Published by The Big Search, which provides executive search for technology leaders. Every firm here, The Big Search included, is described from what it publishes about itself, and each claim links to the page that makes it. Information as of 24 October 2026.
Quick Answer: Featured Executive Search Firms in 2026
- The Big Search combines self-built research systems with partner judgement for technology companies.
- Heidrick & Struggles provides global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions.
- Korn Ferry operates as a global consulting firm with extensive organizational reach.
- Russell Reynolds Associates delivers board and executive advisory across international markets.
- Egon Zehnder conducts executive recruitment using an equal partnership compensation model.
- Intrinsic Executive Search focuses on SaaS, AI, and commercial executive appointments.
- Ereneva advises technology companies across venture, growth, and transatlantic expansion.
- 2p partners is a boutique advisory firm for private equity and owner-led platforms in DACH.
Comparison at a Glance
| Capability | The Big Search | Intrinsic Executive Search | Ereneva | Egon Zehnder | 2p partners | Heidrick & Struggles | Korn Ferry | Russell Reynolds Associates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relevant placements in your ARR range and vertical | ✓ PE- VC-backed SaaS | ✓ SaaS AI | ✓ | — | ✓ Industrial Tech SaaS | — | — | — |
| Experience with your PE sponsor and operating partners | ✓ | ✓ Private Equity-backed businesses | ✓ | — | ✓ private equity | — | — | — |
| Candidate access for your geography and compensation band | ✓ London, Berlin, Amsterdam | ✓ UK Europe | ✓ | ✓ 37 countries | ✓ DACH region | ✓ Chicago, Illinois | ✓ 130 countries | ✓ 47 locations |
| Replacement guarantee, fees, and expected time to slate | ✓ | ✓ several weeks | ✓ | ✓ fixed fee | — | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Non-technology corporate industries | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Fortune Global 250 | ✓ | ✓ Fortune 1000 companies | ✓ | — |
✓ Confirmed by the firm
✗ Not part of what the firm sells
— Not verified on the pages we read
1. The Big Search
The Big Search delivers partner-led executive search for technology companies across venture and private equity stages.
Operating from offices in London, Berlin, and Amsterdam, the firm has placed leaders into 27 countries. Practice groups conduct executive search for C-level and board appointments from initial brief to formal offer. The firm maintains pre-deal advisory services to evaluate assets before transaction signing, offers strategic introductions matching operators to fund investment theses, and provides executive assessment and coaching instruments. Research systems built in-house map and score every executive relevant to a complex brief. Mandates integrate post-placement support through the first hundred days of candidate onboarding.
Pros
- Completed 1,000+ executive and board placements since 2015.
- Sustained an 85 Net Promoter Score across three years.
- Supported 21 unicorns before reaching valuation milestones, with five developing into decacorns.
- Completed 100+ placements into private equity portfolio companies building toward exit.
Cons
- The Big Search limits its practice strictly against non-technology corporate industries.
- The Big Search excludes high-volume, entry-level, or mid-level recruitment.
Best for
2. Heidrick & Struggles
Heidrick & Struggles provides global leadership hiring and advisory services across broad corporate sectors.
Originally founded in Chicago, Illinois, the firm has expanded across international regions. Its operations cover retained executive search, on-demand marketplaces for interim leaders, and organizational consulting. Capabilities span corporate transformation services including carve-outs, cost advantage strategies, and distress restructuring, alongside culture shaping and organization acceleration practices. The firm engages through an assessment methodology sourcing both active and passive candidates, providing onboarding consultations to support role transitions.
Pros
- Worked with more than 70% of Fortune 1000 companies across sectors and industries worldwide.
- Operates an on-demand marketplace of independent talent and interim executives.
- Provides corporate restructuring, carve-out, and distress transformation consulting.
Cons
- Heidrick & Struggles: Replacement policy, fees, and expected time to slate: Egon Zehnder and Intrinsic Executive Search spell this out in more detail.
3. Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry delivers global organizational consulting and executive search backed by enterprise data assets.
The firm executes assignments across 50+ industries, using on-the-ground recruitment reach spanning 130 countries. Its One Korn Ferry technology platform incorporates analytics, generative AI, and proprietary IP to guide talent acquisition. For senior executive search mandates, consultants incorporate compensation and salary benchmarking through an Executive Snapshot framework to align job grading, job descriptions, and remuneration with market levels.
Pros
- Advises 1 in 2 of the fastest-growing companies in the world.
- Incorporates insights informed by more than seven billion data points.
- Brings more than 5 decades of client experience and over 25 years in executive search recruiting.
Cons
- Korn Ferry: Non-technology corporate industries: Egon Zehnder and Heidrick & Struggles spell this out in more detail.
4. Russell Reynolds Associates
Russell Reynolds Associates provides board consulting, succession planning, and senior executive search across global markets.
