Distribution is the part of financial services I know best. It's where I've spent most of twenty years, and it covers four jobs that often get lumped together. They shouldn't be. Each one needs a different kind of person, and hiring for the wrong one is the most common mistake I see.
Director of Distribution
The person who sets the direction. The role sits much closer to proposition, marketing and data than it used to, and a good one is as credible in the boardroom as they are with clients. In fintech and digital wealth businesses, parts of this responsibility may sit with a Head of Growth or Commercial Director, although the remit can extend well beyond traditional distribution. More on Director of Distribution recruitment
Head of Intermediary and Sales Director
The retail adviser role. More of the business now sits with national advice firms, networks and consolidators who buy centrally, so the job is covering those firms properly while keeping the regional adviser base engaged. More on Head of Intermediary recruitment
Head of Wholesale
Primarily an asset management role, but the scope can vary significantly. It may include intermediary distribution, fund selectors, DFMs, platforms, private banks and larger strategic partnerships. The right person needs to understand how investment decisions are made across these different channels, and how to translate an investment proposition into sustainable distribution. More on Head of Wholesale recruitment
Business Development Director
The person in front of the adviser firm. The job used to be relationship coverage and a diary full of meetings. Now it means holding a technical room, running a longer sale across an adviser firm's investment committee, compliance and operations, and keeping the client embedded long after the win. More on Business Development Director recruitment
Where these hires go wrong
Most distribution hires happen at a moment of change, usually a rebuild, a new proposition or a new owner. The temptation is to hire the title you had, when what you need is the job as it looks now. Working out that difference is usually where I start, and it often changes who ends up on the shortlist.
Who I've worked with
In 2026 I've placed ten Business Development Directors nationally, including for Vanguard, Brooks Macdonald and Parmenion, and I placed a Director of National and Network Distributors with Brooks Macdonald. I've also supported two distribution team rebuilds involving multiple senior appointments.
How I work
Exclusive or retained, one brief at a time. That means a proper look across the whole market rather than the first ten CVs on a database, and a shortlist of people I've actually spoken to. Usually four, not forty.
If you're hiring into your distribution team, I'd like to hear about it.