About Us

EquityChair was established to fill a gap in the NXD/Chair recruitment space. Initially designed with largely PE and VC clients in mind, EquityChair set out to combine the benefits of an in-house Talent Network (speedy access to experienced Directors who can work alongside investors to assist the deal process) with experienced search credentials to identify and attract the best candidates for growing businesses.

Someone who can work with the management team and the investors to deliver the value creation plan and ultimately, a successful exit. Since 2010 we have evolved the business to be the trusted partner to 3 major client groups:

Private Equity/Venture Capital

• Working with PE/VC investors to identify potential Chairs (and occasionally NXDs) to work alongside them ahead of an investment.
• Working with the management and the investors post investment to recruit a new Chair or NXD for the business.

We work across all stages of the investment cycle, are sector agnostic and recruit across the length and breadth of the UK.

Growth SMES

Our experience of recruiting Chairs and NXDs into entrepreneurial businesses means we are often asked by founders to help them build what may be their first board. The business may have grown significantly since inception and it now needs to bring in someone who has been on this journey themselves and can lend their experience of managing a successful business through scale-up. He/she can work with the management team to identify and prioritise the key hires needed to enable the business to deliver on its growth plans.

Over the years, we have built an enviable network of talented and experienced Chairs and NXDs who are skilled at working with founders and entrepreneurs and know how to get the best out of them for the business. Many of them have been successful entrepreneurs in their own right and have the scars to prove it. All of them can and want to work with management to get the business either investor ready or exit ready.

Social Investment

Through a long standing and ongoing strategic partnership with Big Society Capital, EquityChair has been working within the social investment space since 2015. What began as a relationship to help build the boards of social investment organisations that had received funding from Big Society Capital, has evolved into broader involvement across many areas of social and impact investment.

As well as working with social investment funds seeking to bring additional skills to their boards, we also work with their portfolio organisations. These businesses are often looking for the commercial input and experience of a Chair or NXD who is used to working with early stage, growing, entrepreneurial businesses.

Our experience of working with PE or VC backed businesses as well as founder-run entrepreneurial businesses has enabled us to introduce some fantastic individual to the boards of impact businesses.