Choosing a Search Partner

Choosing an AI Executive Search Firm? Here's What to Look For.

Not all retained search firms understand AI leadership. Here's how to tell the difference — and what to ask before you sign.

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60+ executive placements · 98% completion rate · 92% two-year retention

Most Search Firms Are Learning AI on Your Dime

The demand for AI executives has exploded, and every generalist search firm now claims to “do AI.” But there's a difference between a firm that has placed Chief AI Officers and a firm that has added “AI” to its website. When you're evaluating search partners, the questions below separate the firms that understand this market from the ones that are still figuring it out.

What You Get

Does the firm specialize in AI governance and responsible AI leadership? Or did they add “AI” to an existing tech recruiting practice? Ask how many AI-specific leadership placements they've completed.
How many active searches does your lead consultant carry? At large firms, each recruiter carries 10–15 at a time. Ours carry 3–4 max. The difference shows in the quality of attention.
Is the fee a flat rate or a percentage of compensation? Ask who benefits when the offer goes up. If it's the search firm, the incentives aren't aligned with yours.
Can they show you completed AI leadership placements with retention data? Placement is easy to claim. Retention is hard to fake. Ask for two-year retention rates and search completion rates.

How We Run a Search

Calibrate

Define success in your context — role, environment, non-negotiables.

Map

Map the market against your brief — obvious candidates and non-obvious ones.

Assess

Every candidate measured on the same rubric: technical, leadership, governance.

Place & Onboard

We stay engaged through the first 180 days — when retention is won or lost.

Flat-fee retained search. Flat-fee retained search starting at $35,000. No percentage of compensation. No surprise inflation. Paid in thirds as we deliver.

Leaders placed across: healthcare systems, financial services, biotech & pharma, PE-backed firms, foundations, universities, government agencies, and mission-driven organizations.

What Clients Say About Our Team

“They were prompt, very well connected, with an impressively competitive price. Their recommendations for process and even interview questions are based on ample experience and all proved priceless. It is an investment that pays for itself immediately in efficiency and success.”
— Andrea

“Incredibly helpful, quick to respond, and attentive to my questions and concerns. I felt very valued as an individual and that they truly wanted me to succeed.”
— Maggie

Reviews from clients of the same founding team, via Charity Search Group.