Top 10 Retained Executive Search Firms in 2026

The best retained executive search firm brings relevant sector experience, access to passive candidates, a clear assessment process, and direct senior-partner involvement. The 10 firms below appear in alphabetical order, with each matched to the mandates it is best equipped to handle.

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What Is Retained Executive Search?

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Retained search is an exclusive, fee-based engagement model used to fill senior leadership roles: CEO, C-suite, VP-level functional leaders, and board seats. A company hires one firm, pays a portion of the fee upfront, and the firm commits dedicated research and consulting resources to the search throughout the engagement.

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The model is generally reserved for the most senior and hardest-to-fill roles. CEO transitions, board director searches, and newly created positions like Chief AI Officer typically run through retained firms because these searches depend on confidential outreach to passive candidates who aren't browsing job boards or responding to postings.

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Fee structures vary by firm and by engagement. The search industry commonly ties retained fees to a percentage of the placed executive's first-year compensation, with payments divided across stages of the engagement. Some firms use flat project fees, particularly for board searches where compensation isn't a clean benchmark.

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Contingency recruitment works differently. Multiple agencies compete for the same role, nobody gets paid unless a candidate is hired, and there's no exclusivity or guaranteed research depth. That model suits mid-level hiring where speed and volume matter more than discretion. It's used far less often for C-suite roles, where confidentiality and reference depth carry more weight than filling the seat quickly.

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Top 10 Retained Executive Search Firms in 2026 (In Alphabetical Order)

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1. Christian & Timbers

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Best for: AI, technology, robotics, and aerospace and defense executive search

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AI and advanced technology searches are where Christian & Timbers is most differentiated. The firm recruits CEO, CTO, CPO, and board-level leaders across robotics, aerospace and defense, enterprise software, and physical AI.

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Its search mandates span AI-native software, physical AI, aerospace and defense, robotics, manufacturing technology, and enterprise software, covering roles such as VP of AI, Head of AI, VP of AI Transformation, and Chief Robotics Officer alongside traditional CPTO and VP of Engineering searches. The firm has also built out dedicated practice areas in Forward Deployed Engineer hiring, a role category tied to applied AI deployment inside enterprise buyers. Senior partners stay directly involved throughout each search, including candidate evaluation and client consultation.

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Christian & Timbers works best with venture-backed and growth-stage technology companies, along with established manufacturers, aerospace and defense contractors, and industrial firms hiring AI leadership for the first time. Its dedicated physical AI, robotics, and aerospace and defense practices distinguish the firm from general technology recruiters.

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Key services: CEO search, board recruitment, AI leadership search, A&D search, and succession planning 

Headquarters: Cleveland, Ohio

Founded: 1980 

Website: https://www.christianandtimbers.com

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2. DHR Global

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Best for: Mid-market and industrial-sector executive search

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For mid-market and privately held companies, DHR Global offers the scale of an international firm with direct senior-partner involvement. Acquisitions such as Boyden’s Prairie offices have extended that coverage.

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DHR operates through wholly owned offices rather than a franchise network, giving clients consistent process and quality across technology, financial services, healthcare, industrial, private equity, consumer and retail, and sports searches, from board appointments down to functional VP roles.

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Jobplex, the firm's emerging-leader arm, handles positions below the traditional C-suite threshold. This gives clients access to one provider across different levels of seniority.

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Key services: Executive search, leadership consulting, succession planning, and emerging-leader search 

Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois 

Founded: 1989 

Website: https://www.dhrglobal.com

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3. Egon Zehnder

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Best for: CEO succession and board advisory at global scale

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A multinational board preparing for CEO succession is the clearest fit for Egon Zehnder. Its privately held One Firm model allows consultants to work across offices without treating each location as a separate business.

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Clients hiring across financial services, technology, healthcare, consumer, and industrial sectors draw on a leadership assessment methodology the firm has refined over six decades, applied consistently whether the mandate is CEO succession, a board director search, or another C-suite appointment.

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Egon Zehnder also advises clients after a placement through succession and leadership services. Its One Firm model uses a shared incentive system intended to align consultants across offices and support collaboration on assignments.

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Key services: CEO succession, board consulting, leadership assessment, and executive search 

Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland 

Founded: 1964 

Website: https://www.egonzehnder.com

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4. Heidrick & Struggles

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Best for: Leadership advisory and on-demand executive talent

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An organization facing both a permanent search and an immediate leadership gap can use Heidrick & Struggles for each need. Its offering spans retained search, leadership assessment, culture consulting, and on-demand talent.

