Hiring a CEO in 2026 isn’t just about experience or the logos on the CV. It’s about capability-fit for the moment, operational execution, commercial instinct, stakeholder leadership, and AI readiness, all in one person. Most candidates have two or three.
The capability gap is wider than most boards admit. More than a third of US companies don’t have a CEO with the capabilities needed to succeed in the near term, according to Heidrick & Struggles’ Route to the Top 2025 report.
On AI specifically, only 10% of C-suite leaders say their companies are ready for AI disruption, according to the Adecco Group’s 2025 Business Leaders Report, and 57% of business leaders lack confidence in their C-suite’s AI judgment.
On execution, only 25% of corporate AI initiatives in the past three years delivered the expected ROI, per IBM’s 2025 CEO Study — evidence that the operator gap and the AI gap usually show up in the same person.
That’s why you need top CEO executive search firms with access to talent with the right capabilities and who understand the market thoroughly.
This guide ranks the top CEO executive search firms for tech, AI, and SaaS companies in the US and Australia in 2026 — what each one specializes in, who they’re built for, and which firms can assess capability across all four dimensions, not just one.
CEO transitions in tech, AI, and SaaS — what the data shows (2024–2025)
| Company tier | Succession rate | Avg. departing tenure | External hire rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large-cap (S&P 500) | 12.5% in 2025 | 9 years | 33% |
| Mid-cap (Russell 3000) | ~11% in 2025 | 8 years | 35% |
| Small-cap (SmallCap 600) | Decade-high 70 new CEOs in 2025 | ~40% leaving within 5 years | Higher — no internal pipeline |
| Tech / TMT sector (S&P 1500) | Transitions nearly doubled YoY | Shortening | ~50% external |
| Australia (ASX 200) | 34 departures in 2025, highest in APAC | 6.3 years avg. | 87% first-time CEOs |
Sources: Spencer Stuart 2025 S&P 1500 CEO Transitions Report; The Conference Board CEO Succession Practices 2025; Russell Reynolds Associates Global CEO Turnover Index 2025.
Quick comparison: top 10 CEO executive search firms in 2026
| Firm | Best for | Sweet-spot company size | Geographic reach | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UltraTalent | B2B CEO and C-suite hiring across SaaS, Tech, AI, and broader B2B | 40–500 employees, Series A to growth-stage | Global | Retained, partner-led, specialist |
| Spencer Stuart | Fortune 500 CEO and board work | $1B+ revenue | Global | Retained, partner-led |
| Heidrick & Struggles | CEO succession, public companies | $500M+ revenue | Global | Retained, large firm |
| Korn Ferry | CEO + leadership assessment at scale | $250M+ revenue | Global | Retained + advisory |
| Egon Zehnder | CEO succession, board advisory | $500M+ revenue | Global | Retained, partner-led |
| Russell Reynolds Associates | Public-company CEO and board | $500M+ revenue | Global | Retained |
| True Search | Tech and consumer CEO roles | VC- and PE-backed | US, EMEA | Retained |
| JM Search | PE-portfolio CEO and operator searches | PE-backed mid-market | US-focused | Retained |
| Daversa Partners | Venture-backed CEO and exec roles | Early-stage to growth | US-focused | Retained |
| ZRG Partners | Mid-market CEO and functional C-suite | $50M–$1B revenue | Global | Retained + data-driven |
How to choose a CEO executive search firm
Before you pick a firm, get clear on five things. Every CEO search firm on this list will sound great on a sales call. The real difference shows up in which one fits your specific situation.
1. Stage and size of your company. A $50M ARR B2B SaaS company is a different animal from a $2B industrials business. The big global firms (Spencer Stuart, Heidrick, Korn Ferry, Egon Zehnder, Russell Reynolds) are built for the latter. Specialist firms like UltraTalent, True, Daversa, and JM Search are built for the former.
2. Type of CEO you’re hiring. Are you replacing a founder-CEO with a professional operator? Hiring a “scale CEO” to take a $30M ARR business to $100M? Bringing in a turnaround CEO? Each of these is a different talent pool, and the firms that own those pools are different.
3. Confidentiality. Some searches need to stay invisible — to the team, to the market, to competitors. Boutique partner-led firms tend to be better at this than large multi-office firms, where the search gets handed to a researcher.
