Non-Executive Director (Portfolio Advisory Network)
Company Ownership
PE/VC backed
Company Size
Various
Location
UK and UAE
Salary
Various
Days per Month
Various
Overview of Need
Non-Executive Director (Portfolio Advisory Network)
Family Office
Overview
The Family Office manages a diversified portfolio of 45 privately held UK businesses, each generating between £2 million and £20 million in annual turnover. The portfolio spans multiple sectors, including manufacturing, professional services, technology, property, and consumer markets.
To strengthen strategy, governance, and growth delivery, the Family Office is appointing a select group of Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) to form a Portfolio Advisory Network.
Each NED will be matched to one or more portfolio companies based on sector experience, strategic synergy, and personal fit, while also contributing to the Family Office’s collective oversight, insight sharing, and value creation agenda.
Purpose of the Role
To provide independent challenge, strategic insight, and practical experience that helps portfolio companies — and the Family Office as a whole — achieve:
- Sustainable growth and long-term value creation.
- Improved client and market engagement.
- Enhanced operational discipline and performance.
- Leadership capability, cultural alignment, and succession strength.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Oversight & Challenge
- Provide independent challenge and support to management teams and boards of assigned companies.
- Review and refine business strategies, investment priorities, and performance plans.
- Align portfolio-level strategic direction with Family Office objectives and values.
2. Portfolio Value Creation
- Apply commercial and operational experience to unlock growth and efficiency opportunities.
- Identify synergies, partnerships, and shared-service opportunities across portfolio businesses.
- Help prioritise and deliver initiatives that create measurable enterprise value.
3. Governance & Risk
- Strengthen governance maturity within portfolio companies through effective oversight and constructive challenge.
- Ensure sound financial control, transparency, and risk management practices.
- Support boards in embedding accountability and performance culture.
4. Leadership & Mentorship
- Act as mentor, coach, and sounding board to CEOs and senior leaders.
- Support the Family Office in succession planning and leadership capability building.
- Help attract and retain strong executive talent across the portfolio.
5. Client & Market Engagement
- Guide management teams in improving client retention, satisfaction, and brand positioning.
- Share market insights, network access, and commercial best practices.
Engagement Model
- Each NED will be assigned to one or more portfolio companies based on:
- Sector expertise and growth-stage experience.
- Cultural and leadership compatibility.
- Potential to create meaningful strategic or operational impact.
- Assignments may evolve as the portfolio develops.
- NEDs will also collaborate as part of a collective Advisory Network, sharing insights and helping shape cross-portfolio initiatives.
Time Commitment
- Typically 12–20 days per annum, including:
- Quarterly board meetings for assigned companies.
- Periodic Family Office or Advisory Network sessions.
- Occasional mentoring or project input as needed.
- Mix of in-person and virtual engagement for flexibility.
Reporting & Collaboration
- Reports to the Family Office Executive Board / Investment Committee.
- Works closely with portfolio company Chairs, CEOs, and management teams.
- Collaborates with other NEDs to share experience, reinforce best practice, and drive collective improvement.
Candidate Profile
Essential Experience
- Entrepreneurial experience — ideally as a founder, investor, or senior leader who has built, scaled, or exited a business.
- Proven ability to navigate the challenges of growth, transformation, and change in dynamic environments.
- Background in one or more of the following areas:
- Strategic growth and business transformation
- Private equity, venture investment, or M&A
- Operational excellence and scaling processes
- Digital, technology, or innovation leadership
- People, culture, and organisational development
- Client, brand, and market strategy
- Experience working with family-owned, founder-led, or privately held enterprises is highly desirable.
Personal Attributes
- Commercially astute, with a pragmatic and solutions-oriented mindset.
- Entrepreneurial outlook — curious, creative, and energised by building value.
- Independent thinker with strong integrity and sound judgment.
- Collaborative and empathetic communicator, able to engage credibly with diverse stakeholders.
- Alignment with the Family Office’s long-term, values-driven approach to stewardship.
Outcomes & Measures of Success
- Improved strategic clarity and execution across assigned companies.
- Strengthened governance, leadership, and performance discipline.
- Tangible improvements in client engagement and operational delivery.
- Increased collaboration, innovation, and shared learning across the portfolio.
- Demonstrable contribution to long-term portfolio value and resilience.
Remuneration
- Competitive annual retainer plus meeting fees and expenses.
- Additional remuneration may apply for project work, mentoring, or chairing responsibilities.
Appointment Term
- Initial term: 2–3 years, renewable by mutual agreement.
- Reviewed annually for performance, alignment, and portfolio fit.