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Heidrick serves clients across financial services, technology, consumer, healthcare, and private equity. Its experience includes searches for Chief Digital Officers and Chief Data Officers.

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Key services: Executive search, leadership consulting, culture transformation, and on-demand talent 

Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois 

Founded: 1953 

Website: https://www.heidrick.com

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5. Korn Ferry

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Best for: Companies wanting search bundled with broader talent consulting

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Korn Ferry reaches beyond the executive appointment into the systems surrounding it. Compensation data, organizational consulting, executive search, and recruitment outsourcing sit within the same firm.

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Clients in financial services, healthcare, life sciences, technology, aerospace, defense, and manufacturing benefit from compensation benchmarking and leadership assessment tools the firm has built through its own research, feeding directly into how each search is run.

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Korn Ferry announced plans to retire the Hay Group and Futurestep names in 2018, then moved its services under the Korn Ferry brand in 2019. This allows a client to move from a CEO appointment into succession planning, leadership development, or organizational design with the same provider.

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Key services: Executive search, leadership consulting, coaching, and RPO 

Headquarters: Los Angeles, California 

Founded: 1969 

Website: https://www.kornferry.com

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6. Odgers

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Best for: Cross-border executive search with local market coverage

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Cross-border searches can break down when global coordination overlooks local hiring realities. Odgers addresses that problem through teams that understand regional candidate expectations and compensation practices.

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Clients across education, financial services, consumer products, entertainment, sports, energy, healthcare, and industrial sectors rely on that local-team structure for executive recruitment, board search, CEO succession, and interim appointments that span more than one market.

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That model can be useful when candidate expectations, compensation practices, and hiring conventions differ by market.

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Key services: Executive search, board search, CEO succession, and interim appointments

‍Headquarters: London, United Kingdom 

Founded: 1965 

Website: https://www.odgers.com

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7. Russell Reynolds Associates

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Best for: Board and governance advisory alongside traditional C-suite search

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Board effectiveness often needs attention before a new executive is appointed. Russell Reynolds Associates brings governance advice into the search, particularly for CEO succession and board director mandates.

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Boards in education, financial services, healthcare, industrial, and technology sectors bring the firm in for culture advisory, family business succession, and digital transformation search, in addition to core executive recruiting.

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Russell Reynolds has built assessment tools that examine board effectiveness as a whole. That work can support boards responding to activist investors or regulatory scrutiny, along with those preparing for a generational leadership transition. The firm advises on board structure and succession before an open search begins and throughout the resulting assignment.

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Key services: Executive search, board and CEO advisory, culture advisory, and succession planning 

Headquarters: New York, New York 

Founded: 1969 

Website: https://www.russellreynolds.com

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8. Spencer Stuart

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Best for: Large-cap public company C-suite and board search

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Few assignments attract more scrutiny than the succession of a public-company CEO. Spencer Stuart’s Board and CEO Practice is built around those high-visibility appointments and the planning that precedes them.

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Consumer, education, government, energy, financial services, industrial, life sciences, private equity, and technology clients draw on that practice for board advisory, CEO succession, executive assessment, and leadership training.

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The firm's experience with high-visibility CEO transitions supports boards facing scrutiny from investors and other stakeholders. 

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Key services: Executive search, board advisory, CEO succession, and leadership assessment

‍Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois 

Founded: 1956 

Website: https://www.spencerstuart.com

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9. True Search

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Best for: Venture and private equity-backed executive search

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Venture-backed companies frequently need leaders who can operate through rapid growth, shifting ownership expectations, and a possible public-market transition. True Search built its presence around that client base.

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Clients hiring in artificial intelligence, enterprise software, financial services, hardtech and physical AI, life sciences, and consumer sectors gain access to the broader True platform alongside the core search practice, which also includes interim placement, talent CRM software, and technology-enabled hiring tools.

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Assignments include board members and C-suite leaders, along with VPs at growth-stage and newly public companies. The proprietary True AI Capability Index is designed to help assess executive performance in AI-heavy leadership roles.

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True was also a founding partner of AboveBoard, a platform created to increase the representation of women and executives of color in leadership roles.

