Wealth Management Recruiters and Executive Search Firms Compared
By Jake Jorgovan, co-founder of Alpha Apex Group, one of the thirteen firms below
Published Updated 13 min read
Hiring for a wealth management firm means choosing someone your clients and colleagues will trust with important responsibilities. You may need an advisor to develop relationships, a successor to take over an established client book, or a senior leader to run the business. A recruiter can help you find candidates with the relevant experience and assess how they would work within your firm.
This guide compares 13 wealth management recruiters and executive search firms. It covers their services, the hires their pages describe and the questions worth asking before you appoint a search partner. It is written for employers: registered investment advisers (RIAs), private banks and family offices. For asset-manager and buy-side mandates, see the separate guide to investment management headhunters. Investment roles within wealth firms remain part of this comparison.
Which wealth management recruiters fit your hire?
Start with firms whose work matches the responsibility you need to fill. A firm is included when its own pages describe recruiting for wealth managers, RIAs, private banks or family offices. CSI Executive Search was considered, but its site could not be read when this page was checked; that is not a finding about the firm.
Coverage overlaps across these hiring needs:
- Advisor and succession hires: Diamond, ECG, Judson, Leah Yosef and StevenDouglas cover advisory roles; Somers emphasizes candidates with self-built client books.
- Family office appointments: Mack (retained C-suite search) and Selby (individual hires and team builds) center their pages on family offices; nine of the other eleven firms also list family-office clients.
- Wealth leadership and investment roles: Alpha Apex Group, BraddockMatthewsBarrett, Keller, Spencer Stuart and Stanton Chase cover senior searches. Diamond and Leah Yosef also list C-suite mandates, while Mack focuses on family office and family enterprise leaders.
| Firm | Wealth clients described | Hiring coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Apex Group | Wealth management firms | CIOs, wealth advisors, portfolio managers and executives |
| BraddockMatthewsBarrett | Wealth managers, multi-family offices and RIAs | C-suite, CIOs, investment staff, business development and marketing |
| Diamond Consultants | RIAs, multi-family offices, banks and wirehouses | Executives, advisors, planners, investment and operations staff |
| ECG Resources | Wealth firms from boutiques to large corporations; single- and multi-family offices | US relationship management, investment advisory, planning, trust, estate and ultra-high-net-worth tax roles |
| Judson Group | RIAs, wealth firms and multi-family offices | Advisors, succession hires, client advisory and trust roles |
| Keller Executive Search | Wealth firms, family offices, RIAs and private banks | Investment, advisory, planning and operating leaders |
| Leah Yosef International | US RIAs and single- and multi-family offices | Advisors, relationship managers, investment staff and executives |
| Mack International | Family offices, family enterprises and firms serving ultra-high-net-worth clients | C-suite leadership |
| Selby Jennings | US single- and multi-family offices | Investment, finance, planning, operations and compliance staff |
| Somers Partnership | Wealth managers, family offices, private banks and trust companies in the UK and internationally | Board, C-suite and front-office roles |
| Spencer Stuart | Wealth managers, private banks, trust companies and family offices | CEOs, COOs, CIOs and functional leaders |
| Stanton Chase | Wealth management and private banking organizations | C-suite and managing directors |
| StevenDouglas | RIAs, multi-family offices, platforms and aggregators | Advisors, client service, investment operations and leadership |
Wealth management recruiters, A–Z
13 firmsAlpha Apex Group
Back to the comparisonCo-founded by Jake Jorgovan, the author
Alpha Apex Group website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A wealth firm hiring a CIO, portfolio manager or advisor with investment expertise and client relationship skills.
- Hiring coverage
- CIOs, wealth advisors, portfolio managers and wealth management executives
- Search approach
- Executive search and recruiting
Alpha Apex Group reports 2,000+ candidate placements worldwide across its business. For wealth searches, the firm assesses sector knowledge, leadership, client relationship skills and organizational fit.
