Miles Advisory

Executive Search & Leadership Consulting in London

Miles Advisory is a challenger brand in the global executive search market. Headquartered in London, we were founded on the belief that leadership acquisition requires a more rigorous, data-led, and inclusive process than the traditional, closed-network approach can deliver.

We are an agile, partner-led firm that sits at the intersection of the public and private sectors. Our London team is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between Whitehall and the City, advising government bodies on commercial leadership and helping private enterprises navigate complex regulatory landscapes.

Miles Advisory is the exclusive UK member of IIC Partners. This allows us to combine the speed and collaboration of a London boutique with the reach of 450 consultants in 40 major economic hubs. As a result, our clients have access to world-class talent and advanced market intelligence, whether for an FTSE 250 board or a critical public sector transformation.

Our Services

• Executive Search: We deliver outcome-focused search mandates for Chair, Board, and C-suite roles. We are proud to be one of the few search firms to hold the National Equality Standard (NES) accreditation, ensuring that every shortlist we present is rigorously tested for diversity and inclusion.
• Interim Management: We deploy high-impact interim leaders to organizations facing crises, transformations, or rapid growth. Our interim practice specializes in placing turnaround CFOs and Transformation Directors who can deliver immediate value in complex stakeholder environments.
• Leadership Advisory & Assessment: We reduce the risk of hiring failure through our proprietary M-ASSESS model and Hogan psychometrics. We support Nomination Committees with Board Effectiveness Reviews and succession planning, providing data-driven insights into executive readiness and the risk of leadership derailment.
• Talent Intelligence: We help organizations look ahead of the curve with bespoke talent mapping and pipelining. Our research team provides deep competitor analysis and salary benchmarking, enabling clients to make evidence-based decisions on talent strategy.

Industry Expertise

Our partners lead specialized practices that reflect the key pillars of the UK economy. Our core areas of expertise include:

• Government & Public Sector: We are a market leader in recruiting for Central Government, Arm’s-Length Bodies, and Regulators. We have successfully placed leaders with major national organizations, including the Crown Commercial Service, the Department for Transport, and the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).
• Transportation & Infrastructure: We partner with the organizations building Britain’s future. Our track record includes placing executive leadership for National Highways and High Speed 2 (HS2), identifying leaders capable of managing multi-billion-pound capital programmes under intense public scrutiny.
• Financial Services: We serve the banking, building society, and insurance sectors, with a specific focus on mutuals and "purpose-led" finance. We have partnered with clients like Skipton Building Society and Principality Building Society to align leadership culture with organizational values.
• Technology: We recruit CIOs, CDOs, and digital leaders to drive transformation across the public and private sectors. We specialize in finding "hybrid" leaders who can translate technical complexity into commercial strategy.
• Industrial & Energy: We work with global energy companies and industrial firms to find operational leaders who can drive sustainability and efficiency. Our experience ranges from placing CEOs in global energy firms to sourcing operational leaders for PE-backed manufacturing businesses.

Our Approach

We support clients in finding and acquiring the right leaders for our changing world.

• Diversity as a Performance Driver: Our track record shows we consistently outperform market norms in creating diverse shortlists and placing diverse candidates into roles.
• Holistic Advisory: We offer Executive Search along with a range of complementary solutions to create more diverse, attuned, and progressive organisations. This includes communications, capability, and culture services to ensure that new leaders are onboarded effectively and create highly engaged organisations from day one.
• Rigorous Assessment: We utilize our proprietary assessment models to provide data-driven insights and an objective evidence base for hiring decisions, significantly reducing the risk of leadership failure.

Market Insights in London and the UK

Market Insights in London and the UK

A push for public-sector digitalization and greater diversity defines the UK business landscape in 2026.

1. Public Sector Transformation: The UK public sector is moving from digital experimentation to wholesale transformation. We are seeing a surge in mandates for leaders who can bridge the gap between policy and technology, specifically to embed AI into NHS workflows and central government services to drive efficiency.
2. The Infrastructure Skills Crunch: As the UK accelerates delivery on major projects (energy transition and transport), the competition for leadership talent has intensified. With the industry needing 40,000 additional workers by 2030, there is a critical shortage of "Major Projects" Directors (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board). We are witnessing a trend of cross-sector hiring, where infrastructure clients are attracting Program Directors from the Oil & Gas and Defence sectors to manage complex, multi-year capital deliveries.
3. The Human Edge in AI Leadership: As AI embeds itself across UK financial services, the critical tension point is no longer just technology, but instead vision and leadership. In 2026, we are seeing a shift away from pure technologists toward Behavioural Leaders—executives who can manage the human implications of algorithmic decision-making. For mutuals and building societies, this means recruiting leaders who can ensure that AI efficiencies do not compromise their members' lived experience and trust.