Retained search.
Exclusive executive search for CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and heads of AI. One partner. One engagement. Done right.
Retained search is for hires where the cost of a bad decision is measured in years, not quarters. We commit fully to the engagement — one partner owns it from kickoff to close, no handoffs, no competing priorities.
First technical hire
Founding CTO or VP Eng at seed or Series A. This person will define the culture, the stack, and the org for the next five years. Getting it right matters more than moving fast.
Replacing a departure
CTO or VP exit — planned or not. You need a strong internal story, a confidential search, and a partner who can manage stakeholders while you keep the business running.
New function leader
Head of AI, VP of Platform, VP of Security. You're building a function that didn't exist before. The candidate pool is shallow and the compensation is nuanced.
Board-level pressure
Investors or the board have flagged technical leadership as a gap. The search needs rigor, pace, and reporting — not just a shortlist.
Kickoff
Two to three hours with you and key stakeholders. We align on scope, success criteria, compensation philosophy, and what failure looks like. We won't start sourcing until we agree on what great looks like.
Market map
We map every realistic candidate — titles, companies, tenure, comp signals. You see the landscape before we start outreach, not after.
Outreach
Every candidate is reached directly and personally. No job postings. Outreach reflects your brand — not a form letter from a recruiting firm.
Screen & brief
Structured technical and leadership interviews before you see anyone. Each candidate comes with a written brief — strengths, gaps, comp expectations, and our recommendation.
Shortlist
You see three to five candidates. That's it. They've all passed the bar. Your time goes into decision-making, not filtering.
Close
Offer structure, negotiation, counter-offer management. We stay actively engaged through day 90 to protect the placement.
A portion of the fee is paid at kickoff — which means we're fully aligned from day one. We don't run five retained searches at once. We run yours properly.
Fee structure and timeline are scoped in the kickoff conversation. Most retained executive searches close within 8–12 weeks from first candidate to signed offer.
Start with a conversation.
Tell us about the role. We'll tell you what the market looks like and how we'd approach it.
Get in touch