- Ask first
- Would our search be retained or contingent, and what results for comparable wealth roles or CIO appointments, if any, support your proposed timetable?
- Sources
- Wealth management executive search (opens in a new tab)
BraddockMatthewsBarrett
Back to the comparisonBraddockMatthewsBarrett website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A wealth manager, multi-family office or RIA building its leadership or investment team.
- Hiring coverage
- CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CIOs, investment professionals, business development and marketing
- Search approach
- Partner-led executive search
BraddockMatthewsBarrett's partner-led wealth practice serves wealth managers, multi-family offices and RIAs developing institutional platforms and expanding access to alternatives. Across its business, BraddockMatthewsBarrett reports 1,248 searches.
Its press page records institutional (endowment) CIO searches for Michael Barry at Johns Hopkins, announced January 27, 2025, and Geoff Berg at the University of Rochester, announced August 4, 2025. It was formed by the merger of BraddockMatthews and David Barrett Partners.
- Ask first
- Which CIO or alternatives-leadership assignments, if any, have you completed for RIAs making that shift, and which partner would lead ours?
- Sources
- Wealth management practice (opens in a new tab)About BraddockMatthewsBarrett (opens in a new tab)Firm-wide searches (opens in a new tab)Endowment search announcements (opens in a new tab)
Diamond Consultants
Back to the comparisonDiamond Consultants website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A wealth firm seeking an employer-side retained search across leadership and advisory functions.
- Hiring coverage
- C-suite, business development, financial planning, investment, wealth advisor and operations roles
- Search approach
- Retained executive search for employers
Diamond Consultants offers employer-retained search alongside a separate advisor-facing service, where it says the joining firm pays and the advisor pays nothing. That distinction matters when selecting the service and agreeing representation.
Its employer practice serves RIAs, multi-family offices, banks and wirehouses. Roles span heads of wealth management and advisor recruiting, senior planners, advisors, investment professionals and operations leaders.
- Ask first
- Which side would you represent in this assignment, and who would pay you?
- Sources
- Executive search services (opens in a new tab)Services for financial advisors (opens in a new tab)
ECG Resources
Back to the comparisonECG Resources website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A US wealth firm that wants a sector-focused recruiter and a choice of engagement models.
- Hiring coverage
- Relationship management, investment advisory, financial and estate planning, trust and estate, and ultra-high-net-worth tax
- Search approach
- Retained, engaged, contingent or exclusive search
ECG Resources reports winning the wealth management executive search category at the 2025 Family Wealth Report Awards. It places candidates in wealth roles throughout the United States, for clients ranging from small boutiques to some of the world's largest corporations.
ECG can identify candidates for future hires as well as immediate vacancies. It describes compensation based on overall company success, intended to encourage consultants to share resources.
- Ask first
- Who owns our search and candidate assessment, and how will other consultants contribute candidates under your collaborative model?
- Sources
- ECG Resources (opens in a new tab)About the firm (opens in a new tab)Search process (opens in a new tab)
Judson Group
Back to the comparisonJudson Group website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- An RIA or wealth firm hiring an advisor, a client-team specialist or a successor to an existing book.
- Hiring coverage
- Financial advisors, client advisory managers, trust officers and advisor succession roles
- Search approach
- Retained, priority and contingency search
Judson Group advertises advisor succession searches involving an established client book. Its wealth recruitment also covers advisor, client advisory and trust roles for RIAs, wealth firms and multi-family offices.
- Ask first
- Have you completed a comparable succession search? If so, how did you assess the advisor and plan the client handover?
- Sources
- Wealth management searches (opens in a new tab)Judson Group search services (opens in a new tab)
Keller Executive Search
Back to the comparisonKeller Executive Search website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A wealth firm, family office or private bank hiring an investment, trust or compliance leader.
