Midlands-founded recruitment firm SF Recruitment rebrands as SF Partners following rapid growth
UK-headquartered recruitment firm SF Recruitment has announced it is rebranding as SF Partners, marking the next stage in the company’s evolution after more than two decades of growth.
Founded in Birmingham in 1998, the business began as a specialist provider of finance and accountancy recruitment across the Midlands. Today the firm operates across the UK and internationally, with offices in Birmingham, London, the East Midlands, Manchester and Frankfurt, and has developed six specialist practice areas spanning Executive Search, Finance, Technology, Transformation, Engineering and Professional Services.
The rebrand follows a period of significant expansion. Since 2020, SF Partners has:
· More than doubled revenue
· Expanded headcount by over 200%
· Opened its first international office in Frankfurt
· Delivered more than 500 private equity-backed mandates
The business is now approaching its 60,000th successful placement, an average of more than 2,200 hires per year since it was founded.
As the firm’s client base has grown and matured, so too has the nature of its work, with an increasing proportion of mid-to-senior appointments, executive search assignments and investor-backed mandates shaping its portfolio.
CEO Saira Demmer said the new name reflects how the business increasingly works with organisations and professionals.
“We’ve been in the market a long time and naturally our consultants have built strong relationships with both clients and candidates. It’s not unusual for us to place someone multiple times during their career and then go on to help them build out their own teams as they move into leadership roles.
When we spoke to clients and candidates about what differentiates us, the word that came up again and again was partnership. As our business has evolved, we felt it was time to make that focus more visible.”
Demmer added that while technology is reshaping recruitment, the firm believes human expertise and relationships remain central to delivering the right outcomes.
“Automation is changing parts of the recruitment process, but the real value still lies in understanding people and organisations properly. That means taking the time to
build relationships, offer honest advice and focus on long-term fit rather than quick wins.”
Since 2020 the firm has pursued a deliberate strategy of hiring experienced consultants with deep sector knowledge, with employees averaging 11 years of specialist experience, roughly double the industry average.
Alongside recruitment services, SF Partners also offers a number of advisory and consultancy services including Private Equity Pre-Deal Support and Insights Discovery® coaching.
Looking ahead, the firm plans to continue investing in its specialist teams and international reach, with ambitions to grow revenues by a further 50% over the next three years.
Posted on 20 March 2026
