The specialist in PE-backed
finance leadership.

Our Expertise

Experience:

20+ years placing finance leaders

Coverage:

Permanent & interim

Specialism:

PE & investor-backed businesses

Placing CFOs, Finance Directors and Interim Finance Leaders into private equity-backed and investor-backed businesses across the UK. With over 20 years of experience, we understand what investors need — and what finance leaders are built for.

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Financial leadership is the most critical hire in any PE-backed business. Whether you're an investor preparing a portfolio company for its next stage, a CEO who needs an investor-grade CFO, or a Chair overseeing a search in a complex situation — Pitch Hill Partners has placed finance leaders into exactly these circumstances for over 20 years.

We specialise exclusively in CFO, Finance Director and Interim Finance appointments across private equity-backed and investor-backed businesses throughout the UK.

Our Expertise

Our Credentials

Pitch Hill Partners is led by a founder with over 20 years of experience successfully recruiting finance leaders into growth companies. 

Reputation and discretion are the cornerstone of Pitch Hill Partners.

Our Expertise
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Executive Search

Leadership requirements constantly change, but the need for high-performing finance executives remains the same. 

A thorough understanding of different industries, unrivalled access to senior finance executives and impeccable judgment set us apart. 

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Interim Professionals

Your business might face a situation that is unfamiliar to you. It might require a skillset that you don’t currently have within your senior management team.

An interim hire is a valuable option for a focused, short-term piece of work. Our speed of response, quality of service and an open honest professional approach to each assignment is second to none. 

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    “I have a very successful career as an interim FD and would not have taken the plunge without Ray's help and support over the years. Highly knowledgeable and fantastic to work with!”

    Paula Miller – Interim Finance Director

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    “I cannot recommend Ray highly enough. He has placed me regularly. He understands me as a candidate and knows his clients well which has meant that the placements have been successful for both parties.”

    Alistair Barber – Interim CFO

  • Large white quotation marks on a black background.

    “Ray was able to match me to a very interesting opportunity. His market knowledge led to him being able to really understand the needs of his client and match them with my skills and experience.”

    Neil Bath – NED and Chair

  • Large grey quotation marks on a black background.

    “Ray is an outstanding recruiter and such a nice guy too. If you are looking for an interim candidate contact Ray Nicholls.”

    Stuart Anthony – Interim Finance Director

Industry Insights

Our blog is a mix of career and job search advice, entrepreneurial and start up reports, venture capital and private equity news plus networking tips.

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Insights: CFO, PE & Finance Leadership | Pitch Hill Partners
UK Startup Creation Is Cooling — But the Real Story Is What Happens Next
UK Startup Creation Is Cooling — But the Real Story Is What Happens Next

The latest UK startup data paints a nuanced picture of the entrepreneurial landscape.

On the surface, new company formations dipped slightly in 2025. But beneath the headline, the UK business base continues to expand — and for founders, investors and finance leaders, that distinction matters.

For growing businesses, the question is no longer simply about starting up.
It is about surviving, scaling, and professionalising finance earlier in the journey.

What the UK's University Spinout Market Tells Us About the Finance Leaders Businesses Need Right Now
What the UK's University Spinout Market Tells Us About the Finance Leaders Businesses Need Right Now

A recent report on investment into UK university spinouts caught my attention. Not because it's a market I recruit into directly, but because the patterns it describes — selective capital, investor caution, a premium on commercial readiness — mirror almost exactly what I'm hearing from boards and PE investors when they talk about hiring senior finance leaders.

“The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.”

— Faye Wattleton