- Hiring coverage
- Investment, advisory, planning, compliance and operating leadership
- Search approach
- Contingent and retained executive search
Keller lists a multi-family office CIO, a private bank's director of trust and estate services and a chief compliance officer among its wealth placements. It describes background, reference and psychometric checks as part of candidate assessment.
Its wealth page describes a retained search method alongside success-fee advertising.
- Ask first
- Is the proposed search retained or success-fee, what compensation does the fee apply to, and when does replacement apply?
- Sources
- Wealth management recruitment and terms (opens in a new tab)Keller search models (opens in a new tab)
Leah Yosef International
Back to the comparisonLeah Yosef International website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A US RIA or family office hiring advisors, investment professionals or senior leaders.
- Hiring coverage
- Advisors, relationship managers, investment staff, directors and C-level leaders
- Search approach
- Executive search, including retained engagements
Leah Yosef International reports facilitating the movement of over $5 billion in assets under management and says 92% of its placements choose to stay for two years or more. Its US practice serves RIAs and single- and multi-family offices; its undated representative searches include a multi-family office CIO and an independent RIA chief compliance officer.
It describes recruiting tuck-in advisors with portable books averaging $100 million, a relevant service for a firm growing through advisor recruitment.
- Ask first
- Which placement population and measurement period underpin your 92% figure?
- Sources
- Leah Yosef International (opens in a new tab)Approach and terms (opens in a new tab)Representative searches (opens in a new tab)
Mack International
Back to the comparisonMack International website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A family office or family enterprise appointing a senior executive.
- Hiring coverage
- C-suite roles in family offices, family investment firms and family enterprises
- Search approach
- Retained executive search and strategic consulting
Mack International says it has always delivered candidate slates on the date specified in each search schedule.
The firm's retained C-suite work serves family offices, family enterprises and wealth firms supporting ultra-high-net-worth clients nationally and internationally. It limits concurrent assignments and starts with structured stakeholder discussions to align the role, compensation and performance expectations.
- Ask first
- How will you resolve differences between the principal, family members and other decision-makers before approaching candidates?
- Sources
- Mack International (opens in a new tab)Search process and approach (opens in a new tab)
Selby Jennings
Back to the comparisonSelby Jennings website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A US family office making an individual specialist hire or building a team.
- Hiring coverage
- Investment, finance, wealth planning, operations, risk and compliance roles
- Search approach
- Retained or contingent permanent recruitment, contract hires and multi-hire projects
Selby Jennings describes complete family-office team buildouts, including role definition and hire sequencing. Its US practice serves single- and multi-family offices, with roles including portfolio managers, family office CFOs, wealth planners and estate and tax specialists.
Permanent recruitment sits alongside contract hires through contractors and interim managers.
- Ask first
- How would you sequence our investment, operational and specialist hires, and which consultant would coordinate them?
- Sources
- Family office recruitment (opens in a new tab)
Somers Partnership
Back to the comparisonSomers Partnership website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A wealth firm assessing front-office candidates or senior leadership across private wealth.
- Hiring coverage
- Board, C-suite and front-office roles
- Search approach
- Executive search and wealth management recruitment
Somers Partnership lists Evelyn Partners and Hawksmoor among the firms it says it has helped find talent. Its wealth recruitment explicitly seeks candidates who have built their own client books. The process starts with a business analysis to identify skills gaps, then examines candidates' career histories and personalities.
It serves family offices, private banks, wealth and investment managers, and trust companies. Somers describes mandates in the UK and internationally.
- Ask first
- How will you distinguish a candidate's personal contribution to their book from their employer's referrals, reputation and resources?
- Sources
- Wealth management recruitment (opens in a new tab)Somers Partnership client sectors (opens in a new tab)
Spencer Stuart
Back to the comparisonSpencer Stuart website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A wealth manager, private bank, trust company or family office hiring senior leadership.
