Sector Practices
Fund Services Executive Search in New York
Leadership hires for fund administrators and fund services groups in New York
Phoenix Search runs retained executive search for fund administrators, fund services groups and corporate and trust services providers hiring in New York and across the United States. Members of our consulting team are based in New York, and our fund services practice covers Ireland, the UK, the wider EU, the offshore centers, the UAE, Asia and the US, so we can search for a New York role wherever the right experience sits.
Many of the groups we work with run platforms on both sides of the Atlantic. A Dublin or Luxembourg administrator building out its US business, or a US platform adding European capability, needs leaders who can run a regulated business, serve demanding clients and integrate acquisitions at once. That combination is scarce, and it rarely responds to a job posting.
The sector is changing hands at speed. On 4 October, KKR agreed to acquire Gen II Fund Services at a $5.1bn enterprise value. Gen II administers more than $2tn for over 275 managers. JTC’s new owners have set out a plan to double the group again through US and European M&A, US trust services and AI. The principal transactions tracked in our Fund Services Leadership Index cluster around US trust and fiduciary scale, governance and compliance infrastructure, and AI-enabled workflow technology.
Ownership change accelerates leadership turnover, and most strong candidates are already in post, often tied in by deferred compensation.
How we run a New York search
We start with the market map. Phoenix maintains a fund administration leadership register covering around 100 firms across four tiers, from global administrators to specialist providers. It tracks incumbents, leadership moves and hiring activity, so every search starts with a clear view of who holds the role you are hiring for, and who is likely to move.
We test for the job as it is now. Candidates are assessed against the regulatory, operational and commercial demands of your platform.
We build commercial teams, not just single hires. For a new market entry or a new product line, we hire the commercial leader first and then the business development and relationship team beneath them. Around four in five Phoenix US placements have formed part of multi-hire team builds for repeat clients.
We benchmark the full cost. New York is where Irish expansion goes by default, and it is the most expensive place to build. Our US Playbook for Irish Companies puts the same chief compliance officer at $85,000 a year less in Charlotte than in New York at the midpoint. We help you decide which roles need to sit in New York and benchmark offers so they land at market.
We manage the close. Senior people in this sector carry real cost to move. We deal with buyouts, notice and timing early, so an accepted offer becomes a start date.
Roles we search for in New York
- Country Heads, Managing Directors and US heads of fund administration and fund services businesses
- Heads of Fund Accounting, Transfer Agency and Investor Services
- Heads of private assets and alternative fund services
- Chief Operating Officers and Heads of Operations and Transformation
- Chief Compliance Officers, Heads of Compliance and Chief Risk Officers
- Leaders for corporate, trust and fiduciary services businesses
- Product, technology and AI leaders for fund services platforms
- CFOs and finance leaders for fund services and corporate services groups
- Commercial functions: Heads of Business Development and Sales, Client and Relationship Directors, Heads of Client Solutions and complete business development teams
Also in the US and beyond: our fund services practice covers Ireland, the UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Malta, the offshore centers, the UAE and Asia. See our fund administration executive search practice, corporate and trust services executive search, fund services executive search in Luxembourg and the Fund Services Leadership Index.
Frequently asked questions
Do you recruit for fund services roles in New York?
Yes. New York and the wider United States are among the markets our fund services practice covers, and members of our consulting team are based in New York. We search for New York roles wherever the right experience sits, including Dublin, London and Luxembourg.
Can you help an Irish or European administrator build a US team?
Yes. For nearly a decade Phoenix Search has helped Irish businesses entering the US, placing over one hundred people across the market. Most of our US placements form part of multi-hire team builds, and our US Playbook for Irish Companies sets out the hiring sequence, the real cost of a US team and the practical steps of entry.
Do you build commercial and business development teams?
Yes. Alongside leadership searches, we build commercial functions for fund and corporate services businesses, from the Head of Business Development to the relationship and sales team beneath them, designed as a team rather than hired one seat at a time.
How long does a senior fund services search take?
A typical retained search runs 10 to 14 weeks from briefing to accepted offer. Notice periods and deferred compensation mean start dates need planning well ahead.
