Private Equity Recruitment Manchester — Nigel Wright Group

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Private Equity Recruitment in Manchester and the North West

Nigel Wright Group is a private equity recruitment agency based in Manchester. We help investor-backed businesses across the North West appoint the people who deliver a value creation plan. Our consultants provide executive search and specialist recruitment for permanent and interim roles, from chair and CEO to finance, operations and HR. Clients include Castore, Footasylum, Together Money and Kids Planet Day Nurseries.

What Does Private Equity Executive Search Involve?

A private equity executive search firm finds and assesses leaders who can perform under investor ownership. Deal timelines are tight. Every hire links to a growth plan, a reporting cycle and a future exit. Successful candidates bring commercial pace, comfort with board scrutiny and a clear grasp of how value is measured.

Our Manchester team works with investors and management teams on these appointments. We map the market, approach candidates directly and test each one against the investment thesis.

Private Equity Recruitment Across the North West

The North West has a deep base of investor-backed businesses, from consumer brands to industrial technology. We partner with private equity firms and their portfolio companies at each point in the investment cycle:

• Pre-deal: assessing and strengthening the leadership team before completion
• Post-acquisition: appointing a CFO, COO or transformation lead in the months after completion
• Buy-and-build: adding integration, finance and operations capacity as acquisitions land
• Exit preparation: securing senior leaders who give buyers confidence

Local knowledge matters. Our consultants know the Manchester business community, its advisers and its talent market, backed by a wider Northern perspective.

Roles We Recruit for Investor-Backed Businesses

Permanent appointments

• Chief Executive and Managing Director
• CFO and Finance Director
• COO and Operations Director
• HR Director and Chief People Officer
• Commercial, Sales and Marketing Director
• Non-Executive Director and Chair

Interim appointments

• Interim CFO and Finance Director
• Transformation and Change Director
• Integration and Programme Lead for buy-and-build
• HR Director on an interim basis

Permanent and Interim Hiring: Which Model Fits?

Permanent hires shape a board for the full hold period. They suit roles that carry the equity case, such as CEO, CFO or COO, where continuity builds trust with investors and lenders.

Interim professionals step in at short notice to lead change, cover a vacancy or deliver a defined programme. Typical uses include a refinancing, a systems migration or post-deal integration.

Many clients use both together. An interim finance leader can stabilise reporting while we run a permanent CFO search. Once the new hire starts, the interim hands over a well-documented function.

Our Track Record in the Private Equity Sector

We have supported consumer, financial services, childcare and industrial businesses across the region. Clients include:

• Consumer brands and retail: Castore, Footasylum, Bensons for Beds
• Financial and business services: Together Money, Love Energy Savings
• Childcare and education: Kids Planet Day Nurseries
• Industrial technology and supply chain: Minicam Group, ITD Global

Each assignment starts with the investment plan. From there, we find the person best placed to deliver it, knowing a senior hire shows up quickly in the numbers.

Outcomes clients look for

• Leadership in place to support acquisition-led growth
• Finance functions ready for investor reporting and due diligence
• Interim cover that keeps momentum through change
• Boards prepared for the next stage of growth and an eventual exit

How We Run a Private Equity Search

Our recruitment process follows investor timelines and keeps you informed at every stage.

1. Brief: We agree the role, the value creation plan and success measures with investors and management.
2. Map: Research identifies relevant leaders across Manchester, the North West and the wider North.
3. Assess: Consultants test capability, motivation and fit with the ownership model.
4. Shortlist: You meet a focused group of credible candidates.
5. Appoint: We manage the offer, including equity and incentive discussions, and stay close through onboarding.

Why Investors Choose Nigel Wright Group

• Go Further: We test assumptions in the brief and look beyond the obvious candidate list.
• Built for growing businesses: Our model fits the mid-market companies that drive the regional economy.
• Partnership: We think long term, staying close after each appointment and helping plan the next.
• One team: Executive recruitment, specialist hiring and interim support sit together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can candidates find private equity jobs with you?

Yes. Current vacancies appear on the Nigel Wright Group website. Many senior assignments are confidential and filled through direct approach.

Do you cover businesses outside Manchester?

Yes. We recruit across Manchester and the whole North West, and support investor-backed clients throughout the North.

Talk to Our Manchester Private Equity Team

Planning a post-deal appointment or need interim cover? Contact Nigel Wright Group to discuss your brief and see how we can help your business Go Further.

Manchester Office

Telephone: +44 (0)161 552 5027

Email: marketingdept@nigelwright.com

Address: The Lincoln, Lincoln Square, Brazennose Street, Manchester, M2 5AD