- Hiring coverage
- CEOs, COOs, CIOs and leaders in investment, trust, advisory, sales, operations and finance
- Search approach
- Executive search with a team assembled for the assignment
Spencer Stuart reports hundreds of senior wealth searches and a 98% retention rate for its own placements in that sector.
Its clients range from global firms to regional boutiques and family offices. The practice assembles a team for each assignment.
- Ask first
- How do you define retention, over what period is it measured, and how many private wealth placements does the figure cover?
- Sources
- Private wealth management practice (opens in a new tab)
Stanton Chase
Back to the comparisonStanton Chase website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A wealth manager or private bank filling a C-suite or managing director role.
- Hiring coverage
- Chief executive, operating, commercial, finance, marketing and technology officers; managing directors
- Search approach
- Retained executive search through Search+
Stanton Chase lists CEOs, COOs, chief commercial and finance officers, and managing directors among positions successfully recruited through its wealth practice. Its executive search model is the retained Search+ service.
The firm describes assessing organizational and cultural needs before searching and continuing support after placement.
- Ask first
- What support could you provide during our executive's first year, for how long, and through which people?
- Sources
- Wealth management and private banking (opens in a new tab)Search+ and other services (opens in a new tab)
StevenDouglas
Back to the comparisonStevenDouglas website, captured October 2026.
- Potential fit
- A wealth firm hiring across the advisor team, client service and investment operations.
- Hiring coverage
- Advisors, relationship managers, planners, portfolio managers, operations and leadership
- Search approach
- Wealth management search and professional recruiting
StevenDouglas' wealth consultant biographies name Bessemer Trust, Bernstein Global Wealth Management and BNY Mellon Wealth Management as clients.
Its Private Wealth Services team includes former financial advisors and capital markets professionals. It serves RIAs, multi-family offices, platforms and aggregators across client service, planning, investment operations and next-generation advisory roles. Its family office coverage extends to executive leadership, investment, trust, estate, tax and compliance.
- Ask first
- Which specialist would handle a role combining advisory and operational responsibilities, and what comparable work have they completed?
- Sources
- Wealth management and family office practices (opens in a new tab)
Define the hire before choosing the recruiter
I'd start with what the person must own and what success in the first few months would look like. Give each recruiter the same brief.
Set the mandate
Specify whether an advisor must attract clients, inherit relationships or provide planning and service. For a leader, name the decisions and authority the appointment carries.
Plan succession before the search
For a retiring partner's book, agree who introduces the successor, who attends the early client meetings and when responsibility transfers. I'd fix the date the successor takes over and stick to it. Ask each finalist to walk through the handover sequence to assess their approach to earning clients' trust.
Compare the proposed search teams
Ask for relevant completed assignments, references and access to candidates in your market. Compare who will actually do the work.
How do you hire a family office executive?
Agree the principal's and family's decision authority before approaching candidates, then sequence hires around the responsibilities that need an owner first. Mack's stakeholder discussions and Selby's team-buildout service provide specific approaches to discuss.
Set confidentiality boundaries for each interview stage and decide who can approve the appointment. For a new office, identify which responsibilities the first executive must shape before recruiting the rest of the team.
How much do wealth management recruiters charge?
Keller's wealth page advertises an 18% client success fee with no upfront costs and up to 365-day replacement coverage in September 2026. Leah Yosef says it negotiates terms and fee structures in each engagement agreement. Ask every firm for a written proposal stating the fee base, payment trigger and replacement conditions.
| Provider | Service | Fee and calculation base | Payment | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keller Executive Search | Wealth executive recruitment; retained method also described | 18% client success fee; compensation base not stated on its wealth page | No upfront costs; subsequent payment schedule not stated on its wealth page | Up to 365 days; page describes replacement if an executive leaves or can no longer perform their duties within the first year |
| Leah Yosef International | Executive search, including retained engagements | Negotiates terms and fee structures per engagement | Schedule not stated on its about page | Not stated on its about page |
In a retained search the firm is paid in stages for an exclusive assignment; in a contingent or success-fee search it is paid only when a candidate is hired. For how retained and contingent fees usually work, see what executive search firms charge.