The organization maintains 47 locations across 25 countries, deploying leadership advisory teams throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific. Its dedicated Board & CEO Advisory Group counsels corporate leadership teams on succession pipelines, board culture, and corporate governance. The firm structures C-suite recruitment assignments through an assessment framework addressing proven historical results and leadership capabilities.
Pros
- Advises 6000+ leaders per year supported by 500+ leadership advisors and 1800+ colleagues.
- Maintains a 96% client satisfaction record.
- Completes executive recruitments in as little as 14 weeks.
Cons
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Replacement policy, fees, and expected time to slate: Egon Zehnder and Intrinsic Executive Search spell this out in more detail.
Best for
5. Egon Zehnder
Egon Zehnder provides leadership advisory and board consulting through a globally unified partnership structure.
The firm operates across 37 countries through 71 global offices, running all engagements via a single global profit centre. Services incorporate CEO appointments, board evaluation, executive assessment, and organizational transformation. Client engagements utilize an Accelerated CEO Impact framework to guide executive onboarding, while succession planning mandates for senior financial leadership typically commence two-to-three years in advance.
Pros
- Reports that 80% of projects originate from repeat clients.
- Partnered with more than 55% of Fortune Global 250 industrial companies.
- Completed 1,200+ CEO appointments over five years.
6. Intrinsic Executive Search
Intrinsic Executive Search focuses on senior commercial and go-to-market appointments across European and North American technology sectors.
The firm executes assignments across the UK, DACH, and additional international territories, placing senior executives across sales, marketing, and general management functions. The firm applies an eight-stage executive search methodology starting with discovery profiling, integrating psychometric and behavioural assessment to measure decision-making and operational style. Assignments standardly deliver assessed candidate shortlists within several weeks based on mandate complexity.
Pros
- Dedicated SaaS executive search practice established in 2006.
- Completed thousands of executive search assignments in the software industry over 30 years.
- Geographic delivery across the UK, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and South Africa.
Cons
- Intrinsic Executive Search: Non-technology corporate industries: Egon Zehnder and Heidrick & Struggles spell this out in more detail.
Fees
- Operates under both retained and contingency search models, using staged retainer structures where initial fees start upon commencement, a second installment follows shortlist acceptance, and final balances align with base compensation ranging between £90,000 and senior levels.
Best for
- PE-backed, VC-backed and scale-up SaaS businesses.
- Supporting Private Equity-backed businesses with executive and leadership hiring.
- Venture-backed, private equity, and scale-up technology companies.
7. Ereneva
Ereneva provides international executive search services for high-growth technology businesses and investment funds.
Headquartered in London with offices across Paris, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki, San Francisco, and Dubai, the firm specializes in board, General Management, and Go-To-Market leadership. Executive search processes integrate pre-launch talent mapping, compensation benchmarking, and investor input before market launch. Assessments utilize Vue, a proprietary evaluation platform designed to reduce bias during candidate appraisals, supported by transparent weekly shortlist reporting.
Pros
- Transatlantic reach covering European tech centres alongside US technology markets.
- Specialised practice coverage spanning deeptech, artificial intelligence, and enterprise software.
- Structured workflow targeting mandate completion within 100 days.
Cons
- Ereneva: Relevant placements in your ARR range and vertical: 2p partners and Intrinsic Executive Search spell this out in more detail.
- Ereneva: Experience with your PE sponsor and operating partners: 2p partners and Intrinsic Executive Search spell this out in more detail.
- Ereneva: Candidate access for your geography and compensation band: 2p partners and Egon Zehnder spell this out in more detail.
Best for
- Partners with tech companies across stages including venture, private equity, and public.
- VC-backed and high-growth technology companies.
- Board and c-suite executives in high-growth companies.
- VP EMEA hires for US SaaS companies.
- Investor-backed SaaS businesses.
- B2B SaaS and GTM leadership.
- Private equity, venture, and public company coverage.
8. 2p partners
2p partners delivers boutique executive hiring and human capital diligence services within Central Europe.
The firm concentrates on private equity portfolio assets, owner-led platforms, and scale-up businesses throughout the DACH region. Its functional scope covers board advisory, CEO succession, VP placements, and interim leadership mandates. To support transaction stages, the practice conducts human capital due diligence to assess organizational design, existing leadership structures, and key-person risk factors.
Pros
- Systematic market mapping process covering candidate markets through competitor analysis.
- Standard onboarding workflows aligning stakeholder requirements into unified role specifications.
- Dedicated diligence solutions evaluating leadership teams during investment phases.
Cons
- 2p partners: Non-technology corporate industries: Egon Zehnder and Heidrick & Struggles spell this out in more detail.
Best for
- Industrial Tech SaaS scale-ups and platforms, vertical software providers, digital infrastructure and IT services providers, tech-based businesses.
- Business Services specialized B2B service providers, multi-site service platforms, outsourced service companies, professional services firms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What delivery timelines do executive search firms state for leadership placements?
