Precision in Motion
Leadership that defines markets.
Momentum and Vision
Talent driving new horizons.
Foundations of Impact
Executives shaping tomorrow.
Ambition Aligned
Talent for transformative growth.
The Edge of Innovation
Leaders driving the future.
About Us
At Search Elements, we specialize in executive search and the recruitment of high-performing teams across capital markets, investment banking, payments, fintech, wealth management, and data/AI sectors. With a global reach spanning the Middle East, Africa, London, and the US, we connect financial institutions and tech-driven companies with
exceptional leaders and the teams that support them.
We hold active mandates from major global banks and financial firms, trusted to deliver not only leadership but also the talent that surrounds and supports them. At Search Elements, we believe that talent deserves talent—every leader’s success is built on the strength of the teams and team members driving them forward.
Our placements
Industries We Serve
- Capital Markets: Executive placements in trading, structuring, and risk management.
- Investment Banking: M&A, corporate finance, and private equity.
- Wealth Management: Teams managing private clients, family offices.
- Payments & Fintech: Digital banking and payments tech.
- Data & AI: AI and data science for financial firms.
Strategic Talent Partner for Financial Services
We specialize in placing top-tier leaders and their strategic teams across investment banking, capital markets, fintech, and wealth management. With a deep understanding of financial markets and industry needs, we deliver high-impact talent solutions that drive growth and strengthen organizational leadership.
About Us
Search Elements delivers precision in executive search, empowering financial institutions with talent that drives growth. Our team brings expertise and insight to every engagement, providing strategic solutions tailored to your success.
Discover Our FirmPast Executive Placements
“Building world-class leadership teams across major financial centers.”
London
- Chief Financial Officer
- Head of Private Capital Raising
- Senior Swaps Trader
- Director, Emerging Markets Investor Sales
- Global Head of Emerging Markets Investor Sales
- EMEA FX+ Advisory
- FX Product Manager
- Head of Structured Credit Sales EMEA
- Head of ZAR Swaps Trading
- Director, Structured Distribution
- Interest Rate Derivatives Trader
- Emerging Markets Spot FX Trader
- Director, Local Markets Credit Sales
- Multi-Product Advisor to HNWI & Institutions
- Director, Structured Distribution
- VP, Market Risk Management (Fixed Income)
- Head of Corporate Treasury
- Head of Investment Strategy, Wealth Management
- Global Head of Regulatory Compliance (Capital Markets)
- VP, Asset-Liability Management (ALM)
- Director, Quantitative Research (Rates & FX)
- Senior Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income
- Director, Client Onboarding and KYC Operations
- Head of Wealth Planning & Advisory
- EMEA Director of Operational Risk (Securities Services)
- Lead Analyst, Equity Research (Consumer & Retail)
- Global Head of Trade Surveillance
- Head of Private Wealth Portfolio Management
- Director, Prime Brokerage Sales (EMEA)
- EMEA Head of Data Science (Investment Banking)
- Senior Relationship Manager, Family Offices
- Head of Product Control (Derivatives)
- Director, Debt Capital Markets (DCM)
- VP, Regulatory Affairs (Investment Banking)
- Head of Asset Servicing, Institutional Clients
- Director, Wealth Management Operations
- Head of Trading Solutions (Electronic FX)
- Director, Institutional Equity Sales (Europe)
- VP, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
- Lead Data Scientist, AI & Machine Learning (Fintech)
- Director, Portfolio Risk Analytics
- Head of Investment Banking Technology & Operations
- Global Head of Liquidity & Collateral Management
- Chief Investment Officer (Private Bank)
- Senior Trader, Commodity Derivatives
- Director, Real Estate Investment Banking
- Head of FX Structuring
- Director, Transaction Banking Solutions
- Head of Securities Lending
- Director, Fund Accounting Operations
- Global Head of Custody Services
- Director, Clearing and Settlement Operations
- Head of Corporate Actions and Asset Servicing
- Director, Securities Services Sales (EMEA)
