Executive Search – Q1 2026
The first months of the year have been packed with conversations with Chairs, CEOs and Senior Leaders across Scotland. A clear theme is emerging that growth requires sharper focus, braver decisions and the right people around the table.
These businesses are re-evaluating what “good” looks like and how leadership needs to evolve to deliver multiples, through incremental gains.
This edition showcases some of the exceptional talent I have been working with, the trends shaping high growth companies and the stories that highlight how Scotland’s leadership capability can be greater than ever, if focused.
- Spotlight: Exceptional Finance Leaders Driving Growth in Scotland
Two outstanding senior finance leaders are currently exploring their next chapter within commercially focused, scaling organisations.
CFO – Growth, M&A and International Expansion
A commercially minded CFO with a proven record of leading multiple successful exits, delivering cross border transactions (particularly with US buyers), building scalable finance functions from the ground up, turning complex data into strategic insight and driving improvements in efficiency, profitability and reporting.
FD – Financial Services, Governance and Transformation
With 20 years in FS and investments, this leader operates at Executive Committee level, oversees a multibillion pound investment portfolio, has stepped effectively into executive roles, brings deep expertise in modelling, risk, ESG and transformation and holds influential board positions.
- The Value of FP&A and the Leaders Who Understand “The Why”
A conversation with a CFO captured a challenge many businesses face: many senior finance teams still read the news rather than interpret it. Increasingly, CEOs and CFOs want leaders who do not just present numbers, but can explain what they mean and what should happen next.
This rise in demand has made FP&A talent one of the most strategically important parts of modern finance functions. These are the individuals comfortable operating in the grey; they know how to identify the first fixes, understand the long-term levers and articulate the why behind performance. People who can not only understand the numbers but translate them into strategy, insight and direction.
- Conversations That Matter: Why Face to Face Still Wins
A meeting with a Chair in Edinburgh reminded me of the power of in person conversations. From a distance or from a Teams call, everything in their business seemed in order. Then the radiator gurgled in the boardroom.
It was a tiny moment, but it sparked a meaningful discussion about structure, focus and whether leadership roles were aligned with the company’s ambitions. These subtle prompts, observations and side comments are what get missed through screens, and yet, they often lead to the most important strategic conversations.
- Boards, Non Executives and Trustees: Ensuring Real Value
Early in Q4, several conversations with clients centered on one question: how do you ensure a Non-Executive or Trustee adds value when your Board meets only four times a year? And equally, how do you ensure your Board adds value back to them?
One of my clients is preparing to appoint several Trustees in 2026, reshaping their Board with individuals who bring expertise across Finance and Operations, lived experience and a dynamic approach to oversight. The discussion reinforced a simple truth: when Boards are working well, they are a strategic accelerator. When they are not, they slow you down.
Closing Thoughts
Scotland’s leadership landscape is full of talent capable of transforming businesses. If you are navigating growth, succession or structural change, I would be delighted to have a conversation.
Let us build the future of Scotland’s leadership, one exceptional hire at a time.
Executive Search Consultant
Adam Stahler – adam.stahler@iconicresourcing.com