Bill Donohue Appointed SVP Sales, Global Public Sector at interos.ai
Technology Executive Search for C-Suite, VP & Board Leadership
Christian & Timbers conducts partner-led retained searches for CTOs, VPs of Engineering, Chief Data Officers and other senior technology leaders. We assess the systems candidates have delivered and the decisions they personally owned. Clients receive their first candidate slate within 30–90 days.
Christian & Timbers has completed over 2,000 AI and technology leadership searches
2,000+
AI & technology searches
12,000+
AI leaders mapped
30–90
days to first slate
40+
years of C-suite search
Where we have placed technology and AI leaders
The assessment
How We Assess Technology Leadership Experience
A senior technology title gives limited evidence of the scale of a candidate’s work. We examine the systems they delivered, the teams they led and the decisions they made when a project ran into trouble.
We ask candidates to explain the decisions behind the systems they delivered.
- 01Systems delivered, including scale and performance
- 02Architecture and platform decisions the candidate personally owned
- 03Security and operational risks addressed during delivery
- 04Engineering teams built, including hiring and retention results
- 05The candidate’s response when a major initiative fell behind
What you receive
You receive a ranked slate of 3 to 5 candidates. Each profile includes a written assessment against the criteria above, along with a direct account of the candidate’s strengths and areas of risk. The reasoning behind the ranking is documented for the hiring team and board to review.
Market access
Reach Technology Leaders Beyond the Applicant Pool
Senior technology executives often have established teams and long-term responsibilities in their current companies. Many won't be reached through a job posting.
Christian & Timbers maps the relevant market and approaches leaders whose experience fits the mandate, including executives who are settled in their current roles. The search focuses on the systems and organizational decisions the incoming leader will own.
The search brief should define the decisions this leader will own.
Roles we place
- CTO
- VP of Engineering
- Chief Data Officer
- Chief Scientist
- Head of Machine Learning
- Chief Innovation Officer
- VP of Technology
- VP of Data Platform
Sectors
- AI infrastructure & models
- Semiconductors
- Robotics
- Drones
- Aerospace & defense
- Data infrastructure
- Developer tooling
- Fintech
- Cybersecurity
- Biopharma
- Healthtech software
- Manufacturing
Successful placements
Recently Placed by Christian & Timbers
Jerry Becker Appointed SVP, Head of AI & Digital Transformation at Smith+Nephew
Ashok Paranjothi Appointed SVP of AI at Acosta Group
William Jellison Appointed to the Board of Directors at Telix Pharmaceuticals
Maria Rivas, MD Appointed to the Board of Directors at Telix Pharmaceuticals
Sylvia Isler Appointed CTO at Atropos Health
Sriprasanna Sharma Appointed VP, Product Management at Insurity
The engagement
What the first 90 days look like
Days 0–7
The partner, hiring executive and board sponsor define the mandate and agree on the assessment criteria before outreach begins.
Days 7–21
The research team maps the full relevant market, including executives whose experience matches the role and candidates who are settled in their current positions.
Days 21–45
The team begins outreach and assesses candidates against the 5 criteria above.
Days 30–90
The client receives a ranked slate of 3 to 5 candidates, accompanied by a written assessment of each person.
After the slate
The same partner leads the engagement from mandate calibration through the offer process and onboarding.
The comparison
3 ways to run a technology leadership search
| Global retained firm | Technology recruiter | Christian & Timbers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Associate team after the sale | Contingent representative | One senior partner, start to finish |
| Who they can approach | Off-limits agreements remove client companies | Active job seekers only | Full relevant market |
| How they screen | Pedigree and prior title | Keyword match on a CV | Systems shipped, decisions owned |
| First slate | 3 to 4 months | Days, unvetted | 30–90 days, assessed in writing |
| Technology search experience | Generalist bench | Engineering-focused network | 2,000+ AI and technology searches |
| If it doesn’t work out | Repeat the retainer | Repeat the search | Guarantee terms |
Since 1985
Four Decades of Technology Leadership Search
- Steve Jobs’ final two board searches at Apple
- Carly Fiorina, Chief Executive Officer at Hewlett-Packard
- Executive searches for WebMD, Upwork, F5 Networks and McAfee
- Founder named to the Forbes Midas List twice and author of The Headhunter’s Edge
- More than 200 AI startups backed through CT Access Ventures
The firm’s search experience spans the internet era and the rise of AI.
Start a search
Talk to the partner who will lead your search
The first conversation focuses on your mandate and the relevant candidate market. You will speak directly with the partner who would lead the search. No candidate list or pitch deck is used during this initial discussion.
JC Christian
President · AI & Technology Leadership
Executive Recruiting for AI & Tech | 5000+ Placements