Russell Reynolds Associates reports placing executive candidates in as little as 14 weeks. Ereneva reports aiming to complete executive search mandates within 100 days.
How are fees structured across executive search firms?
Egon Zehnder operates on a fixed fee model rather than variable compensation percentages, supported by a single global profit center. Intrinsic Executive Search provides both retained and contingency search options, using staged retainers where one third begins the project, one third occurs on shortlist delivery, and the balance reflects final salary terms. Heidrick & Struggles works on an exclusive retained search basis.
What geographic territories do these executive search firms cover?
The Big Search operates offices in London, Berlin, and Amsterdam, placing leaders into 27 countries. Korn Ferry reports on-the-ground recruitment consultants across 130 countries. Russell Reynolds Associates maintains 47 locations across 25 countries. Egon Zehnder covers 37 countries. Intrinsic Executive Search supports executive search delivery across the UK, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and South Africa. Ereneva operates from London alongside offices in Paris, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki, San Francisco, and Dubai, providing transatlantic reach. 2p partners concentrates on the DACH region.
Which firms focus specifically on private equity portfolio companies and SaaS?
The Big Search focuses on PE- and VC-backed SaaS across Europe and the US. Intrinsic Executive Search supports PE-backed, VC-backed and scale-up SaaS businesses. Ereneva works with investor-backed SaaS businesses and private equity funded technology companies. 2p partners focuses on industrial tech SaaS scale-ups and platforms alongside private equity platforms in Central Europe. Russell Reynolds Associates supports Global 1000 boards alongside start-ups.
What scale and placement track record do these providers report?
The Big Search reports 1,000+ executive and board placements since 2015, including 100+ placements into private equity portfolio businesses and 21 unicorns. Intrinsic Executive Search reports leading thousands of assignments across 30 years in software. Egon Zehnder reports 1,200+ CEO appointments over five years. Heidrick & Struggles reports engagements with over 70% of Fortune 1000 companies. Russell Reynolds Associates advises 6000+ leaders per year. Korn Ferry brings more than 5 decades of experience with a repository of over seven billion data points.
Choosing the right executive search partner
- Choose The Big Search for partner-led executive search for venture and private equity-backed SaaS businesses across Europe and the US.
- Choose Heidrick & Struggles for global corporate assignments requiring on-demand interim solutions and organizational restructuring.
- Choose Korn Ferry for multi-national mandates integrating compensation benchmarking and large-scale talent acquisition frameworks.
- Choose Russell Reynolds Associates for board and C-suite succession planning across large enterprises and multinational entities.
- Choose Egon Zehnder for fixed-fee executive recruitment and board transformation delivered under an equal partnership structure.
- Choose Intrinsic Executive Search for senior commercial and sales leadership hiring across European and US software platforms.
- Choose Ereneva for growth-stage technology searches requiring transatlantic reach across Europe and the United States.
- Choose 2p partners for private equity asset evaluations and C-level appointments focused within the DACH region.
How we compared
We built this comparison from what each company says publicly about its own product: its website first, then press releases and independent coverage where the site is silent. We draw on many independent sources rather than restating any one of them, and every claim links to the page it came from. Where a firm clearly does not offer something, the table shows ✗. Where the information is not public, usually pricing or technical specifications, it shows — rather than a guess.
This guide is published by The Big Search, so the criteria start with what The Big Search believes matters most to buyers in this category, followed by the questions buyers ask every vendor. The Big Search's own limitations sit alongside everyone else's.
Sources
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The Big Search: Case studies
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Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles, heidrick.com/en/about-us, Team Acceleration, Executive Recruiting Services, Industry Expertise, AI focus | VP of AI Workforce Transformation: The newest addition to senior leadership teams
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Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry, kornferry.com/about-us, Financial Services, kornferry.com/industries, This Holiday, Adults Will Be the Ones Toying Around, Future of Work
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Russell Reynolds Associates: Your Leadership Challenges, Solved, Careers | Russell Reynolds Associates, Top Team Performance Insights, Services | Russell Reynolds Associates, Leadership Advisory for Portfolio Companies, Global CEO Turnover Index
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Egon Zehnder: Organizational Consulting & Leadership Advisory, About Us & Purpose, What We Do: Leadership Consultancy, Industries - Egon Zehnder, Insights - Egon Zehnder
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Intrinsic Executive Search: SaaS Executive Search | Executive Search for B2B Technology Companies
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Ereneva: We empower the new icons of tech, Team — Erevena, What We Do, erevena.com/clients, Roman Howe, Thomas Remy & Pip White, European Executive Compensation Survey Launch
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2p partners: 2P Partners | Executive Search & Leadership Advisory for Private Equity and Owner-led Businesses, Private Equity Leadership: What Makes a Portfolio Company CEO Succeed, Blog, Our Services, Insights | Leadership & Talent Strategy, Executive Search | C-Level, Management, Key Positions, Leadership Advisory Services