My name is Steven Salter, and I founded SALTER.ME nearly fifteen years ago, building on almost thirty years of experience in retained Executive Search across the USA and the UK. I work exclusively with professional and executive search firms that specialise in, or operate across, Financial Services.
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My time in both the USA and the UK has given me a deep and international perspective on senior hiring, leadership capability, and the dynamics of regulated markets. I have worked as a top performing originator and fee generator, run and scaleD multi million pound businesses, and moved into fund level private equity, where I worked closely with investors and leadership teams on growth, performance, and value creation.
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At SALTER.ME, every engagement is delivered on a fully retained basis. My work is rigorous, discreet, and insight led, built on detailed market mapping, structured assessment, careful vetting, and thorough due diligence. I engage senior candidates personally, taking the time to understand capability, cultural fit, and commercial strength. I also conduct confidential referencing and verification to give clients absolute clarity and confidence at every stage.
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This approach enables me to help my clients attract senior search leaders, practice heads, and high performing consultants who can build and scale credible, commercially driven practices across complex and regulated markets.
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My reputation for discretion, integrity, and delivery has made me a trusted partner to search firm leaders across London, New York, and other major financial centres. I provide clients and candidates with a genuine white glove service, ensuring confidentiality, precision, and professionalism from first briefing through to offer completion.
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CORE MARKET FOCUS:
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Board, Executive & Leadership Search (C, C-1, C-2 & V-Suite)
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Senior Retained Search (D-Suite)
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Senior Mixed Retained/Non-Retained (D-Suite)
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Senior Interim Management/Contract (Hrly/Day/FTC)
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Research & Insight
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Leadership Consulting & Assessment
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CORE TALENT FOCUS:
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Partner/Managing Partner
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Director/Managing Director
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Director/Associate Director
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Senior/Principal Consultant
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Partner/Director/Head of Research
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Senior/Principal Associate
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CORE FINANCIAL SERVICES COVERAGE:​
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Banking & Capital Markets
Corporate Banking, Commercial Banking, Capital Markets, Treasury Services, Custody and Fund Services, Securities and Brokerage, Broker-Dealers, and Trading Platforms.
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Investment & Asset Management
Investment Management, Asset Management, Hedge Funds, Wealth and Advisory, Pension Funds, Family Offices, and Institutional Investment. -
Private Markets & Alternative Investments
Private Equity, Private Credit, Venture Capital, Infrastructure Investment, Real Assets, Commodities, and Fund of Funds. -
Insurance & Reinsurance
Life, Non-Life, Specialty, and Captive Insurance, Reinsurance, and Brokerage. -
FinTech & Digital Finance
FinTech, Payment Services, Digital Payments, Financial Technology Infrastructure, and Digital Assets and Transformation. -
Governance, Risk & Regulation
Risk Management, Compliance, Financial Crime, Conduct, and Regulatory and Compliance Services. -
Sustainability & Advisory
ESG and Sustainable Finance, and broader Financial Services Consulting and Professional Services.
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“GOOD DECISIONS REQUIRE GOOD INTELLIGENCE"
"Strong decisions rely on clear, accurate, and current intelligence. In senior hiring, context matters as much as capability, and insight must go beyond surface level profiles. My work is built on detailed research, discreet conversations, careful assessment, and a deep understanding of both the market and the individual. Good intelligence reduces risk, sharpens judgement, and ensures that each decision is informed, strategic, and commercially sound".
“DISCRETION IS NOT OPTIONAL,
IT IS ESSENTIAL"
"In senior search, discretion is the foundation of trust. The conversations, insights, and decisions involved at this level require absolute confidentiality and careful judgement. My work is handled personally and with complete discretion at every stage, ensuring that clients, candidates, and businesses are protected throughout the process. When discretion is upheld properly, relationships strengthen, options widen, and decisions can be made with confidence and clarity".
CANDIDATE REPRESENTATION:
I selectively represent senior leaders where there is genuine alignment between their capability, my network, and the strategic opportunities in the market. This is not a general candidate offering, it is a highly selective and discreet partnership for people operating at a pivotal stage in their career.
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I work almost exclusively at Owner, Board, and senior leadership level, particularly within professional and executive search, talent advisory, and Financial Services. My long standing relationships with global search firms, investors, recruitment groups, and advisory businesses allow me to open the right conversations with the right decision makers, and only when there is genuine mutual interest and strategic relevance.
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Where we agree to work together, the focus is clarity, positioning, and discretion. I do not broadcast profiles or circulate CVs. I engage personally, provide a clear and accurate narrative, and ensure that every introduction is thoughtful, relevant, and grounded in real alignment. My work includes structured assessment, detailed market insight, careful vetting, and honest advice on capability, readiness, and fit.
