Most companies don’t fail at leadership transitions because they chose the wrong person. They fail because they defined the wrong job. The volume of transitions is not the problem. The executive succession planning process most scaling companies default to is. C-suite leadership transitions are happening right now at the highest rate in recent memory. CEO […]
Understanding the Different Types of Executive Search
Updated May 2026 | Originally published March 2015 We’re often asked by new potential clients: “How does this work?” And honestly, after more than twenty years in the business, we’re still surprised by how many companies including well-funded, sophisticated ones make the same costly mistakes when it comes to choosing the right executive search model […]
Should You Trust AI to Evaluate Executive Talent? (And Where It Breaks)
AI executive hiring is no longer an experiment. Whether it is working as intended, and whether it can be trusted at the level of a C-suite decision, are three very different questions. A CEO in San Francisco recently made news for feeding every job interview transcript into ChatGPT before making a final hiring decision. He […]
How to Hire an Executive Who Actually Understands AI
How to hire an AI-fluent executive is a question every CEO and CHRO is asking and almost no one is answering it well. Every week, another board adds “AI fluency” to its executive hiring criteria. Every week, candidates arrive with polished answers about transformation, automation, and competitive advantage. And every week, hiring teams walk away […]
The AI Talent War Is Asymmetric. Here’s How Founders Win Anyway.
The leaders who will define your company aren’t browsing job boards. Here’s how to reach them and why your startup has structural advantages some founders never use. You already know the pitch you’re going to get from the other side of the table. Big company. Big brand. Big package. Four-year vest. Good luck. What doesn’t […]
The Right Leader at the Right Moment
Why executive hiring at an inflection point is one of the highest-leverage decisions you will ever make Every company encounters a handful of genuine inflection points, moments when the trajectory of the business can bend sharply upward or collapse inward. How a leadership team navigates those moments is the defining variable. And the people sitting […]
Hiring the Right Executive for Your Growth Stage: A 2026 Checklist
Every CEO knows the gut-punch feeling of executive hiring gone wrong. The VP of Engineering who can’t function without a team of 50. The Chief Revenue Officer who built a $100M pipeline at their last company but can’t close your scrappy Series A deals. The COO from a Fortune 500 who spends three months creating […]
SF’s AI Executive Search Boom: From Doom Loop to Boom Loop
How AI Investment Is Transforming the AI Executive Search Market San Francisco has dramatically reversed course. The city once synonymous with pandemic-era decline is now experiencing an AI-driven renaissance that’s reshaping the AI executive search market. Understanding this transformation is critical for strategic hiring and organizational planning. Key Takeaways 96% of SF business leaders optimistic […]
Seeing the True Picture of Your Organization: 10 Years Later
What’s Changed since 2014? Ten years ago, we published a post that challenged the traditional org chart mentality. We argued that organizations aren’t hierarchical boxes, they’re interconnected puzzles where relationships, strengths, and cultural dynamics matter more than reporting lines. The response was overwhelming. Leaders resonated with the idea that people are “squiggly and wiggly” and […]
Executive Hiring Trends 2025: Strategic Selectivity Wins
In the ever-evolving landscape of executive recruitment, understanding the subtle shifts in the labor market is critical for advising clients and shaping talent acquisition strategy. Recent data indicate that while white-collar vacancies are up year-over-year, hiring growth has plateaued. This selective growth mindset signals a new reality for organizations: the roles they choose to fill […]