- VP, Collateral Management & Optimization
- Head of Middle Office (Trade Processing)
- Director, Custody Client Services
- Global Head of Depositary Services
- Senior Manager, Fund Compliance and Reporting
- Director, Securities Financing Solutions
- Head of Africa Fintech and Green Energys
- VP, Payments Product Management
GCC
- Senior Vice President, Security Services Abu Dhabi
- Head of Private Banking Dubai
- Head of Wealth Management Bahrain
- Head of Private Client Services Abu Dhabi
- Senior Legal Counsel (Islamic Finance) Bahrain
- MLRO and Director of Compliance Qatar
- Office Manager Dubai
- Senior Legal Counsel (Transactional Banking) Bahrain
- Head of Private Wealth Dubai
- Senior Relationship Manager – Private Banking Qatar
- Relationship Manager – Wealth Management Dubai
- Relationship Manager – Private Banking Abu Dhabi
- Relationship Manager – High Net Worth Clients Bahrain
- Head of Private Banking Riyadh
- Senior Relationship Manager – Private Banking Jeddah
- Relationship Manager – Wealth Management Riyadh
- Director, Corporate and Institutional Banking Dubai
- Chief Investment Officer (Family Office) Abu Dhabi
- Head of Structured Finance Bahrain
- Senior Fund Manager (Fixed Income) Dubai
- Director, Compliance and AML Qatar
- Head of Islamic Wealth Management Riyadh
- Senior Product Manager (Wealth & Investment Products) Dubai
- VP, Credit Risk Management Abu Dhabi
- Head of Treasury and Liquidity Management Qatar
- Head of Relationship Management – Ultra High Net Worth Clients Dubai
- Director, Real Estate Investments Bahrain
- Senior Portfolio Manager (Sukuk and Sharia-Compliant Investments) Dubai
- Head of Capital Markets Abu Dhabi
- Chief Financial Officer (Private Equity) Dubai
- Senior Relationship Manager – Institutional Clients Bahrain
- Head of Risk and Compliance (Islamic Banking) Riyadh
- Director, Private Equity Investments Dubai
- Vice President, Strategic Partnerships (Wealth) Abu Dhabi
- Senior Analyst, MENA Equities Dubai
- Director, Client Onboarding and KYC Operations Qatar
- Head of Investor Relations Abu Dhabi
- Director, Transaction Banking Solutions Dubai
- Head of Asset Management Bahrain
- VP, Product Development (Sharia-Compliant Solutions) Dubai
- Director, Securities Lending Abu Dhabi
- Head of Family Office Services Dubai
- Senior Legal Advisor (Cross-Border Investments) Bahrain
- VP, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Qatar
- Head of Private Market Investments Riyadh
- Director, Infrastructure Finance Dubai
- VP, Regulatory Affairs (Financial Institutions Group) Abu Dhabi
- Chief Operating Officer (Investment Firm) Bahrain
- Head of Compliance and Governance Jeddah
- Director, Wealth Structuring and Advisory Dubai
- GCC Team Leader, Wealth Management Dubai
- CLM Officer Dubai
- Due Diligence Manager Riyadh
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Head of Fixed Income Sales - Africa
- Vice President – West Africa Investment Banking Johannesburg
- CEO Kinshasa
- General Counsel Lagos
- Managing Director and Head of West Africa Investment Banking Bahrain
- Senior Compliance Officer Johannesburg
- Senior Legal Counsel – Islamic Finance Bahrain
- Head of Exchange Control Johannesburg
- Head of African Structured Credit London
- Head of Investment Banking Nigeria Lagos
- Vice President, Metals and Mining Lagos
- Senior Risk Manager Luanda
- Director of RSG (Resource Sector Group) – South Africa Johannesburg
- Head of Coverage – South Africa Johannesburg
- Head of Personal & Business Banking (PBB) for Zambia Lusaka
- Director & Head of Agriculture Johannesburg
- Head of Regulatory Reporting South Africa
- Chief Operating Officer (Regional Bank) Nairobi
- Director of Infrastructure Finance Accra
- Head of Private Equity Investments (Africa Focus) Johannesburg
- Director of Capital Markets (Sub-Saharan Africa) Lagos
- Senior Advisor, ESG Investments Johannesburg
- Head of Microfinance Initiatives Dar es Salaam
- Director of Treasury & Cash Management Cape Town
- Chief Financial Officer (Pan-African Investment Firm) Lagos
- Head of Digital Banking Transformation Nairobi
- Director, Renewable Energy Investments Johannesburg
- Senior Portfolio Manager, Emerging Markets (SSA) Cape Town
- Head of Risk and Compliance – East Africa Kampala
- Chief Investment Officer – Infrastructure Fund Lusaka
