John Smith

Partner, Executive Search, Digital & Technology Practice

Meet John

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John is a Technology and Product executive search specialist with over 15 years in search and extensive experience placing senior leaders into private equity-backed and investor-backed businesses. He works at C-suite and -1 levels, focused on CTO, Chief Product Officer, and CIO appointments across the full PE lifecycle, from platform build and growth through to exit.

John partners with fund partners, operating teams, and portfolio CEOs to identify technology and product leadership that directly supports value creation. His work is cross-industry with businesses ranging from £15m to £500m revenue, and he brings the market knowledge and candidate access to move quickly without compromising on quality or fit.

John has a consultative approach and builds long-term relationships with both clients and candidates, which means he is rarely starting from scratch when a mandate lands. The network he has built across PE-backed businesses gives him genuine reach into the passive candidate market, including leaders who are not circulating on the open market but are open to the right conversation.

Before joining Eton Bridge Partners, John worked at a specialist executive search firm and at a Big 4 consulting firm, where he focused on Partner and Director-level appointments.

What John focuses on:

CTO hiring in PE-backed businesses, including founder succession, post-acquisition technical leadership, and pre-exit appointments where the incoming CTO needs to own both the technology narrative and the commercial story.
Chief Product Officer search, with a spike in SaaS and tech-enabled services, where the brief increasingly sits at the intersection of AI strategy, pricing model evolution, and product-led growth.
CIO appointments in businesses undergoing digital transformation, platform consolidation, or operational scale, where technology leadership needs to drive margin improvement as much as capability.

Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his family and trying to entertain his 3 sons. He is a fan of all sports, with a particular passion for football – although it is more of a watching brief nowadays!

Get in touch

LinkedIn [email protected] +44 (0)20 8059 4443 +44 (0)7720 314 042

Joined the EBP team in 2020

Two children walk hand in hand on a sunlit sandy beach, leaving footprints behind them. With the ocean, rocks, and a clear sky visible in the background, their steps symbolize the strides toward technology leadership we aim to foster from a young age.

Proud moment

I’m proud to say that I participated in two white collar boxing events for Children with Cancer and Cancer Research. Lost the 1st and won the 2nd!

A man is seated indoors with three young boys, posing and smiling for a photo. Other people and tables are visible in the background, suggesting a casual dining setting that subtly contrasts with his usual technology leadership role.

Most memorable day

My most memorable day has to be the birth of my sons, as family is very important to me. A feeling only ever nearly matched by Tottenham’s winning goal in the Champions League semi final…

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I would have no hesitation in recommending Eton Bridge. From the get-go, they make it clear and easy (evidenced by their transparent terms and frankness in the time it can take to look for unicorns). They are relationship builders above fee earners. They get PE, can sell it and will challenge you in a super supportive and helpful way. I really liked working with them and we hired a great candidate through them.

Chief People Officer PE-backed professional services organisation

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I was impressed by John and team’s diligent and effective approach which led to us meeting several high-quality candidates. Their approach and focus on diversity and inclusion were a real asset to us. John equally took the time and care with our internal candidates to ensure they felt a key part of the process.

Geoff Thorpe Recruitment Manager, British energy organisation

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Eton Bridge have executed a number of complex searches for me across North America, the UK and Europe. John took the time to build productive relationships across our stakeholders and really get to know our business, even when there were no searches on the horizon. Consequently, when we were recruiting, John was able to attract people who not only had the right capabilities but are a great cultural fit. I know from the candidates Eton Bridge have placed with us that John created a hugely positive experience for them which is, of course, very important to us.

Manjeet Aujla CDIO

Digital & Technology Practice

As digital and business strategies converge, technology leaders now play a vital role in driving growth, innovation, and competitive advantage. We help businesses, from entrepreneurial SMEs to global blue-chips, hire exceptional digital and tech leaders who deliver commercial impact and cultural change. Our proven expertise spans CIO search, CTO recruitment, and interim IT management, ensuring we connect organisations with the right leadership for critical transformation. Whether interim or permanent, our diverse, insight-driven approach ensures we find candidates who inspire teams and unlock the full value of technology. Trusted for our pragmatic and authentic style, we partner closely with clients to solve complex hiring challenges worldwide.

John Smith