NED services help people move into and succeed in non-executive director and board roles. This covers NED and board-readiness training, NED coaching and mentoring, CV and profile support, board search and matching, and professional networks for aspiring and sitting non-executive directors, chairs and trustees.
Compare NED training providers, board search firms and non-executive networks across the UK by what you need, who it is for, type of board, price and independent ratings.
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Leeds University Business School, part of the University of Leeds, runs the Exceptional Non-Executive Director (NED) Programme on its Leeds campus.
The programme is for people with executive-level experience who want to develop the skills to serve as a non-executive director. It starts with two face-to-face days on campus, followed by a three-month placement with a high-growth small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) that includes at least three board meetings. An online webinar is held halfway through the placement and a final day on campus closes the course. Sessions cover legal responsibilities, financial literacy for NEDs, best practice on boards, situational leadership and how investment panels make decisions. It runs twice a year, with each cohort lasting four to five months.
The fee is £2,800, and places are limited in each cohort. Participants receive a certificate and can apply to join a national NED network. The September 2026 cohort is full, and registration is open for February 2027.
Training provider
NED training & developmentFor aspiring NEDsPrivate / SME / scale-up
Leeds, United KingdomNo Google or Trustpilot reviews
Connectd is a London-based platform, launched in 2020, that matches startups with non-executive directors, board advisors and fractional executives.
Startups describe what they need and are matched with experts from its network, with matches reviewed within 48 hours. Roles can be pro bono or paid, and many start pro bono before moving to paid, equity or blended terms. For executives building a portfolio career, its Transition to Portfolio offer includes self-paced academies for fractional executive and board advisor roles. Each has five modules, 180 minutes of one-to-one mentoring and a guaranteed pro bono placement, lasting three months on the fractional route and six months on the board advisor route. It suggests members have around 10 years in a senior leadership role, and most train alongside a full-time job.
Startups can use the platform free for the first six months. Fees for executives are not published. Connectd states that each academy pathway carries 30 continuing professional development (CPD) points, but does not name an accrediting body. It was founded by Roei Samuel, is operated by LinkExec Ltd, and lists offices in London, Manchester, Poland and Mumbai. Its website says it was ranked sixth in LinkedIn's Top UK startups list for 2024.
Matching and placement platform
NED role matchingNED training & developmentPeer network / community
Exec-appointments.com is a Financial Times (FT) job board for senior executive and board roles, including non-executive positions.
Candidates can search vacancies, set up job alerts and upload a CV so recruiters can match them to roles. The site covers chief executive, chief financial officer, director and other senior appointments, and has a board jobs section that includes non-executive director, chair and trustee roles. Advertisers include executive search firms and employers. FT Career Management, which runs the site, also publishes an Executive Appointments section in the Financial Times newspaper every Thursday.
A Standard job listing costs £550 for two weeks or £880 for four weeks, a Premium listing costs £990, and an Enhanced listing costs £1,320 for 14 days or £2,200 for 28 days. Prices exclude VAT (value added tax). The site states that Enhanced listings get 1.75 times the job views of Standard listings. Its recruiter terms name John Wiley & Sons as the company providing the advertising service.
Job board or directory
Job boardFor chairsFor trustees
London, United KingdomNo Google or Trustpilot reviews
Westminster Insight is a London-based conference and training provider for public sector professionals, run as a division of Knowledge Exchange Group Ltd.
It runs more than 200 conferences and training courses a year for people in central and local government, health and social care, education, housing, policing and the third sector, with some private sector attendees. Conferences are held at UK venues, online or as hybrid events, and digital conferences can be watched on demand. Training courses are live and online over Zoom, usually half a day or one day, on subjects such as management and leadership, policy, project management, communications, human resources and artificial intelligence (AI). Any course can also be run in-house, online or at a venue the client chooses.
Open course prices are not shown on the course pages. In-house training starts at £1,995 for up to 20 people. Knowledge Exchange Group states that it is a certified continuing professional development (CPD) member, reference 16420, and courses come with a CPD certificate, for example 6.5 CPD hours for the one-day Strategic Thinking course. Trainers listed include Susan Rome, who the site says holds the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach credential. Knowledge Exchange Group Ltd was incorporated in December 2013 and took its current name in January 2018.
NED Capital is a London-based executive search firm for non-executive director (NED) and board appointments, set up in 2025 as a sister firm to FD Capital.
It recruits NEDs, chairs, committee chairs, trustees and board advisors for private and private equity-backed companies, companies listed on AIM (the Alternative Investment Market) and the main market, charities and firms regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Searches are retained, with the fee set as a percentage of the NED's annual fee. It aims to present a shortlist of three to five candidates within two to three weeks, and offers a free replacement if a permanent appointment ends within 12 months.
It is run by its two founders, Adrian Lawrence, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), and Jodie Garrington. It is accredited by the Good Business Charter.
Board search firm
NED role matchingBoard search / headhunterJob board
London, United KingdomNo Google or Trustpilot reviews
Odgers, known as Odgers Berndtson until June 2025, is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm whose UK team is based in London.
Its Board, Chair and Non-Executive Director (NED) practice recruits chairs and NEDs for large listed companies, small and medium-sized businesses, private equity firms, entrepreneurs and family-owned groups. Each search starts by identifying the board's skills gaps and the risks facing the business, then builds a candidate profile and draws on a global pool. A separate leadership advisory team offers leadership assessment, development and coaching, and board reviews for chief executives, senior leaders and boards. Odgers Interim places interim chief executives, directors and managers.
Fees are not published. Odgers is a member of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC). It reports around 200 partners and offices in 33 countries, and says it completed 4,900 searches worldwide over the last three years. Partner Mark Freebairn heads the UK Board, Chair and NED practice.
Board search firm
NED role matchingBoard search / headhunterGovernance & ESG focus
