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“A great CV tells you where someone has been. Not how they perform.” This is one of the biggest blind spots in executive hiring. Two candidates can have almost identical CVs. Same job titles. Same sectors. Similar companies. But they perform completely differently once hired. Why? Because senior leadership success is behavioural How they make decisions How they handle pressure. How they influence teams. How they navigate growth stages. That’s why every search we run includes behavioural profiling. Not because it’s trendy. Because hiring the wrong leadership style at the wrong stage of the company can cost years of momentum.

The 2026 Technology Salary Survey is almost ready. Over the past few months, we've been compiling one of the most detailed datasets we've produced. This year, we’re releasing three reports: Permanent hiring Freelance & interim markets Executive & C-Suite compensation (including NED and advisory roles) The aim is simple. Give founders, boards and hiring leaders a clearer picture of what the market actually looks like. The data will be released at the end of Q1. If you're hiring in tech this year, it should be a useful benchmark.

“The best executive searches don’t start with candidates.” They start with the business problem. Last month I spoke with a Series B founder who wanted a Chief Marketing Officer. On paper it sounded straightforward. But when we unpacked it, the real issue wasn’t marketing leadership. It was commercial alignment between product, revenue and positioning. Hiring the wrong CMO would have solved nothing. This is the problem with a lot of traditional search processes. They jump straight to candidate lists. The best searches start with: What stage the company is actually at What the leadership gap really is What success looks like 18–24 months out   Only then do you define the role. It sounds obvious, but most executive hiring still starts in the wrong place. And that’s why so many senior hires fail.

The freelance technology market is quietly becoming one of the most important parts of the hiring ecosystem. Many companies now use freelance leaders to: lead transformation programmes scale new functions bridge leadership gaps   Our 2026 Salary Survey includes a dedicated report on the freelance market. Alongside two other reports covering: permanent hiring executive and board compensation   All three reports will be released at the end of Q1 The aim is simple: better data leads to better hiring decisions.

Executive compensation is evolving quickly. Particularly in venture-backed and private equity-backed tech businesses. We're seeing shifts in: equity structures long-term incentives advisory compensation board-level remuneration   Our upcoming 2026 C-Suite Salary Survey explores this in detail. The report includes insights on: CEO CMO CTO CRO Chief Data roles NED and advisory positions It will be released at the end of Q1 alongside our permanent and freelance salary reports.

“The best executive searches don’t start with candidates.” They start with the business problem. Last month I spoke with a Series B founder who wanted a Chief Marketing Officer. On paper it sounded straightforward. But when we unpacked it, the real issue wasn’t marketing leadership. It was commercial alignment between product, revenue and positioning. Hiring the wrong CMO would have solved nothing. This is the problem with a lot of traditional search processes. They jump straight to candidate lists. The best searches start with: What stage the company is actually at What the leadership gap really is What success looks like 18–24 months out   Only then do you define the role. It sounds obvious, but most executive hiring still starts in the wrong place. And that’s why so many senior hires fail.

The most difficult part of hiring right now isn't finding talent. It's understanding the market. What should you actually be paying? What does a competitive package look like? How are boards compensating advisory roles? Our 2026 Salary Survey, released at the end of Q1, answers those questions across: permanent hires freelance specialists executive and board-level appointments   It’s one of the most comprehensive data sets we've produced to date.

“The most expensive hire is the wrong one.” Not the one with the biggest salary. The one who: slows decision making creates leadership friction sets the wrong culture delays momentum   When companies say they want to save money on executive search, I understand it. But the real cost sits in the hire itself. That’s where the risk is. And that’s where the real value of a search partner sits.

Salary conversations in tech are changing again. The hiring market in 2025 and 2026 looks very different to the last few years. More structured compensation. More performance incentives. More focus on long-term value. Our 2026 Salary Survey, released at the end of Q1, breaks this down across three areas: Permanent roles Freelance markets Executive and board-level compensation   It’s designed to give companies a realistic view of the current hiring landscape. More soon when the reports go live.

“There’s a quiet shift happening in board hiring.” More founders are starting to treat NEDs and advisors like strategic hires. Not just governance appointments. The best boards today bring: scaling experience exit experience sector expertise commercial pattern recognition   When chosen well, the right NED can dramatically accelerate a company’s trajectory. Which is why we built a verified NED library of board-ready operators with real track records across funding, exits and scale. Because finding the right board advisor should not rely on introductions alone.