What do the published timelines measure?
They measure different milestones and search populations, so they cannot identify the fastest firm for your hire.
| Provider | Initial candidate presentation | Later milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Apex Group | 72 hours until new candidates reach the hiring manager's inbox; firm-wide marketing figure with no population stated | Average of 43 days to fill full-time hires; the wealth page does not identify which searches are included |
| Keller Executive Search | First candidates in two to three weeks | Many searches reach a shortlist in four to eight weeks; scarce skills can extend the process |
| Leah Yosef International | Presents top talent within 30 to 45 days | Average of 61 days to fill retained searches |
Request a schedule for candidate presentation, interviews, offer and start date, with notice periods and client handover shown separately.
Who pays a financial advisor recruiter?
Under Diamond's advisor-facing service, the firm the advisor joins pays Diamond; its separate employer-retained service is commissioned by the hiring firm. Diamond's services page (opens in a new tab) says its advisor-side guidance "puts advisors' interests first". Confirm the payment and representation clauses for the service you engage. Paying an introduction fee does not by itself establish that the recruiter represents your interests.
How do you vet an advisor and their expected client transfer?
Check registration and disciplinary history in the relevant jurisdiction, assess the advisor's work, and test the transfer assumptions with compliance and counsel. Registry checks are one part of diligence.
- US: The SEC's investment professional guidance (opens in a new tab) explains registration and disciplinary lookups through IAPD (opens in a new tab), which may direct you to FINRA's BrokerCheck (opens in a new tab) for broker-dealers.
- UK: For individuals carrying out regulated activities on your behalf, check current roles and disciplinary or regulatory action through the FCA's Financial Services Register (opens in a new tab).
The Protocol for Broker Recruiting (opens in a new tab) governs the use of client information when registered representatives move between firms that have signed it.
Use the following questions to evaluate a proposed move without requesting confidential information the candidate is not permitted to share.
- Production baseline: What are the assets under management as of a stated date and the advisor's attributable trailing-12-month (T-12) revenue for a specified period, separating recurring and one-off revenue?
- Transfer assumptions: Which assets are expected to transfer, on what evidence and timetable, and how does that estimate differ from the assets the advisor serves today?
- Client consent and restrictions: Have counsel reviewed both firms' current Protocol for Broker Recruiting status, the proposed process, permitted data, contractual restrictions and required client consent?
- Transition package: Have your advisers reviewed any upfront payment or forgivable loan, its conditions and repayment triggers?
Client decisions determine the eventual transfers. Build the hiring case around explicit assumptions and an agreed transition process, without promising a retention percentage.
Questions for the first call
Choose the firm whose proposed team can support its approach with relevant experience. The wider guide to choosing an executive search firm can help with the engagement decision.
- Comparable work: Which completed searches can relevant clients discuss with us?
- Delivery team: Who runs the search day to day, and what other assignments are they handling?
- Candidate access: Which employers can you not approach because of existing client relationships?
- Confidentiality: How will you protect the search and candidate discussions?
- Contract: What are the payment milestones, cancellation terms and replacement conditions?
Sources and method
How this list was made
Start with firms whose work matches the responsibility you need to fill. A firm is included when its own pages describe recruiting for wealth managers, RIAs, private banks or family offices. CSI Executive Search was considered, but its site could not be read when this page was checked; that is not a finding about the firm.
Sources captured September 27 and October 3, 2026; Selby Jennings team-buildout service confirmed October 3, 2026
Jake Jorgovan
Jake works with enterprise leaders on marketing strategy and executive talent. He co-founded Alpha Apex Group, founded Content Allies, owns Listen Network and is a partner in Fieldtrip, a group of marketing agencies. He founded Lead Cookie and later sold it.
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