Accountancy Capital helps businesses appoint Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) with strong finance credentials: qualified accountants who can chair an audit committee, challenge the numbers, oversee the external audit and give investors confidence in the financial reporting. Most of the appointments we see are at owner-managed, private equity-backed, AIM-listed and FCA-regulated businesses, usually at the point where the board needs independent financial oversight for the first time or where an investor has asked for it.
We do this as one of the five specialist firms of FD Capital Group. Our sister firm NED Capital runs dedicated board searches for chairs, independent NEDs, committee chairs and trustees across every board discipline. Accountancy Capital’s role is the finance end of that market: Finance Director and CFO-background NEDs, audit committee members, and finance-literate board members for businesses that already know our work on Financial Controller recruitment and senior finance hiring. Where a brief needs a wider board search, we bring NED Capital in so you deal with one team.
This page covers what NEDs are paid in 2026, what a finance-qualified NED does, the time commitment involved, how to become a NED, and how our NED recruitment works.
Non-Executive Director Salary in 2026
NED fees vary widely with the size of the business, its ownership and the contribution the NED is expected to make. The ranges below reflect the owner-managed, PE-backed and AIM-listed businesses of roughly £5m to £300m revenue where most NED appointments sit. Fees are annual and usually paid as a fixed fee rather than a day rate.
| Business type and size | Typical NED annual fee | Audit committee chair premium |
|---|---|---|
| Owner-managed, £5m–£20m | £15k–£35k | Rarely a formal committee |
| Owner-managed, £20m–£60m | £28k–£52k | £5k–£12k additional |
| PE-backed, £10m–£50m | £35k–£65k | £8k–£18k additional |
| PE-backed, £50m–£150m | £52k–£85k | £10k–£22k additional |
| AIM-listed, smaller cap | £45k–£80k | £10k–£20k additional |
| AIM-listed, mid cap | £65k–£110k | £15k–£30k additional |
PE-backed fees tend to be the most competitive in the mid-market because investors pay for NED expertise that directly supports their investment case: the audit committee chair who gives the fund confidence in the numbers, the sector specialist who opens doors, or the director who has been through a sale before. Listed company fees are set by the remuneration committee and disclosed in the annual report. For wider board pay data, see our NED remuneration benchmarks.
What drives the fee
- Size and complexity. A multi-entity PE-backed group with monthly boards pays more than a single-entity owner-managed business that meets quarterly.
- Track record. A NED with several previous board roles, including listed or large PE-backed boards, commands more than a first-time NED.
- Specific expertise. A chartered accountant with listed-company reporting experience who can chair the audit committee earns a clear premium over a generalist.
- Time commitment. Twelve board meetings a year, committee work and regular calls with the CEO can cost two to three times as much as a quarterly board with no committees. Under-pricing the time is the most common cause of disengaged NEDs.
What Does a Finance-Qualified NED Do?
A Non-Executive Director is a member of the board but not of the management team. They are not an employee and have no day-to-day executive role. Their value comes from independence: they can challenge proposals that every executive supports, and they bring experience the executive team does not have. Under the Companies Act 2006, NEDs carry the same legal duties as executive directors.
A NED with a finance background typically covers five things:
- Board governance. Attending the board, usually four to six times a year in an owner-managed business and eight to twelve times in a PE-backed or listed one, and making sure decisions are taken with proper information and challenge.
- Financial oversight. Sitting on or chairing the audit committee, which oversees the integrity of the financial statements, the external audit and the internal controls. A qualified accountant in this seat is one of the most sought-after NED profiles.
- Challenge on the numbers. Reviewing the board pack, the budget, cash forecasts and covenant headroom, and asking the questions an investor or lender would ask.
- Support for the finance team. Acting as a sounding board for the Finance Director or Financial Controller in a PE-backed business, particularly where the finance function is still being built.
- Network and introductions. Introductions to advisers, funders and acquirers, which is often most valuable in growth-stage and buy-and-build businesses.
For listed companies, the UK Corporate Governance Code expects at least one audit committee member to have recent and relevant financial experience. Many PE investors now expect the same of their portfolio boards. If you are not sure whether your business needs one yet, our guide on whether you need a financial NED sets out the usual signs.
Brief a finance NED search — 0204 553 8893
Tell us about your board, the gap you need to fill and your timetable. We reply the same working day, and bring in NED Capital where the search needs a wider board network.
