26 Executive Search Firms and Recruiters for CEO and Leadership Hires

A leadership case for Detroit City FC appears on Boyden's executive search page. Its retained service covers CEOs, other C-suite leaders, board directors, managing directors and general managers. The process combines market mapping and assessment with offer negotiation and onboarding support, making cross-border responsibilities and local partner involvement useful topics for the first conversation.

A Ford client account describes Mercuri Urval finding a managing director for the Swiss market; Sennheiser describes a business-critical hire in Vienna. The service covers roles including CEO, VP and executive director. Its process translates business needs into a success profile, assesses candidates against it and includes a performance plan and follow-up.

Client testimonials on NGS Global's site come from Cybage Software COO Jagat Pal Singh and OPTIV CEO Kevin Lynch. Anonymous cases also describe a chief commercial officer and a head of finance. It offers partner-led executive search, including Board and CEO Services; these examples give a buyer specific functions to explore when requesting references.

A Mandarin-speaking CFO for a global paper company's US division is one of Robert Half's published placements; the client is unnamed. Its retained executive search service covers C-suite, senior management and board roles. The case illustrates a specific requirement to test with a recruiter: combining functional expertise with the language and location constraints of the appointment.

Amrop says its senior partners have helped 500+ boards and CEOs over 50 years. That is an advisory count, without a breakdown of placements. Its retained search offer connects senior leadership hiring with succession, board effectiveness and onboarding, its recruiters sourcing leaders within markets and across borders.

DHR reports 83% repeat business on its homepage. Its executive search and leadership consulting services include a Board & CEO function. For a broader leadership program, ask which work the proposed search team will handle and which requires a separate advisory engagement.

Egon Zehnder's homepage lists CEO, executive and board search, alongside assessment and leadership development. It reports more than 600 consultants across 71 offices in 37 countries, a firm-wide footprint. The homepage read names no client, placement or fee.

Heidrick & Struggles says it has worked with more than 70% of Fortune 1000 companies (opens in a new tab). Its retained search service spans VP, C-suite and board appointments, with active and passive candidate sourcing, assessment, reference checks, negotiations and onboarding support.

Korn Ferry describes C-suite and senior executive search built around Success Profiles: the work required and the capabilities needed to deliver it. Its service includes pay benchmarking and international sourcing. The page read names no placement; its published process connects role definition, assessment and compensation.

Russell Reynolds reports a 96% client satisfaction score; its homepage gives no survey period or method. Its homepage describes CEO, C-suite and board search. It reports 500+ leadership advisors across 47 offices in 25 countries, a firm-wide footprint. Its homepage gives no named client or fee. It says its consultants can recruit CEOs, CxOs and board members “in as little as 14 weeks”, without saying which hiring stage that ends at.

Nearly two-thirds of Spencer Stuart's assignments come from previous clients, according to its search page. For CEO, CFO and other C-suite roles, it describes finalist assessment covering expertise, leadership, motivation and capacity to grow. CEO and senior executive onboarding services extend the offer beyond selection.

The annual figure published by Stanton Chase is 300 CEO and board member placements. Its retained executive search offer sits alongside assessment, succession and onboarding services. The partner-led model includes an explicit commitment that the partner starting an assignment stays with it through completion.

TRANSEARCH identifies Lindsay Craig, managing partner of its Perth practice, as having more than 25 years in retained search. Based in Perth and operating internationally, he advises on CEO, board and senior leadership appointments. Ask which office would lead your search and request references for comparable appointments.

CJPI lists anonymous case examples for a global cosmetics CEO and a healthcare operations director. Its retained offer spans CEO, C-suite, board and other senior leadership roles, with VP and director examples. Market mapping, direct outreach and structured assessment lead into onboarding support and a replacement commitment whose period needs clarification.

Keller describes an anonymous building-products sales leadership appointment. Its cases span hiring levels, so they should be matched to your role before drawing conclusions about executive experience. The firm offers retained and contingent searches for CEOs, other C-suite leaders and senior managers, alongside assessment and succession support.

Momenta lists CEO placements at PervasID and Nubix in announcements dated August 31 and February 9, 2023. Its service covers C-suite and senior leadership hiring through retained and contingency search. The newest entry in that page's Latest Talent Placement list is a VP appointment at Parsec Automation, dated November 16, 2023.

AudioEye Executive Chairman Carr Bettis describes working with N2Growth on three C-level placements across two organizations. Its retained service covers board, CEO and C-suite searches, supported by a platform for candidate information and progress updates.

ON Partners lists CEO placements at Revalia Bio and Quorum Cyber on its CEO search page. Its CEO offer serves PE-backed, growth and public companies, with the partner staying involved through close. The broader service (opens in a new tab) also names C-suite, VP and board roles.

Alpha Apex Group reports 2,000+ candidate placements worldwide, a firm-wide count without an executive-specific breakdown. Its CEO service (opens in a new tab) includes retained search, assessment, succession and onboarding. A separate manager and director service (opens in a new tab) describes recruitment, leadership development and continuing advice. These pages name no executive placement.

The nationwide total published by Cowen Partners exceeds 500 executive placements. Senior partners lead retained searches for C-suite, VP and director appointments, including for PE-backed and founder-led companies. Its six-week placement figure is an average; the page does not define whether placement means acceptance or the leader's start date.

QualiFind's retained-search page (opens in a new tab) reports that more than 75% of its retained search work comes from repeat clients and identifies The ExeQfind Group as its sister firm delivering that service. ExeQfind's own site describes retained search for managerial and executive leadership appointments and lists Board & Governance Services.

SRI Executive publishes a Greenpeace International testimonial about a project; the account does not identify it as a search. Its executive and board recruitment serves international development and philanthropy, alongside organizational and leadership advice.

DSG Global describes CEO, president, executive director and board recruitment. Its sector practices include healthcare, education and nonprofit work, alongside corporate searches. The page read gives no named placement, client account or placement figure.

Executive Headhunters identifies itself as EMA Partners International's London office, recruiting UK CEOs, other C-suite leaders, managing directors, technical directors and board members. Its offer combines direct research and assessment with six months of one-to-one coaching for the hire, which its site says is included as standard. The international network belongs to EMA Partners.

Eight CEOs and 64 directors appear in Lock's list of projects, described as recent without a period. Its Canadian executive search service also names C-suite, general manager, VP and board work, with placements extending into the US. Lock calls its commercial model “contained” and says clients pay for performance; the page does not specify payment amounts or triggers.

WittKieffer describes executive leadership recruitment across healthcare, academic medicine, life sciences, education and nonprofits. The page read specifies no narrower director-level remit, named client, placement count or case.