What is the typical base salary for a Managing Director in an SME?

Managing Director base salaries in SMEs with £20M–£250M turnover typically range from £120,000 to £180,000, depending on sector, complexity, and ownership structure.

What kind of bonus structure do SME Managing Directors receive?

Bonuses for Managing Directors usually range between 20% and 50% of base salary, tied to financial KPIs such as EBITDA or revenue growth.

Are equity or other incentives offered to Managing Directors?

Yes. Many SMEs offer Managing Directors equity, LTIPs, or exit-linked incentives, particularly in private equity or growth environments.

How long does it take to hire a Managing Director?

Most Managing Director searches take between 6 to 10 weeks from initial briefing to offer stage, depending on the complexity of the brief.

What type of SME businesses do you place Managing Directors into?

We work with UK-based SMEs turning over £20M–£250M — including owner-led, PE-backed, and mid-market businesses preparing for growth, change, or succession.

Executive Search I

Managing Director Recruitment

Appoint a Managing Director who can take your business to its next stage - whether that’s scale, structure, or exit.

We help SME owners and boards recruit commercially focused, growth-ready MDs who lead with clarity, pace, and measurable impact.

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Do you need to recruit a Managing Director for your SME? Speak to our Managing Director, Oliver Adderley.

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We recruit Managing Directors for SMEs with turnovers between £20M and £250M — businesses that need a proven leader to drive growth, build structure, and deliver commercial results.

Appoint a Managing Director Who Can Lead Your Next Chapter

Whether you're stepping back from day-to-day operations, preparing for investment, or restructuring for growth, we find MDs who bring clarity, control, and momentum. Our approach is fast, precise, and cost-effective.

In the past two years, we’ve successfully filled 100% of our retained senior leadership roles — placing Managing Directors who’ve gone on to reshape strategy, double revenues, and lead businesses through acquisition or exit.

From owner-led succession to private equity-backed scale-ups, we deliver MDs who don’t just fit the brief — they transform it.

How It Works: Our Search Process

Recruit director level talent in 12 weeks or less.

We begin every project with a formal strategy discussion to fully understand your business, structure, growth plans, and the leadership challenges you face. We confirm the scope of the role, commercial objectives, timescales, and fee terms before initiating any search activity.
Once terms are agreed, we prepare a detailed Assignment Brief outlining the role, responsibilities, business context, cultural environment, and ideal candidate profile. This document is approved by you and used to brief candidates consistently and professionally throughout the process.
We carry out a focused headhunting campaign across relevant sectors and leadership networks. This includes direct outreach, discreet advertising, referrals, and competitor mapping — tailored to attract commercially aligned directors with the capability to lead in fast-paced SME environments.
All shortlisted candidates are interviewed by our senior consultants and complete our in-depth Self-Awareness Questionnaire (SAQ). This provides deep insight into each candidate’s leadership style, career history, and operational decision-making — going well beyond a standard CV.
We present a carefully curated shortlist including candidate CVs, detailed consultant commentary, and SAQ insights. You’ll receive clear, structured feedback and comparative recommendations to support your selection process.
Once you’ve progressed to second-stage interviews, we conduct thorough, confidential verbal referencing. This includes targeted conversations with past colleagues to verify performance, leadership impact, and cultural fit — giving you complete confidence in your final decision.
We support you through salary discussions, offer negotiation, and onboarding. Because our fees are fixed and not linked to salary level, we maintain complete objectivity — focusing solely on securing the right long-term appointment for your business.

What sets us apart?

Specialist, Senior-Led Delivery

Every assignment is led by an experienced consultant - never passed to junior staff. We bring commercial acumen, market insight, and real leadership experience to every project, ensuring your search is handled with the focus and expertise it deserves.

Deeper Candidate Insight: The SAQ

Our proprietary Self-Awareness Questionnaire (SAQ) gives you unrivalled insight into each candidate’s leadership style, motivations, and behaviours. It goes far beyond a CV, helping you make better-informed decisions.

Unrivalled Candidate Reporting

Every candidate is presented with detailed consultant commentary, behavioural insight, and performance history, not just a CV. Our reports give you clarity, comparison, and the confidence to assess fit across strategic, cultural, and operational dimensions.

Fee Structures Built for SMEs

We offer transparent, fixed fees designed around the realities of SME budgets, without the inflated pricing models of traditional firms. You receive board-level quality with flexible terms and no hidden extras.

Access to Exceptional Talent

With over 30 years of experience, we have built deep networks across leadership functions. We find proven directors and rising leaders who are ready to create impact in fast-moving, scaling businesses.

Agile, Focused, Results-Driven

We’re an agile business, able to move quickly, adapt to your timelines, and stay aligned with your goals. We typically deliver fully assessed shortlists within 4–6 weeks, without compromising quality or process.

“SMEs don’t need FTSE-level search fees or to be delegated to a junior consultant. They need a bespoke service that understands their business, the stage of growth, their budget, and their urgency. That’s exactly what we offer.”

— Oliver Adderley, Managing Director

SME Managing Director Recruitment Questions Answered

A Managing Director (MD) leads the overall strategy, performance, and direction of an SME. They oversee senior teams, ensure alignment across functions, and drive the business toward its growth or exit goals.
Typically, when the founder or owner is stepping back from day-to-day operations, preparing for investment, scaling aggressively, or planning an exit. It’s the right move when strategic leadership is needed to unlock the next stage of growth.
They should have a proven track record of commercial leadership, operational oversight, people management, and experience scaling businesses — ideally within SMEs or similar entrepreneurial environments.
Yes. We work with founder-led businesses, family-owned firms, and private equity or venture-backed SMEs to recruit commercially focused MDs who align with each ownership structure’s goals.
Our retained search process usually delivers a shortlist within 3–4 weeks, with typical placements completed in 6–8 weeks, depending on the role complexity and notice periods.
We use a fixed-fee, three-stage retained model tailored for SMEs. It’s fast, transparent, and designed to ensure strategic fit — without the inflated percentage fees of traditional search firms.
For SMEs with turnovers between £20M and £250M, Managing Director base salaries typically range from £120,000 to £180,000, depending on complexity, sector, and growth stage. In some cases—such as private equity-backed or multi-site operations—salaries may exceed this range.
Managing Directors in growth-focused SMEs often receive an annual bonus between 20% and 50% of base salary. Bonus schemes are usually tied to financial performance metrics such as EBITDA, revenue growth, or strategic milestones.
Yes. Many SMEs, especially those preparing for exit or backed by private equity, offer equity stakes, share options, or long-term incentive plans (LTIPs) to Managing Directors. These can represent a significant part of total compensation, especially in value-growth scenarios.