NED Time Commitment
| Business type | Board meetings a year | Committee work | Typical days a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner-managed, growing | 4–6 | Minimal | 8–15 |
| PE-backed, active portfolio | 8–12 | Audit, risk | 18–28 |
| AIM-listed | 10–14 | Audit, remuneration | 25–40 |
The time between meetings is the part most often underestimated: reading papers, calls with management, committee preparation and ad hoc advice usually add two to four days a year on top of the formal cycle, and much more during a refinancing, an acquisition or a difficult audit. NEDs should be open with an appointing board about their other commitments before accepting a new role.
How to Become a Non-Executive Director
The strongest predictor of landing a first NED role is a specific skill the board genuinely lacks, rather than general management experience. For finance professionals, that skill is usually audit committee capability: an ICAEW, ACCA or CIMA-qualified Finance Director or CFO with listed or PE-backed reporting experience who can oversee the external audit, the controls and the financial statements with authority.
Practical steps that work:
- Write a short board proposition: the expertise you offer, the type and size of business you suit, and the committees you could sit on or chair.
- Target sectors and situations where your executive experience applies directly, such as PE-backed businesses preparing for a sale, regulated firms or founder-led companies taking on investment.
- Consider a trustee or charity board seat first; it builds governance experience and is valued by commercial boards.
- Register with specialist board recruiters: register with Accountancy Capital for finance-led roles, and with NED Capital, which focuses entirely on NED and governance appointments.
If you are still in an executive role, our guides on what boards look for in a Finance Director and the route to CFO cover the experience that later makes a strong NED.
NED vs Executive Director
An executive director, such as a Finance Director, runs part of the business day to day and is accountable to the board for it. A NED oversees and challenges that management. Independence from management, from major shareholders and from commercial relationships with the business is what gives the NED’s challenge its weight. A NED who agrees with every proposal provides the look of governance without the substance.
If your board needs a permanent executive rather than a non-executive, see our Finance Director recruitment service. For C-suite executive searches, our sister firm Exec Capital handles board-level executive appointments.
How Our NED Recruitment Works
Every brief starts with a conversation about the board as it stands: who sits on it, which committees exist, what the investors expect and which skill is missing. From there we agree a short specification and the terms, including the fee, in writing before any search begins.
For finance-led roles, such as an audit committee chair or a NED to support a first-time Finance Director, our recruitment team approaches candidates from the senior finance network built through our FD and CFO work, shared across FD Capital Group. For broader board searches, such as a chair or a sector specialist, we work with NED Capital, whose consultants run board searches every day.
Owner-managed and PE-backed NED searches typically take eight to twelve weeks from brief to appointment. Listed company searches can take longer because of the nomination committee process and the independence tests in the Code. We check each shortlisted candidate’s other directorships at Companies House and discuss any potential conflicts before introductions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Non-Executive Director cost?
Most mid-market NED fees fall between £15,000 and £110,000 a year, depending on business size, ownership, time commitment and whether the NED chairs a committee. An audit committee chair typically adds £5,000 to £30,000.
When does a business need its first NED?
Common triggers are external investment, preparing for a sale or listing, a lender asking for stronger oversight, rapid growth that has outpaced the finance function, or a founder who wants independent challenge.
Does an audit committee chair need to be a chartered accountant?
Not legally in a private company, but boards and investors usually want recent and relevant financial experience, and in practice that means a qualified accountant who has run or overseen financial reporting.
What is the difference between Accountancy Capital and NED Capital?
Both are part of FD Capital Group. Accountancy Capital focuses on finance-qualified board members and senior finance hiring; NED Capital runs board searches across all disciplines, including chairs and trustees. You can brief either, and we will make sure the right team runs the search.
Can a NED also help with hiring the finance team?
A finance NED often helps the board decide when to hire a first Financial Controller or Finance Director, and sits on the interview panel. We can run those searches alongside the NED appointment.
Adrian Lawrence FCA — Founder, Accountancy Capital
Fellow of the ICAEW | Chartered Accountant holding an ICAEW practising certificate | Part of FD Capital Group
Adrian holds a BSc from Queen Mary College, University of London, and is a former listed-company Finance Director who has reported to boards and audit committees. He founded Accountancy Capital to bring a finance professional’s judgement to finance recruitment, and oversees the recruitment team that runs each search.
Related Pages and Resources
Board and Governance
Guidance for boards and NEDs.
→ Do You Need a Financial NED?
Salaries and Careers
Pay and progression.
Non-Executive Director Recruitment — 0204 553 8893
Finance-qualified NEDs and audit committee chairs for growing, PE-backed and regulated businesses, with NED Capital for wider board searches. Email recruitment@accountancycapital.co.uk.
