CEO recruiting firms vary widely in specialization, process, and network depth. This guide reviews ten executive search firms for CEO roles, listed in alphabetical order. It also covers how to read CEO recruiting firm reviews, and what to look for in a CEO headhunter in San Francisco, the Bay Area, New York, or other major leadership markets.
How This Guide Was Built
The firms below were drawn from industry rankings, including Forbes America's Best Executive Recruiting Firms and Hunt Scanlon's list of top search firms, alongside specialist reviews of executive recruiters. Each firm was assessed on its depth in CEO search and succession, its sector and geographic reach, and evidence from recent CEO mandates.
CEO Recruiting Firms (In Alphabetical Order)
1. Christian & Timbers
Christian & Timbers runs CEO and board searches for technology, AI, and private equity-backed companies. The firm reports more than 5,000 C-suite searches, including over 500 CEO searches, with coverage across Silicon Valley, New York, and other technology and financial hubs.
Recent CEO appointments include Millie Tarallo at Almaden and Ted Krantz at Interos. The firm's CEO work often extends into board searches and leadership team builds once the new CEO is in place.
Best for:
- Founder-led and investor-backed companies whose value rests on technology and AI
- Boards that want CEO search, board search, and team buildout with one firm
2. Cowen Partners Executive Search
Cowen Partners focuses on C-suite and revenue-critical roles. Its teams cover CEO and president searches alongside CFO, CRO, and other commercial roles, often for private equity-backed or fast-growing companies.
The firm runs a data-driven shortlisting process with national coverage, including New York and other major US hubs.
Best for:
- Mid-market and sponsor-backed companies building out a full C-suite
- Clients that prefer a boutique firm with national reach
3. DHR Global
DHR Global combines executive search with leadership consulting and runs a dedicated board and CEO practice. Its services include board design, CEO succession planning, and governance advisory alongside CEO search.
That mix suits boards that want governance support and board refreshment at the same time as a CEO appointment.
Best for:
- Organizations redesigning their board while hiring a new CEO
- Clients that want senior partner attention throughout the search
4. Egon Zehnder
Egon Zehnder treats CEO selection as one stage in a continuous process that includes internal pipeline building and external benchmarking. The firm works extensively with European multinationals, family businesses, and global private companies.
Its CEO work combines succession planning, recruitment, and leadership development.
Best for:
- Boards that want internal development and external CEO search in one relationship
- Clients with a large presence in Europe, Asia, and Latin America
5. Heidrick & Struggles
Heidrick & Struggles runs a dedicated CEO and board practice with global industry coverage. It is often engaged for CEO searches at associations, professional bodies, and public companies.
The firm pairs search with culture and leadership development work, which suits clients that want a broad advisory relationship.
Best for:
- Enterprises that want board-level data and diversity insight in the search
- International organizations with multi-regional operations
6. Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry is a global executive search firm and runs a dedicated CEO search and succession practice. It supports boards with internal and external candidate assessment, readiness benchmarking, and development planning.
Its CEO work includes association and non-profit searches as well as corporate mandates.
Best for:
- Global enterprises with complex governance structures
- Organizations that want assessment, leadership development, and board advisory together
7. Odgers Berndtson
Odgers Berndtson runs a global CEO practice with a strong presence in the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America. A dedicated CEO team partners with clients on search, benchmarking, and development.
The firm suits organizations that want CEO search grounded in sector knowledge and local market presence.
Best for:
- International groups balancing regional autonomy with global governance
- Non-profit and public sector organizations seeking specialist CEO experience
8. Russell Reynolds Associates
Russell Reynolds Associates runs a global CEO search and leadership advisory practice across sectors and regions. It combines CEO search with assessment, culture consulting, and board effectiveness work.
That range suits complex organizations that want one partner for several leadership questions.
Best for:
- Boards that value a strong research base and leadership analytics
- Organizations going through transformation, mergers, or international expansion
9. Spencer Stuart
Spencer Stuart combines board and CEO advisory with CEO succession planning and search. Its teams often work with boards years before an expected transition, building internal pipelines and testing external candidates.
The firm suits companies that treat CEO succession as an ongoing process instead of a one-time hire.
Best for:
- Public companies and family-controlled businesses planning succession well in advance
- Boards that want structured insight on potential internal successors
10. True Search
True Search works in venture and growth equity circles and runs a dedicated CEO practice that spans seed-stage startups through large corporations. It often appears on shortlists for CEO searches in San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Its venture connections make it relevant for founders and investors hiring a first or second CEO.
Best for:
- Venture-backed companies and growth equity portfolio businesses
- Boards that want one partner for early-stage and pre-IPO mandates
How to Use This List as a CEO Recruiting Firm Hiring Guide
1. Clarify the Search Brief
Before contacting any CEO recruiting firm, the board should write a short brief. It should set out the strategic context for the transition and three to five measurable outcomes for the next three years. It should also cover the experience needed in geography, scale, and sector. That brief anchors every conversation with prospective firms.
2. Match Firm Profile and Geography
Global multinationals often fit with global firms such as Korn Ferry, Spencer Stuart, or Russell Reynolds Associates. Technology and AI-centric companies tend to shortlist Christian & Timbers or True Search. Boards looking for a CEO headhunter in San Francisco, the Bay Area, or New York should confirm the firm can show recent CEO work in that market. Some boards run CEO searches with two partners, pairing a specialist firm's sector depth with a global firm's reach.
3. Read CEO Recruiting Firm Reviews with Context
Online reviews and rankings summarize broad impressions more often than specific CEO outcomes. Boards should ask each firm for CEO placements similar to their own situation, along with retention data at two and three years. References from board members or investors carry more weight than general testimonials.
4. Compare Process and Partner Involvement
Strong CEO search firms run a clear process. It starts with stakeholder interviews and mandate definition, then moves to market mapping and a shortlist with structured assessment. Referencing and onboarding support close it out. The useful comparison is how each firm runs these stages and how often senior partners stay personally involved.
5. Plan for Future Leadership Needs
The relationship with a CEO recruiting firm can continue after the hire, through board searches and succession planning. Boards that build long-term partnerships with one or two firms tend to move faster when the next leadership question arrives.
CEO Search Fees and Timelines
Retained CEO searches typically cost 25% to 33% of the CEO's first-year compensation, usually billed in installments over the engagement. Most searches run three to five months from kickoff to accepted offer. Searches with an unsettled mandate or a large group of stakeholders tend to run longer.
Contacting Christian & Timbers
Boards planning a CEO search can reach Christian & Timbers at hello@christian-timbers.com.