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info@clariopro.co.uk

Executive search, United Kingdom

Executive search for senior AI and technology leaders

Clario finds senior AI and technology leaders for UK scale-ups and mid-market companies. We recruit at Head of, Director, VP and C-suite level, for roles that usually pay £100,000 or more.

A senior hire shapes your technology, your team and your spending for years. We take the time to understand what the business needs from the role before we approach anyone, so the people you meet are suited to the job you actually have.

Talk to the Clario team about a search

Clients we have worked with

  • Google
  • Deloitte
  • Capgemini
  • HSBC
  • Meta
  • PwC

Bulletin

Friday 30 October 2026

UK hiring and employment news, updated every weekday.

  1. Friday 30 October 2026. Senior appointments. Insurance Times logs a week of leadership changes. The magazine's round-up for 26 to 30 October includes a new chief executive at Orvia Underwriting, a claims director at Qlaims, a managing director at Arkel, and a financial services director joining John Lewis Money in November. Why it matters. Boards are still making named leadership hires across insurance and retail finance.. Source: Insurance Times.
  2. Friday 30 October 2026. Hiring budgets. Number 10 North advertises 50 roles in Manchester. The BBC reports that the prime minister's Manchester office has published 50 external job adverts. The BBC puts the basic salaries at up to £2.8 million, and the government says the cost comes from existing budgets. Why it matters. A large public hiring round in one city, while some vacant roles elsewhere may simply be closed.. Source: BBC News.
  3. Friday 30 October 2026. Senior appointments. Pensions firms name a run of senior leaders. Pensions Expert's week ending 30 October includes Peter Smith as chief investment officer at TPT Investment Management, Uzma Nazir in a new origination role at Standard Life, and Sophie White as practice head for employment, labour and pensions at Eversheds Sutherland. Why it matters. Senior seats in pensions and employment advice are being filled, not left vacant.. Source: Pensions Expert.
  4. Thursday 29 October 2026. Employment law & policy. A law firm sets out what Barclays' planned cuts still require. Duncan Lewis published a note on 29 October about Barclays' plan to cut about 5,000 jobs in 2026, much of it in support roles, with the bank linking productivity to AI. The note reminds employers that consultation duties still apply. Why it matters. Large employers still have to consult when they cite AI as the reason for fewer roles.. Source: Duncan Lewis.
  5. Monday 26 October 2026. AI & workforce. Barclays appoints Anita Tanna as its first chief AI officer. FinTech Futures reports that Barclays has moved Anita Tanna, its group chief of staff, into the new role. She has said she will concentrate on where the bank can put AI to work across the group. Why it matters. A major UK employer has given AI a named executive, which is the decision many boards are still making.. Source: FinTech Futures.

Senior appointments

Insurance Times logs a week of leadership changes

The magazine's round-up for 26 to 30 October includes a new chief executive at Orvia Underwriting, a claims director at Qlaims, a managing director at Arkel, and a financial services director joining John Lewis Money in November.

Why it matters. Boards are still making named leadership hires across insurance and retail finance.

Insurance Times (opens in a new tab)

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All hiring and employment news

The roles we recruit

Most of our searches fall into three groups.

  1. Chief AI Officer and Head of AI For companies where AI has moved beyond experiments and now needs a senior owner. We help you decide which of the two roles you need before the search begins.
  2. CTO and VP Engineering For companies that need a leader for the whole technology function, or an experienced head for the engineering team. The two are often confused, so choosing the right one is the first thing we agree with you.
  3. CDO, Head of Data and CIO For companies whose systems, suppliers or data have become a concern for the board. We help you work out where the gap is and which role will close it.

14+

years in recruitment

Founded by someone who has hired from both sides of the table

Clario was founded by Ben Cheema, who brings more than 14 years of recruitment experience. He built his career in agency recruitment and executive search, then moved in-house to lead talent teams as Head of Talent and Head of Talent Acquisition.

Sitting on the hiring side changed how he sees search. He has been the one writing the brief, reviewing the shortlist and living with the hire long after the offer is signed. He knows what a good search partner does, and what wastes a hiring manager's time.

That is the standard Clario works to: a clear brief, an honest view of the market, a shortlist of people genuinely worth meeting, and regular updates you never have to chase.

Ben Cheema on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)

Or email Ben directly at ben@clariopro.co.uk

From published research

  1. 31%

    of GenAI users said they use it at work without their employer knowing.

    Source: Deloitte UK GenAI Workforce Survey, 16 September 2026.

  2. £958m

    estimated yearly spend by workers, from their own money, on AI tools for work.

    Source: Deloitte UK GenAI Workforce Survey, 16 September 2026.

  3. 19.8%

    rise in UK employers advertising tech roles directly, compared with the year before.

    Source: CV-Library and APSCo, UK tech job adverts, April to June.

These figures are from the sources named above. Read the notes on Insights.

Senior searches usually go wrong at the start, when the role has not been clearly defined. That is where we spend our first conversations with you.

Who we work with

We work with UK scale-ups and mid-market companies, in any sector, that already have a technology team and now need someone senior to lead it. That might be a software business that has outgrown its first technology leader, or an established manufacturer, lender or retailer whose systems have become a board-level issue.

We work across the UK, including London, Birmingham and Manchester, and meet clients at their offices or by video call.

See who we work with

An empty meeting room with a long wooden table, chairs and tall windows

The search, step by step

  1. Brief and role definition

    We meet the chief executive and the person the new hire will report to. Together we write what the role is for, the reporting line, the team, the salary range and the location, and you review it before anyone is approached.

  2. Market map and approach

    We map people who have done this job, or the one just below it, in comparable businesses. We approach them directly and in confidence.

  3. Assessment

    We interview the people who are interested and compare what they have done with the brief. You receive a written view of each person, including the gaps.

  4. Shortlist

    You receive a short list of people we have interviewed. For each one we explain why they fit, where the gaps are and what it would take to bring them across.

  5. Interviews

    We help you plan interviews that are thorough and stay short. The people the new hire will work with most closely take part.

  6. Offer and onboarding support

    We stay involved through the offer and the notice period, and through the first conversations after acceptance, when senior hires are most likely to fall through.

How a search works

  1. Agreeing the brief

    We meet the chief executive and the person the new hire will report to. Together we set out what the role is for, the reporting line, the team, the salary range and where the person needs to be based. You review the written brief before we contact anyone.

  2. Approaching candidates

    The strongest candidates are usually already in senior roles and are not looking. We identify them and approach them directly and in confidence.

  3. The shortlist

    You receive a short list of people we have interviewed. For each one we explain why they fit, where the gaps are and what it would take to bring them across.

  4. Offer and start date

    We stay involved through interviews, references, the offer and the notice period, which is when senior hires are most likely to fall through.

We agree terms with you in writing before the search starts.

Read how an executive search works

Guidance: what to put in a Chief AI Officer brief.

clario Hiring senior AI and technology leaders

Free download

The Clario guide to senior AI and tech hiring

A 76-page guide and an Excel hiring toolkit for a chief executive or a board hiring a senior AI or technology leader.