Adrian Lawrence FCA

Adrian Lawrence FCA — Founder of Accountancy Capital, FD Capital, Exec Capital and Ned Capital

Adrian Lawrence FCA is a chartered accountant, former listed-company Finance Director and the founder and Managing Director of FD Capital Group, a group of five specialist recruitment firms: FD Capital, Exec Capital, NED Capital, Accountancy Capital and SMF Capital. His career spans more than twenty-five years at C-suite level, covering strategic financial leadership, corporate governance, executive recruitment and board advisory work.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and holds an ICAEW practising certificate — you can verify his membership on the ICAEW directory. He holds a BSc from Queen Mary College, University of London. Throughout his career, Adrian has combined technical depth with commercial judgement to support businesses at every stage, from early-stage SMEs to private equity-backed organisations and listed companies.

Early Career and Professional Standing

Adrian’s career in finance began with training as a chartered accountant, which gave him a grounding in financial reporting, compliance, risk management and corporate finance. He became a Finance Director at 28 and went on to serve as Finance Director of a listed company. Over the years he has held senior finance roles across a range of sectors, including technology, transport, business services and fintech. His experience covers M&A, financial modelling, funding strategy, cash-flow management, exits and disposals — all of which inform how he advises clients today.

His approach is pragmatic and commercial. He has worked as a finance director and as an adviser to founders, boards and investors, and his focus has always been on turning financial information into decisions a business can act on. That hands-on background matters in recruitment: it means the group assesses finance candidates with the perspective of someone who has hired, managed and relied on finance teams.

His professional standing rests on his ICAEW fellowship and practising certificate, which carry continuing professional development and ethical obligations. Those standards shape how the group works with clients and candidates: confidentiality as standard, conflicts declared, and fees and terms agreed in writing before a search starts.

Accountancy Capital: Transforming Finance Leadership

As founder of Accountancy Capital, Adrian set the business up as a specialist member of the group. It recruits qualified finance professionals below director level — Financial Controllers, Finance Managers, Heads of Finance, management and financial accountants, FP&A specialists, finance business partners, tax professionals and finance staff in FCA-regulated firms — on a permanent, interim, fixed-term or fractional basis. Where a role sits at Finance Director or CFO level, the search usually runs with sister firm FD Capital.

Accountancy Capital’s value to clients lies in going beyond CV-matching. The firm works as an adviser as well as a recruiter, helping businesses assess what the role really needs, understand gaps in the team, and strengthen financial performance through the right appointment. Drawing on the group’s shared network of finance professionals, it tailors each search to the business rather than to a template, and it will say so when a salary or day rate is out of line with the market.

What sets Accountancy Capital apart is its practical, hands-on approach — a reflection of Adrian’s own philosophy and of building relationships across the business. Rather than simply making placements, the team focuses on the fit between client and candidate, so that the appointment still works for both sides a year later.

How the Recruitment Team Works

Adrian cannot run every search himself, and he does not claim to. He takes initial client calls, prepares proposals and briefs the team, while the group’s consultants run searches, assess candidates and manage each process through to start, with Adrian’s oversight. You can meet the people you will work with on our team page.

• Briefing — a proper conversation about the role, the team, the systems, the reporting cycle and why the position exists.
• Search — direct approaches as well as the group’s shared network of finance professionals, senior executives and board directors.
• Assessment — candidates screened for technical depth, qualifications checked and salary or rate expectations confirmed before a CV reaches the client.
• Shortlist — typically within one to two weeks for permanent roles, and within days for interim and fractional roles.
• Start and beyond — a consultant stays in touch through notice periods and the first months in role.

The team works from two offices: London, at 167–169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF, and the West Midlands, at Watling Court, Orbital Plaza, Watling Street, Cannock WS11 0EL. If you are preparing to hire, our guide to briefing a senior finance search is a good place to start.

FD Capital: Pioneering Flexible Finance Leadership

Before Accountancy Capital, Adrian founded FD Capital, which he has run since 2018. The idea behind FD Capital was simple: bring experienced Finance Directors and CFOs — typically associated with larger companies — within reach of SMEs, on interim and part-time bases, as well as through permanent search.

The model addressed a long-standing gap. Many smaller businesses need strategic financial leadership but cannot justify a full-time, permanent executive. FD Capital offered fractional and interim finance leaders who could add value in a flexible, cost-efficient way.

Under Adrian’s guidance, FD Capital built its work around the balance between strategic ambition and financial control — helping growing businesses make better decisions, improve profitability and handle critical financial milestones. Over time FD Capital broadened its services, and the group added specialist firms for executive, board-level and regulated appointments.

Adrian has contributed evidence to the Low Pay Commission, the independent body that advises the Government on the National Minimum Wage, and is listed among those acknowledged in the Low Pay Commission’s 2019 Report to Government (CP 206, Appendix 1) — the report that recommended the National Living Wage rates introduced in April 2020.

Exec Capital: Executive Search and Leadership Excellence

Recognising demand for senior executive talent beyond finance, Adrian also founded Exec Capital. It focuses on identifying, attracting and placing C-suite and board-level executives across finance, operations, technology and commercial growth roles, including in regulated firms.

