How to find owner-run companies that just changed managing director.
A new managing director or a founder stepping back is when inherited processes get questioned, which makes it a good moment to offer automation. These changes are public but rare: in a recent test, checking 832 UK companies turned up 13 director exits.
From a hand-sampled test, 9 November 2026.
Where the evidence is published.
Each one points to owner-run small and mid-sized companies with a dated, specific reason to reach out.
- 1
Director or owner change
A handover or key-person change forces a company to write down how things actually work.
Where to look Companies House filing history, Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce
- 2
A new contract win
New work can stretch manual processes at a small company.
Where to look Find a Tender, Contracts Finder
- 3
Regulatory pressure
A recall or safety notice creates paperwork and traceability work that is hard to do by hand.
Where to look UK Food Standards Agency alerts
What we found when we ran this.
- 13director exits found in 832 UK companies
- 156Swiss register changes reviewed
- 1,065public contract awards reviewed
- 69 of 111employers behind relevant job ads were staffing agencies
What worked and what didn’t
- Handovers and key-person changes were the best signal.
- Job ads alone were poor, because most of the employers were agencies.
- A broad remote job feed gave 2,692 hits and only 48 relevant ones.
- Funding and new-company signals did not help for this buyer.
Doing this yourself? Follow our step-by-step method for finding leads from public data.
What your team receives.
- The companyName, website, size and market, checked by hand.
- The evidenceThe public source and date behind the need, linked so you can quote it.
- The personThe decision maker for your product, with LinkedIn and email where available.
- The formatA weekly CSV, CRM-ready records or a dashboard. We agree on it together.
Questions buyers ask.
How do I find companies that just changed managing director?
In the UK, check Companies House filing history for director appointments and resignations. In Switzerland, the Official Gazette of Commerce publishes register changes. Focus on owner-run companies, where a handover has the biggest effect.
Are job ads a good signal for selling AI automation?
They are poor on their own. In our test, about 69 of 111 employers behind relevant ads were staffing agencies. Combine them with a stronger event, such as a leadership change.
Can I do this myself?
Yes, and the registers are free. These events are rare, so you need to check many companies to find a few, which is where most of the time goes.
Rather not do this yourself?
We test the sources on a real sample before setting a cadence.