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Service 03 · Retained · C-suite, VP & board-level

Executive search & headhunter for the leaders who define the next chapter.

Retained executive search and discreet headhunter mandates for CTOs, Chief AI Officers, VPs of Engineering, VPs of Sales, CROs, Country Heads and Heads of Research. Conviction-led, off-market, and confidential by default — we map the 80–120 humans on earth who could do the role, narrow to the eight you should meet, and stay engaged through reference, offer and month three on the role.

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The model

Retained, exclusive, accountable.

Retained executive search is what you use when the wrong hire costs eighteen months and the right one defines the next chapter of the company. CTO, Chief AI Officer, VP Engineering, VP Research, CRO — the leaders the market hasn't named yet, in roles too important to leave to inbound or contingent agency rotation.

We run every mandate as a single, exclusive engagement: full market map first, outreach second, written assessments on every finalist, and partnership through offer architecture and onboarding. Confidentiality is the default — most of our executive mandates run quietly, sometimes without the incumbent's knowledge.

Every retained mandate carries a 12-month replacement guarantee. If the placed executive leaves or is terminated for cause within twelve months, we re-run the search at no additional fee.

What's included

End-to-end, on the record.

  • Full market map and written rationale before any outreach
  • Calibrated 8-person shortlist within six weeks of kickoff
  • Board-ready written assessments on every finalist
  • Confidential, off-market approach by default
  • Compensation design, offer architecture, and 12-month replacement guarantee
  • Onboarding partnership through month three on the role

The engagement

From mandate to month three on the role.

  1. Week 1–2

    Mandate & market map

    Stakeholder calibration with the board, CEO, and key peers. Written role narrative, success criteria, and a market map of the 80–120 humans on earth who could do the role.

  2. Week 3–6

    Confidential outreach & assessment

    Approach calibrated to each candidate's situation. Structured interviews, technical and leadership assessment, and board-ready written notes on every finalist.

  3. Week 7–12

    Reference, offer, onboarding

    Multi-source references (named and backchannel), compensation design, offer architecture, counter-offer planning, and partnership through start date and month three on the role.

Mandates we take

When retained search is the right call.

  • Fortune 500 AI build-outs

    First Chief AI Officer, first Head of Applied Research, first VP of AI Engineering — the leadership hires that define an enterprise AI strategy.

  • Scale-up leadership transitions

    Series C–D companies graduating from founder-led functions to scale leadership — first CTO, first CRO, first CPO.

  • Frontier AI labs & deep tech

    Hires that require deep technical credibility, market knowledge, and the network to attract talent that won't talk to anyone else.

  • Board-mandated successions

    Board-led C-suite changes where confidentiality, structured assessment, and a clean process matter more than speed.

Specialisations

Sector-specific executive search.

Dedicated practices where the candidate market, comp benchmarks, and technical calibration require a different playbook.

AI specialisation

AI Executive Search — Chief AI Officer, VP AI, Head of Applied Research →

Retained search for AI leadership at frontier labs, AI-native scale-ups, and Fortune 500 AI build-outs. Frontier-lab comp benchmarks, technical calibration, and a candidate market measured in hundreds — not thousands.

FAQ

Executive search, answered.

What is retained executive search?
Retained executive search is a confidential, dedicated mandate for a single C-suite, VP, or board-level hire. The firm is paid in installments tied to milestones — kickoff, shortlist, and placement — which buys end-to-end commitment, a full market map, and accountability through onboarding. It is the standard for hires that can't be wrong.
What roles do you place through executive search?
CTO, Chief AI Officer (CAIO), Chief Product Officer, VP Engineering, VP Research, Head of AI, Head of Applied Research, VP Product, VP Sales, and CRO. Anywhere the wrong hire costs eighteen months and the right one defines the next chapter of the company.
How long does an executive search take?
Most retained mandates produce a calibrated 8-person shortlist within six weeks of kickoff and place a finalist within 10–14 weeks. Speed depends on confidentiality requirements, geographic scope, and the difficulty of the market — frontier AI talent moves on different timelines than enterprise SaaS.
How is executive search different from professional search?
Executive search is retained, exclusive, and built around a single mandate with a full market map, written assessments, and a partnership through onboarding. Professional search runs faster, supports senior IC and manager roles, and uses a flexible commercial model. Different problems, different tools.
How do you handle confidentiality?
By default. Most of our retained mandates run confidentially — sometimes the role isn't public, sometimes the incumbent isn't aware. We work under NDA, control candidate-side disclosure, and never confirm the client's name without explicit permission.
Do you guarantee placements?
Every retained mandate carries a 12-month replacement guarantee. If the placed executive leaves or is terminated for cause within twelve months, we re-run the search at no additional fee.

Proof

Leadership searches that defined the next chapter.

Retained C-suite and VP placements at category-defining enterprise teams.

E-commerce · Subscription eyewear

Country Head, Germany

Corporate-backed B2B subscription eyewear venture · Munich · On-site

Outcome

Signed in 2 weeks · now 100+ B2B clients · break-even

“The speed and precision of the search were exceptional. A tight shortlist with no noise, and full support for both sides through the decision.”

— Corporate parent · sponsor of the venture

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AI · Seed

Founding CTO

AI-native seed start-up · Munich / Amsterdam · Hybrid

Outcome

Shortlist of 10 in 1.5 months · 2 finalists · signed without a retainer

“They found a hands-on CTO who could architect the product and stay in the code — exactly the profile we'd struggled to define ourselves.”

— Founder & CEO

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Charging infrastructure · Deep tech

VP Business Development, US

Charging infrastructure scale-up entering the US · New York · Hybrid

Outcome

Delivered in 2 months · 130 candidates mapped · 3 finalists · 3 major projects in motion

“We needed someone who could open doors with governments, municipalities and private partners. That's exactly who they delivered.”

— CEO

Read case study →

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Other ways we partner

Embedded Recruitment →

A senior recruiter inside your team for 3–9 months, owning pipeline across many roles in one function.

Professional Search →

Targeted senior IC and manager search, contingent or container — shortlist in 2–3 weeks.

Considering a leadership hire?

One conversation,
complete confidentiality.

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