perspectives, and strategic insight—without the burdens of day‑to‑day management. Unlike executive directors, NEDs focus on governance, finance, risk, and board performance—adding immense value to companies ready for their next phase of growth

  Specifically, portfolio NEDs often:

  • Offer strategic guidance gained across multiple boards, verticals, and phases of scale.

  • Provide network access and credibility that can unlock funding and partnerships.

  • Serve as mentors and sounding boards for executive teams and founders.

  In a world demanding stronger governance, agility, ESG awareness, and board inclusion, the boardroom benefits immeasurably from well‑matched independent directors.

For executives considering whether a portfolio approach is right for them, our resource on NED career pathways explains the typical routes into multi-board careers.

1. Deep Sector & Governance Expertise

Ned Capital builds on FD Capital’s heritage in board-level placements—now fully focused on recruiting non-executives and chairs, with expertise in finance, regulation, sustainability, and digital transformation

2. Tailored, High‑Quality Matching

We don’t just fill a vacancy—we work closely with you to identify the right strategic, cultural, and personal fit. Through a consultative vetting process, we align candidates with your board’s dynamic and future ambitions

3. Extensive Nationwide Network

With offices and access points across London, the Midlands, and the Southeast, we serve companies from startups to private equity portfolios on a national scale. Our network includes seasoned executives, chairpeople, and finance professionals ready for NED roles

4. Portfolio Career Support for Candidates

Ned Capital also supports executives seeking plural careers—a concept increasingly recognised as a development and retention tool. We guide individuals building a portfolio NED offering, helping them match the right opportunities and build sustainable board careers

• Our approach is structured yet flexible, ensuring efficiency and quality at each stage:

  Role Definition & Mapping

  We begin by understanding your company’s governance needs, board composition, ambition, and culture. This helps define role criteria—sector experience, board skills, ESG knowledge, and stakeholder engagement.

  Sourcing & Short‑listing

  Through our curated network and search channels, we identify high‑calibre candidates who actively manage portfolio roles. We prioritise diversity, fresh sector insight, and track records in strategic governance.

  Selection & Assessment

  Candidates undergo rigorous vetting and interviews, ensuring motivations, availability, and alignment with your long‑term goals. We align expectations regarding time commitments and contributions

  Appointment & Onboarding

  Supporting you through negotiation and board induction, we help ensure the incoming director can deliver impact quickly and effectively.

About Our Founder

Ned Capital was founded by Adrian Lawrence FCA, a Chartered Accountant with over two decades of experience in finance leadership and executive search. Adrian holds a BSc from Queen Mary College, University of London and is a Fellow of the ICAEW. Before founding Ned Capital he worked across private, listed, owner-managed and PE-backed organisations, giving him direct experience of the finance challenges and hiring decisions that CFOs are appointed to solve. He personally leads our most senior CFO searches and conducts candidate interviews himself — which is why our assessment process goes substantially deeper than a standard recruiter screen. He holds a practising certificate and this website is associated with his own ICAEW registered Practice. Every brief Adrian takes is informed by having sat on both sides of the table.

Published Research & Thought Leadership Adrian Lawrence FCA, founder of Ned Capital, actively contributes to advancing the understanding of fractional and interim finance leadership in the UK. His recent peer-reviewed publications on ResearchGate explore the strategic impact of these flexible executive models on business growth, transformation, and scalability — particularly for SMEs, scale-ups, and PE/VC-backed companies.

• The Evolution of Fractional CFO Leadership in Modern UK Businesses (March 2026) — Examining how fractional CFOs are reshaping financial strategy in dynamic markets.
• The Strategic Role of Fractional and Interim Executives in Supporting Organisational Growth and Transformation (March 2026, co-authored) — Insights into how these roles drive efficiency, fundraising success, and long-term value creation.

These works build on Adrian’s 20+ years of hands-on experience in executive finance recruitment and reflect Ned Capital’s commitment to evidence-based, high-impact solutions. Our placements draw directly from these principles to deliver shortlists in 3–7 days that align with real-world strategic needs.

Ned Capital operates in accordance with recognised executive search standards and professional recruitment best practices. We support the principles outlined in the UK government’s executive search code of conduct.

• Strengthened Governance & Strategy

  A portfolio NED helps navigate risk, challenge assumptions in growth plans, and align governance with strategy.

  Increased Credibility

  Appointing experienced non‑execs demonstrates quality governance, often attracting investor confidence and helping during capital raises

  Access to Expert Networks

  Portfolio NEDs bring relationships and insights from other boards, sectors, and markets.

  Developing Internal Talent

  Well‑matched NEDs can mentor CEOs or finance leaders, transferring valuable boardroom skills to your team.

• Early‑stage or scaling SMEs seeking external guidance.

• Businesses preparing for investment, M&A, or IPO, needing stewardship and strategic credibility.

• Private equity portfolios requiring disciplined oversight at board level.

• Server-owned limited companies or non‑profit boards needing volunteers with governance expertise.

• Ambitious executives seeking portfolio NED roles where Ned Capital can support career expansion.

• • Private equity‑backed tech scale‑up: Added a finance‑savvy NED recruited within 6 weeks, boosting investor confidence and guiding a successful £10M raise.

  • SME in transition: Appointed a chair with turnaround and board experience who helped restructure and reposition the business strategically.

  • Multiple portfolio NED appointments: Winning board-level talent advising across three Midlands-based businesses, aligned with Ned Capital’s geographic reach.

Adrian Lawrence FCA has placed portfolio non-executive directors — individuals who hold three or more board appointments simultaneously — across UK businesses of varying sizes and sectors. Portfolio NEDs bring a particular kind of governance value: pattern recognition developed across multiple boards, the ability to compare management performance against peers and the credibility that comes from genuine breadth of experience. The challenge for organisations seeking a portfolio NED is ensuring that the candidate’s existing commitments leave sufficient capacity for meaningful engagement — and that their existing portfolio does not create conflicts of interest. NED Capital’s assessment of portfolio NED candidates includes explicit capacity and conflict review as a standard element of the process.

• If you’re an experienced executive exploring portfolio or plural career directions, Ned Capital offers:

  • Guidance on how to position yourself for NED roles.

  • Support completing governance training (e.g. via IoD, ICAEW, IoD Director programs).

  • Coaching on representing board-ready maturity and commitment requirements