- Regional Head of Corporate Finance Lagos
- Head of Trade Finance (Agriculture) Accra
- Director of Strategic Partnerships (Fintech) Nairobi
- Head of Credit Risk – Southern Africa Johannesburg
- Director of Development Finance Addis Ababa
- Head of Institutional Sales – SSA Johannesburg
- Director, Mergers & Acquisitions Lagos
- Chief Compliance Officer – Pan-African Bank Luanda
- Senior Legal Advisor, Cross-Border Finance Lagos
- Head of Wealth Management (High Net Worth) Nairobi
- Chief Economist – Sub-Saharan Africa Johannesburg
- Regional Director of Family Office Services Cape Town
- Director of Alternative Investments (Infrastructure & Real Estate) Johannesburg
- Head of Financial Inclusion Initiatives Dar es Salaam
- Director, Agribusiness Investments Lusaka
- Director, Sovereign Wealth Fund Advisory Accra
- Head of M&A Advisory (SSA) Johannesburg
- Senior Manager, Oil & Gas Investments Luanda
- Director of Islamic Finance – West Africa Lagos
- Head of Real Estate Finance Johannesburg
- Chief Operating Officer, Fintech Lagos
- Head of Investor Relations (Mining & Resources) Cape Town
- Chief Technology Officer – Regional Banking Group Nairobi
Global
- Head of Regional Financial Institutions Sales Warsaw
- Managing Director, Head of Structuring for Russia and CIS Moscow
- Head of Primary Dealership for Poland Warsaw
- Chief Economist – Asset Management & Private Banking New York
- Chinese-Speaking Investment Banking Analyst Lagos
- Head of Emerging Markets Sales Singapore
- Global Head of Trade Services Johannesburg
- Chief Technology Officer – Investment Banking Hong Kong
- Head of Fixed Income and FX Trading Tokyo
- Managing Director, Cross-Border M&A New York
- Director, Private Equity (Asia Focus) Singapore
- Global Head of Compliance and Risk (Securities) Frankfurt
- Senior Quantitative Analyst (Algorithmic Trading) Chicago
- Director of Corporate Development – Investment Management Hong Kong
- Chief Financial Officer, Asia-Pacific Region Singapore
- Head of Equity Derivatives Sales (North America) New York
- Head of Corporate Treasury – APAC Tokyo
- Managing Director, Sovereign Wealth Fund Relations Abu Dhabi
- Director, Regulatory Affairs – Americas New York
- Global Head of FX Strategy Singapore
- Director, Structured Finance – Renewable Energy Sydney
- Head of Risk Analytics – Investment Banking Hong Kong
- Regional Head of Wealth Management Zurich
- Director, Digital Transformation and Fintech Partnerships San Francisco
- Senior Portfolio Manager, Latin America Equities São Paulo
- Chief Investment Officer – Private Equity Fund Singapore
- Director, Transaction Banking (APAC) Hong Kong
- Head of Real Estate Investments – APAC Tokyo
- Global Head of Client Onboarding and KYC Frankfurt
- Senior Compliance Officer (Cross-Border Transactions) Singapore
- Managing Director, Capital Markets – Americas New York
- Head of Institutional Sales – Greater China Hong Kong
- Director of Alternative Investments (Private Wealth) Miami
- Director, ESG and Impact Investing Zurich
- Head of Credit Structuring – Asia Shanghai
- Chief Strategy Officer – Investment Bank New York
- Director, Investment Banking Origination (LATAM) Mexico City
- Head of Wealth Solutions (High Net Worth) Hong Kong
- Senior Director, M&A Advisory (Asia-Pacific) Singapore
- Regional Director of Asset Management Seoul
- Global Head of Regulatory Reporting Frankfurt
- Director, Emerging Markets Debt Sales New York
- Head of Capital Markets Strategy – ASEAN Singapore
- Director, Blockchain and Digital Assets San Francisco
- Chief Risk Officer (Global Markets) New York
- Head of Financial Crime Compliance – Asia Hong Kong
- Head of Strategic Partnerships – Private Banking Geneva
- Director, Family Office Services (North America) Toronto
- Managing Director, Fixed Income Research (Global) Boston
- Head of Product Development – Fintech Innovations Tokyo
- Chief Economist – Emerging Markets Singapore
- Director, Global Custody Services Hong Kong
- Director, Infrastructure Debt Investments Sydney
- Head of Investment Strategy – Greater China Shanghai
- Regional Head of Private Banking – Southeast Asia Singapore
- Director, Quantitative Risk Solutions (APAC) Hong Kong
- Head of Corporate Banking, MENA Dubai
- Senior Director, Equities Sales Trading (US Focus) New York