Exec Capital reflects Adrian’s view that strong leadership underpins every successful organisation, whatever its size or sector. Drawing on the group’s network and on an understanding of how leadership teams actually work, it helps companies find leaders who can steer a business through complexity, change and growth.

In a competitive executive market, Exec Capital relies on a rigorous, insight-led process, underpinned by sector knowledge and a personal approach from its consultants. The aim is a placement that meets the immediate need and also supports the business’s longer-term objectives.

Ned Capital: Board-Level Governance and NED Recruitment

Adrian went on to establish NED Capital, reflecting his emphasis on corporate governance, board effectiveness and strategic oversight. NED Capital specialises in recruiting non-executive directors, chairs and board advisers for organisations across the UK.

NED Capital’s work goes beyond filling board seats. Its services include NED searches, board succession planning and advisory appointments, tailored to the needs of individual boards, and its team draws on the group’s pooled network of senior executives, many of whom also serve as non-executives.

NED Capital also publishes guides and articles on governance topics such as risk oversight and board composition, and on getting the balance between governance and strategy right.

SMF Capital: Regulated Senior Manager Appointments

The fifth firm, SMF Capital, draws most directly on Adrian’s expertise in FCA regulation and the Senior Managers and Certification Regime. It recruits senior manager function holders for FCA-regulated firms, including compliance oversight (SMF16), money laundering reporting officers (SMF17) and other approved roles, on permanent, interim and fractional terms. For finance teams in regulated firms, our guide to SMCR for finance teams explains how the regime affects finance roles.

Adrian’s Leadership Philosophy and Professional Ethos

Across all of the group’s firms, Adrian’s approach rests on a belief that financial leadership should be strategic, not just operational. He argues that finance leaders should help shape business direction, giving decision-makers clear insight and foresight rather than simply reporting on past performance.

He brings a commercial mindset and a collaborative style, and encourages finance professionals to act as business partners — working closely with CEOs, founders and boards to align financial reporting and strategy with the organisation’s wider goals. That view shapes both the businesses he leads and the way the team assesses the professionals it places.

His experience also spans private equity, venture capital, restructuring and growth strategy, giving him a rounded view of the challenges finance leaders face — and of what PE investors expect from a Finance Director.

Industry Influence, Recognition and Thought Leadership

With more than twenty-five years at C-suite level, Adrian has built a presence in both the finance and recruitment communities. He maintains an active professional network and contributes to discussion of finance leadership, market trends and governance, including through the evidence he gave to the Low Pay Commission and his published research on fractional leadership.

His views appear in the group’s guides and articles across the five firms’ websites, covering finance hiring, pay, fractional working and board effectiveness. They are written for finance professionals, entrepreneurs, investors and business owners who want practical answers rather than generic commentary.

Supporting Businesses, Founders and Growth

What distinguishes Adrian’s approach is its focus on value creation and business performance. Rather than acting purely as a service provider, he sees the group as a partner in a business’s growth — helping clients build sound financial infrastructure, scalable leadership teams and governance that supports long-term sustainability.

From SMEs and start-ups to larger organisations going through change, the principle is the same: match financial expertise to strategic ambition. Whether that means a fractional Financial Controller, a fractional CFO through FD Capital, or a board adviser through NED Capital, the aim is to help leadership teams make confident, well-informed decisions.

Adrian in Summary

Adrian Lawrence FCA is a chartered accountant, former listed-company Finance Director, adviser and founder who has spent his career improving how businesses — from SMEs to PE-backed firms — approach financial leadership and governance.

Through Accountancy Capital, FD Capital, Exec Capital, NED Capital and SMF Capital, he has built a group of five specialist firms that together cover the full range of finance, executive, board-level and regulated appointments. Each brand’s network is pooled across the group, so a client that hires a Financial Controller through Accountancy Capital can later recruit a Finance Director, a non-executive or a compliance officer through people who already understand the business.

Guides Written by Adrian This Year

Practical guides on hiring, qualifications, growth-stage finance and senior leadership, written in-house from direct experience. A selection is below; the full library is in the Knowledge Centre and our latest articles.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adrian Lawrence

Who is Adrian Lawrence FCA?

Adrian Lawrence is the founder and Managing Director of FD Capital Group, which comprises FD Capital, Exec Capital, NED Capital, Accountancy Capital and SMF Capital. He is a Fellow of the ICAEW with a practising certificate and a former listed-company Finance Director.

Does Adrian run every search himself?

No. Adrian takes initial client calls, prepares proposals and briefs the team. The group’s consultants run searches, assess candidates and manage the process through to start, with Adrian’s oversight.

Which firm should I contact for my hire?

Accountancy Capital for qualified finance roles below director level; FD Capital for Finance Directors and CFOs; Exec Capital for other C-suite roles; NED Capital for non-executives and chairs; and SMF Capital for senior manager functions in FCA-regulated firms. If you are unsure, call us and we will make the introduction.

Where is the team based?

In London at 167–169 Great Portland Street and in the West Midlands at Watling Court, Orbital Plaza, Cannock. The team recruits for employers across the UK.