Leadership Advisory.
A specialist executive search and leadership advisory firm operating exclusively in FCA and PRA-regulated financial services.
Nick Smith.
Nick Smith founded Robert Cavendish to build the kind of advisory relationship he had never found as a client. With a background in financial services and executive search, he works exclusively in the regulated sector, placing fractional, interim and permanent C-suite leaders across challenger banks, specialist lenders, EMIs, and PE-backed financial services businesses.
Nick oversees every search personally, from the first conversation through to the completed appointment. He is supported by a team of highly trained researchers and talent acquisition specialists, each fluent in the regulatory demands of financial services, so every stage of the process carries the same rigour and discretion. Every candidate is known. Every client is understood.
A deliberate posture.
We work in one sector
We do not cover technology, professional services, or consumer. We work in FCA and PRA-regulated financial services, and nothing else.
We are not a recruitment firm
Robert Cavendish is a leadership advisory. We help organisations think through their leadership needs, not just fill the brief they arrive with.
Fewer clients, more deeply
A deliberate choice. Fewer active mandates means more attention per search, better candidate care, and better outcomes.
Regulated financial services.
Challenger Banks and Deposit-Takers
From early authorisation through to established scale. CFO, CRO, CEO, and COO searches in regulated deposit-taking environments.
Specialist and Consumer Lenders
PE-backed, consumer credit, and specialist lending businesses navigating FCA Consumer Duty, responsible lending obligations, and growth mandates.
E-Money Institutions and Fintechs
Fast-growing firms preparing for or operating under FCA or PRA authorisation. Leadership with regulatory credibility and scale-up experience.
Three statements.
Candour before comfort
We tell clients and candidates what we think, not what they want to hear. That includes telling a client when the brief is wrong, or a candidate when the timing is not right.
Depth over breadth
We operate in a defined sector with a defined methodology. We do not expand our scope for commercial convenience. Specialism is the product.
Relationships over transactions
We measure success over years, not mandates. The relationships we build with clients and candidates outlast any single placement.
Work With Us.
Whether you are looking for a leader or you are one, the first conversation starts the same way.