- Global Head of Compliance, Wealth Management Zurich
- Director, Venture Capital Investments (Asia) Singapore
Past and Present Clients
Trusted by Leaders to Find Leaders
Our clients trust us to find exceptional C-suite talent that transforms their organizations. Here's what they're saying:
Deepened market reach and enhanced strategic initiatives within emerging markets.
Provided insights and leadership to advance competitive edge in emerging markets.
Strengthened financial oversight and led regional compliance initiatives, significantly improving regulatory adherence.
Optimized portfolio strategy and increased asset performance, contributing to substantial portfolio growth within the first year.
Led high-impact financing projects across multiple African markets, driving significant growth in capital deployment.
Spearheaded a digital transformation initiative, elevating the company’s technology platform and improving operational efficiency.
"Elements has provided me with a highly professional and thorough service. They understood the mandate, identified high-quality candidates, and maintained a clear and open dialogue with both sides. I consider them my first point of contact for future searches."
Managing Director
J.P. Morgan Chase – Emerging Markets
“Elements purely focus on Emerging Markets projects and have the reach and in-depth knowledge that gives the team a distinctive competitive edge. They thoroughly understand clients' needs and are diligent in fulfilling assignments.”
Director, Emerging Markets
Barclays Capital – Emerging Markets
“Search Elements demonstrated a deep understanding of our organizational needs, delivering a CFO who seamlessly integrated with our leadership team and enhanced our regional financial governance.”
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Global Investment Bank – GCC Region
“Their precision in identifying candidates who matched both our technical requirements and cultural values was exceptional. We now consider Search Elements an invaluable partner in our talent strategy.”
Head of Portfolio Management
Private Equity Firm – London
“Search Elements connected us with a Corporate Finance leader who possesses both the regional insight and global expertise we needed. The results have been transformative for our African operations.”
Head of Corporate Finance
Multinational Bank – Africa Region
“Their ability to source tech leaders who can drive innovation in competitive markets has exceeded our expectations. We now have a CTO who is setting a new standard for fintech solutions in the region.”
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Fintech Company – GCC Region
Market Insights for Executives
Stay informed on emerging market trends and strategic insights in finance, banking, and fintech. Our updates provide leaders with valuable perspectives on growth markets and the future of financial services.
Read Latest Market Insights- Business and Finance, Data and Analytics, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Trends, Technology and Innovation
South Africa is undergoing a significant economic transformation, with analytics and digital technologies at the forefront. In 2022, the country’s AI market was valued
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- Banking Trends, Digital and ESG Transformation, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Human Resources
The EMEA banking sector is experiencing a transformative period, driven by digital innovation, ESG imperatives, and the ever-evolving demands of a diverse client base.
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- Markets & Growth Regions
“Africa is emerging as a significant growth market in capital markets and investment banking. Learn how regions like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa are
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Our Locations
London
1-75, Shelton Street, Covent Garden
WC2H 9JQ
London, United Kingdom
Dubai
Boulevard Plaza Tower One
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd
Downtown (DIFC)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Johannesburg
155 West St
Sandown, Sandton 20
South Africa
Riyadh
Tamkeen Tower
King Fahd Road
Al Mathar Ash Shamali
Riyadh 12331
Saudi Arabia
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