Hanson Search’s M&A Executive Search function, part of Hanson Capital, helps boards, investors and advisory firms hire the dealmakers who execute the transactions shaping their next phase of growth. We advise FTSE 100 corporates, investment banks, private equity firms, sovereign-backed entities and family offices on senior M&A appointments where deal experience, sector judgement and execution credibility carry real commercial weight.

The senior M&A brief has sharpened. Heads of M&A, Corporate Development Directors and senior dealmakers now operate in a market shaped by faster timelines, tighter regulatory scrutiny, more complex cross-border structures and intense competition for proven talent. The candidates who can lead at that level rarely sit on the open market and almost always come through trusted networks.

Senior M&A Roles We Recruit

Our M&A Executive Search mandates span the full senior leadership bracket. We place Heads of M&A, Heads of Corporate Development, Directors and Managing Directors in M&A advisory, Heads of Strategy and M&A, Heads of Integration, Heads of Transaction Services and Heads of Post-Merger Integration. We also lead M&A recruitment for senior appointments in deal origination, sector coverage, cross-border M&A and venture investing.

Sectors We Cover

M&A hiring is shaped by deal flow, sector specialism and transaction type as much as by industry. Our consultants work across investment banking, private equity, venture capital, technology, healthcare, consumer, energy, infrastructure and the wider corporate development community.

What Defines the Senior M&A Mandate

The M&A market has rebounded, but the senior brief is sharper than at any point in the past decade. Boards and investment committees want dealmakers who can move faster, originate more proactively and operate across multiple jurisdictions without losing pace.

Cross-border complexity has redefined the senior role. CFIUS, EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation, UK National Security and Investment Act reviews and equivalent regimes globally have added regulatory time and risk to almost every meaningful transaction. The strongest M&A leaders can navigate that complexity without slowing the deal.

Sector specialism now beats generalist breadth. Investors and corporates want dealmakers with deep vertical credibility — in tech, healthcare, energy transition or financial services — not just transaction volume. Sector-led origination has become the defining skill.

Private equity has reshaped expectations. The line between corporate M&A and PE-led transactions has blurred, and senior candidates are increasingly judged on their ability to operate fluently across both worlds — sourcing, executing and integrating with the same discipline.

The strongest candidates today combine technical deal execution with commercial judgement, regulatory fluency, and the boardroom presence to advise CEOs, investment committees and sponsors at the moments that matter most.

How We Approach M&A Executive Search

A senior consultant owns every M&A Executive Search end to end. We map the market across in-house M&A and corporate development teams, investment banks, PE houses and the wider dealmaking community, because the strongest senior leader often sits inside a sponsor-led portfolio, a sector-focused advisory boutique or a divisional role rather than the obvious group seat.

Every shortlisted candidate is benchmarked against deal execution credibility, sector and cross-border fluency, leadership presence in front of boards and sponsors, and the judgement to operate under transaction pressure. Diverse and inclusive shortlists are prioritised on every mandate. Our B Corp certification reflects a settled commitment to responsible search.

Speak to Our M&A Executive Search Team

For a confidential conversation about M&A Executive Search, get in touch directly. We advise on Head of M&A, Head of Corporate Development, Managing Director and senior dealmaker appointments across FTSE 100 corporates, investment banks, private equity firms, sovereign-backed entities and family offices internationally.

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