David Bailey is the Managing Director of Leadership Services, a UK consultancy that places
fractional and interim C-suite directors with growing SMEs and mid-market businesses.
David founded Leadership Services to give owner-led UK businesses access to seasoned
C-suite leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. The firm now
maintains a network of more than 500 vetted directors across finance, marketing,
technology, operations, commercial, product, and people functions, working with clients
from £1m revenue family businesses through to £100m+ private equity-backed groups.
Before founding the consultancy, David spent more than two decades in senior IT and
transformation roles across professional services, healthcare, and the public sector.
That operating experience underpins how Leadership Services thinks about director
placement — the firm is run by an operator who has sat in the chairs it now fills.
Areas of expertise
- The UK fractional and interim executive market — day rates, monthly
retainers, total cost of ownership, and when each engagement model fits.
- SME and mid-market governance — when boards should hire NEDs,
fractional directors, interim directors, or permanent appointments.
- IT leadership and digital transformation — over twenty years of
hands-on practice across multi-site operations, M&A integration, and ERP
implementation.
- Founder-led business strategy — supporting owner-managers through
growth, fundraise, and exit preparation.
Published research
David is the lead author of the
UK Fractional Director Rate Report 2026 —
an independent benchmark covering day rates, monthly retainers, and total cost of
ownership across seven C-suite functions in the UK. The report draws on five 2026 industry
surveys and the firm’s own placement data.
Speaking and media
David provides commentary on the UK fractional director market for trade press, podcasts,
and industry events. Media enquiries:
[email protected] or
call +44 7841 060 075.
Editorial standards
Every article published on Leadership Services is written or reviewed by David Bailey. We
do not publish AI-generated commentary, sponsored content, or affiliate posts. Where data
points appear in our articles or reports, sources are cited inline and external authority
links go only to recognised UK institutions (CIPD, GOV.UK, ICAEW, ICAS, FRC, ONS, Bank of
England, NCSC, ICO) or peer-reviewed publications. We never link to or cite competitor
consultancies.
Article freshness is reviewed monthly. Where we revise a piece materially, the modified
date is updated and changes are listed in the article footer.