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Confidentiality is absolute. No details are shared until there is a real and reciprocal opportunity, and always with your agreement. I work with a very small number of individuals at any one time, and in many cases only by referral.
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My role is to act as a trusted, senior advocate, helping you navigate the market with clarity and confidence, and ensuring that any potential move is both commercially and strategically sound.
“STRONG BUSINESSES ARE BUILT BY
STRONG HIRES, NOT FAST HIRES"
"Strong hiring builds strong businesses. The best outcomes come from careful assessment, clear insight, and informed decisions, not speed. My focus is on helping clients appoint leaders who deliver long term value and lasting commercial impact..
"WE ARE A RETAINED PARTNER,
NOT A SUPPLIER"
"I am a fully retained headhunter. I take professional pride in the craft of identifying, engaging, qualifying, vetting, assessing, and representing senior individuals with precision and discretion. My work is designed to maximise every hire, strengthen decision making, and de risk the process for my clients through depth, rigour, and complete due diligence".
“THE QUALITY OF A HIRE IS DETERMINED
BY THE DEPTH OF THE DUE DILIGENCE BEHING IT”
"The strength of any senior appointment depends on the depth and discipline of the due diligence that sits behind it. Effective hiring is never about speed, it is about rigour, clarity, and the quality of the insight that informs each stage of the process. My work is built on structured assessment, careful vetting, discreet verification, and an honest, evidence based view of capability and fit. When due diligence is done properly, risk is reduced, decisions improve, and every hire becomes a strategic asset rather than a commercial gamble".
RESEARCH, INSIGHT & INTELLIGENCE:
Research and insight sit at the centre of my work. With almost thirty years in retained Executive Search, I draw on deep industry knowledge and a global network to provide clients with clarity, context, and perspective. My approach combines hands on research, real time market intelligence, and discreet conversations across the sector to build a complete and accurate picture of talent, leadership capability, and market movement.
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I work directly with trusted research partners and specialist collaborators to deliver bespoke, insight led solutions that support each engagement. This includes rigorous market mapping, structured competitor analysis, and intelligence that enables clients to make informed, strategic decisions with confidence.
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INTERNAL & EXTERNAL BENCHMARKING:
In a competitive market, clarity on compensation, structure, and capability is essential. I support clients with internal and external benchmarking across senior, leadership, and emerging leadership roles within professional and executive search. By providing discreet, real time insight into competitor remuneration, team structures, and performance trends, I enable clients to build credible, competitive strategies that attract and retain outstanding talent.​
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MARKET MAPPING:
I have spent almost three decades mapping the global recruitment and Executive Search industry, with the last decade dedicated exclusively to the leadership and retained search sector. My research is proactive, current, and detail driven, enabling me to identify the right individuals quickly and with precision. Each mapping exercise provides a clear, holistic view of the talent landscape, giving clients a deep understanding of who is active, who is credible, and where the strongest leadership capability sits.
ABOUT ME
I have spent almost thirty years in retained Executive Search, beginning my career in 1997 in the United States before returning to the United Kingdom and working internationally throughout my career. My experience spans global search firms, private equity backed businesses, and professional advisory work across Financial Services.
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I founded SALTER.ME to offer a discreet, insight led, and fully retained search partnership to professional and executive search firms operating across Financial Services. My aim has always been to provide a level of depth, care, and due diligence that reflects the standards expected at the top of the market.
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My career has included leading Ajilon Executive, the retained executive search arm of Adecco, before joining James Caan’s private equity firm, Hamilton Bradshaw, as Head of Talent. Those years gave me a deep understanding of leadership, commercial performance, and long term value creation. I have worked as a top performing originator and fee generator, run and scale multi million pound businesses, and partnered closely with investors and leadership teams on strategy, growth, and senior hiring.
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Today my work focuses exclusively on Financial Services, partnering with global Executive and Professional Search firms to identify and attract senior search leaders, practice heads, and high performing consultants who can build credible, commercially driven practices. Over the years, I have completed hundreds of retained searches, helping outstanding firms hire exceptional people while maintaining the discretion, rigour, and depth expected of a fully retained headhunter.
Across every engagement, I focus on clarity, diligence, and genuine partnership. My approach is hands on, research led, and insight driven, ensuring that each client receives a senior, personal, and carefully managed search that strengthens leadership, reduces risk, and supports long term success.
@SALTER.ME (Jensal Ltd)
71-75 Shelton Street, London, WC2H 9JQ5
Email: steven@salter.me
“We are a signatory to HM Government’s Voluntary Code of Conduct for Executive Search Firms.”
