Cortland backs a small number of exceptional recruiters ready to run their own firm.
Built for a certain kind of recruiter.
You have already built your own book. We provide everything underneath it, so you launch under your own name on day one, not in a year.
This is probably you if
You're billing in senior white-collar markets: private equity, accountancy, financial services, legal, or technology.
You've demonstrably built your own book, and your numbers are yours, not a function of someone else's brand or a managed account.
You can run business development from day one.
You want equity, international ambition, or both — and a business that carries your name and means something.
This isn't the right fit if
Your billing depends on an extensive infrastructure: a research team, junior delivery, or pipeline handed down from a key account.
Your track record is inseparable from a big-agency brand.
You need micro-managing, or you wait to be told.
You're motivated mainly by base-salary security rather than ownership and upside.
What we look for in the numbers
The minimum billing threshold is £350K — but composition matters more than the headline figure.
A £500K biller who has genuinely built their own book matters more to us than a £1M biller who has operated with a research team and managed accounts. What we care about is how the number came about, and what it says about what you could become.
We'll also be honest with you before you commit. We would rather pressure-test whether independence is genuinely right for you now than partner into something you have not fully weighed. That candour protects your reputation as much as ours.
FAQ
01
Is there a minimum billing threshold?
Yes: £350K. That said, billing history matters less than its composition and what it signals about potential. We look for people who have proven they can win, and who want to own what they build.
02
What sectors do you focus on?
Senior white-collar markets close to our networks: private markets (PE, VC, private credit, hedge funds), accountancy, financial services, legal, and technology. Sectors far from our expertise are explicitly excluded.
03
How quickly will I need to be billing?
The expectation is immediate activity. The playbook and infrastructure are ready on day one, and you should be hungry to go make it happen.