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Key services: Executive search, fractional and interim placement, and talent technology

‍Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

Founded: 2012 

Website: https://www.trueplatform.com

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10. ZRG Partners

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Best for: Data-driven search for private equity-backed companies, and family-owned businesses

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Candidate evaluation at ZRG Partners incorporates data through the firm’s proprietary Zi Platform. That approach appeals to corporate and private equity clients seeking more structure in executive assessment.

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Healthcare, life sciences, technology, and financial services clients use that practice for executive search, interim management, leadership assessment, and consulting, all run through the same data-driven approach.

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ZRG has expanded through acquisitions that include Fortium Partners and Wiser Partners. These additions have extended the firm into interim leadership and specialized search markets.

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Key services: Executive search, interim management, leadership assessment, and consulting

‍Headquarters: Rochelle Park, New Jersey 

Founded: 1999 

Website: https://www.zrgpartners.com

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How to Choose a Retained Executive Search Firm

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Start by examining the firm's direct experience with the function and sector involved. Experience in consumer goods provides limited evidence of a firm's ability to run a Chief AI Officer or VP of Robotics search. Ask for completed assignments in the function and sector involved.

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Partner involvement is the next filter. Some firms sell a senior partner on the pitch call, then hand the actual research to a team of associates who never speak with the client again. Ask directly who will run point day-to-day and how often that person personally engages with candidates versus delegating outreach.

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Candidate access separates firms more than almost any other factor. A firm's real value is its ability to reach passive candidates who aren't job-hunting. Off-limits policies, which restrict a firm from approaching candidates at companies it has recently placed executives with or worked for as a client, can narrow that talent pool in ways worth asking about upfront.

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Assessment methods vary, from structured competency interviews to psychometric testing to multi-layer reference calls. Ask each firm for timelines from comparable assignments, since role scarcity and market conditions affect the process more than any generic estimate would suggest. Fees should be documented in the engagement scope before the search begins.

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Questions to ask any prospective firm:

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• What comparable searches have you completed in this function and sector in the last 12 to 18 months?
• Who will personally run this search day-to-day, and how much of their time is dedicated to it?
• What does your written market mapping deliverable look like before candidate outreach begins?
• What is your fee structure, and how are payments staged across the engagement?
• What off-limits restrictions currently apply to your firm, and how might they affect the candidate pool for this specific search?
• What has typically caused delays on comparable searches, and what's your average time to close?

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Conclusion

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The best retained executive search firm depends on the role, sector, company stage, and geographic scope of the assignment. Organizations hiring a CEO, CTO, Chief AI Officer, or board director should look for recent experience with comparable searches and direct involvement from senior partners.

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Before selecting a firm, review its assessment process and access to passive candidates. A clear engagement scope should also explain the timeline, fees, and off-limits policy. These factors help companies choose an executive search partner equipped to manage a confidential, high-stakes leadership appointment.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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1. What does a retained executive search firm do? 

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A retained search firm is hired exclusively to fill a single senior leadership role, typically C-suite, board, or VP-level. The firm conducts market research, confidentially approaches passive candidates, manages the interview and assessment process, and negotiates the offer under an exclusive engagement; the client pays upfront regardless of outcome.

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2. How much do retained search firms charge? 

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Fees are commonly tied to a percentage of the placed executive's first-year total compensation, billed in stages across the engagement. Some firms use flat project fees, particularly for board director searches where compensation isn't a clean benchmark. Exact rates vary by firm, so ask for a written fee structure before signing.

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3. How long does an executive search take? 

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Timelines vary by role, sector, and how scarce qualified candidates are for that specific mandate. Board searches and newly defined roles like Chief AI Officer can take longer than a standard C-suite search given smaller candidate pools. Ask each firm for its typical timeline on comparable searches instead of relying on a general industry figure.

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4. What positions are suitable for retained search? 

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Retained search fits CEO, C-suite, board director, and senior VP roles that require confidentiality, passive-candidate outreach, and extensive reference work. Mid-level hiring is better suited to contingency recruiting, where speed and lower cost carry more weight.

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5. How should companies compare retained executive search firms? 

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Compare firms on direct experience in the specific function and sector at stake, which senior partner will personally run the search, how the firm accesses passive candidates, and what off-limits restrictions might already narrow its available talent pool. Review the proposed fee structure and timeline after evaluating the firm's relevant experience and available candidate market.

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