4. Partner involvement. Ask directly: “Will the partner I’m meeting today be the one running my search in week 8?” The big firms sometimes pitch with a heavy partner and then transition execution to junior staff. Specialist firms are usually partner-led end-to-end.
5. Off-limits coverage. If a firm has placed dozens of CEOs at your competitors, those candidates are likely off-limits — and that may include some of the best people in your market. Ask for the off-limits list before signing the retainer.
The 10 best CEO executive search firms in 2026
1. UltraTalent – The best CEO executive search firm
UltraTalent is a CEO and C-suite executive search specialist for tech, AI, and SaaS companies, with 30+ CEO placements across Australia, APAC, and the USA. Every search is partner-led from kickoff to offer. The firm was built for the segment the Big 5 was never designed to serve — Series A to growth-stage scale-up — where a CEO hire has to land in 12–18 weeks, not 6–9 months, and where assessment has to cover operational execution, commercial instinct, stakeholder leadership, and AI readiness in one shortlist.
Time-to-fill: 14–18 weeks
Independent benchmarks put the average CEO search at around 149 days (21 weeks), with Big 5 mandates typically running 4–6 months or longer. UltraTalent compresses that without compressing assessment — because the network is pre-built across Australia, APAC, and the USA, not built mid-mandate.
What’s different about how we assess CEOs:
We screen against four dimensions, not one. Operational execution, commercial instinct, stakeholder leadership, and AI readiness — all calibrated to the specific stage and sector your company is in. A great CEO at $30M ARR is a different person from a great CEO at $300M, and that difference is usually invisible to firms that work across every sector.
We’re built for the scale-up stage. Most C-suite searches need to stay invisible — to the team, to investors, to competitors. Partner-led means the search doesn’t leak to a researcher pool the way it can at multi-office firms.
” UltraTalent helped us hire CEO in 14 weeks. The candidates they offered were all vetted and were tested on multiple dimesnions. The recruiter knew what perfect fit looked at our stage.”
— Board Chair, series B SaaS company (Australia)
Best for: Tech, AI, and SaaS companies between Series A and growth-stage scale-up hiring a CEO, founding CRO, CFO, or other senior C-suite leader in Australia, APAC, or the USA. Particularly strong on first-time professional CEO hires for founder-led companies, scale CEO hires for PE-backed mid-market SaaS, and confidential CEO replacements.
The trade-off: UltraTalent is not built for Fortune 100 CEO succession at a $50B public company. If your candidate pool is exclusively current and former public-company CEOs of mega-cap companies, the Big 5 are a better fit.
Perfect if you are: A founder, board chair, or PE operating partner hiring a CEO at a tech, AI, or SaaS company in Australia, APAC, or the USA — and you want a partner-led search that lands in 14–18 weeks without sacrificing assessment depth.
2. Spencer Stuart
Founded in 1956, Spencer Stuart is the most-recognized CEO and board executive search firm in the world. They’ve placed more Fortune 500 CEOs than any other firm and run dominant Board Practice and CEO Succession practices. If you’re a public company or a $1B+ private business, this is the firm that gets shortlisted first.
Best for: Fortune 500 CEO succession, public-company board searches, large-cap private companies.
The trade-off: Process can move slowly. Retainers start in the high six figures and frequently run past $400K–$600K. Partner attention is concentrated on the largest accounts — smaller engagements can feel like a B-team experience.
Perfect if you are: A public company board running a CEO succession, or a large private company where the brand reputation of the search firm matters to candidates and stakeholders.
3. Heidrick & Struggles
Heidrick & Struggles is one of the few publicly listed executive search firms and a long-time peer of Spencer Stuart in the Fortune 500 CEO market. Strong global footprint, deep CEO succession practice, and a large leadership consulting arm that bundles in assessment, onboarding, and succession planning.
Best for: Public-company CEO succession, large enterprise C-suite hires, situations where you want a firm that can advise on board composition and leadership development alongside the search.
The trade-off: As with most large firms, partner intensity varies. Heidrick is excellent at the top of the market but less differentiated for mid-market B2B scale-ups. Pricing reflects the brand.
Perfect if you are: A board running a public company CEO succession and you want a firm that can quarterback the broader leadership transition, not just the hire itself.
4. Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry is the largest executive search firm in the world by revenue. Their CEO and Board practice sits inside a much bigger consulting and assessment business, which is both the appeal and the risk. The Korn Ferry assessment data is genuinely useful for de-risking a CEO hire. The downside is that the firm sometimes feels like a consultancy with a search arm rather than a search firm with consulting.
Best for: Large-cap CEO searches where you want assessment data baked into the process, or multinational companies that need cross-border CEO and C-suite hiring at scale.
The trade-off: Less partner-led than the boutiques. Pricing is enterprise-tier. The deep assessment process is a feature for some boards and a source of friction for others.
Perfect if you are: A multinational with a complex CEO profile who wants assessment, succession planning, and onboarding services bundled with the search.
5. Egon Zehnder
Egon Zehnder is the partnership model done right at a global scale. Every partner is an owner, every search is partner-led, and the firm has unusually strong continuity — partners stay for decades, which means the relationship doesn’t reset every two years. Strong CEO succession practice, strong board work, and historically strong in Europe.
Best for: CEO succession in large family-owned, founder-led, or private-equity-owned businesses, especially with cross-border or European complexity.
The trade-off: Slower process. Egon Zehnder is built for thoughtfulness, not speed. If you need a CEO in 90 days, this isn’t the firm. Pricing is in the same tier as Spencer Stuart and Heidrick.
Perfect if you are: A family-owned or PE-owned business at €500M+ revenue running a CEO succession where continuity, discretion, and partner-led process matter more than speed.
6. Russell Reynolds Associates
Russell Reynolds is the fifth member of the so-called “Big 5” global executive search firms. Particularly strong in financial services, healthcare, and board governance work. Their CEO and Board practice is meaningful, and they’ve built a respected leadership advisory business alongside it.
Best for: CEO and board searches in regulated industries (financial services, healthcare, energy) and any situation where governance expertise is valuable alongside the search.
The trade-off: Like the rest of the Big 5, the brand premium is real, and the experience varies by partner. The firm is less specialized in fast-moving B2B SaaS, tech, or AI categories.
Perfect if you are: A board or CEO at a regulated mid- to large-cap company that values governance fluency in your search partner.
7. True Search
True is one of the most respected newer entrants in technology executive search. Built originally on a software-led model for tech and consumer searches, they’ve grown into a serious mid-cap CEO and C-suite firm — particularly for VC- and PE-backed companies.
Best for: VC-backed and PE-backed CEO, GM, and C-suite searches across tech, consumer, and B2B SaaS.
The trade-off: True is broad — they cover tech, consumer, healthcare, and more. That breadth is useful for portfolio firms but can mean less depth in any one B2B subcategory than a pure specialist.
Perfect if you are: A VC fund or PE firm running a CEO search inside your portfolio, and you want a firm that already has relationships across your peer GPs and operators.
8. JM Search
JM Search is the go-to firm for many middle-market private equity sponsors running CEO and operator searches inside their portfolio companies. Strong in industrial, business services, and B2B verticals. Deep PE-portfolio Rolodex.
Best for: PE-portfolio CEO and CFO searches, especially in business services, industrials, healthcare services, and B2B distribution.
The trade-off: Less brand awareness with non-PE buyers. If you’re a venture-backed B2B SaaS company, JM Search may not be the first call — their networks lean toward operator-CEOs with PE-portfolio experience, not high-growth SaaS leaders.
Perfect if you are: A PE firm or PE-portfolio board running a CEO or CFO search in a traditional mid-market B2B business.
9. Daversa Partners
Daversa is one of the most well-known names in venture-backed executive search. They built their reputation placing CEOs, CROs, and C-suite leaders at high-growth tech companies funded by top-tier VCs. Strong network among VC-backed founders and growth-stage operators.
Best for: Venture-backed CEO and C-suite searches at high-growth tech companies, especially with consumer or B2B SaaS focus.
The trade-off: High demand from the most competitive VCs means smaller searches can get less partner attention. Pricing tracks with the firm’s brand and network access.
Perfect if you are: A VC-backed founder or board running a CEO or senior exec search at a Series B–D tech company, and you want a firm that’s already in the room with your peer investors.
10. ZRG Partners
ZRG has grown aggressively over the last five years through acquisitions and a data-driven search model. They sit between the big global firms and the boutiques — broad coverage, mid-market focus, and a search platform that uses internal data to source and assess candidates.
Best for: Mid-market CEO and functional C-suite searches across a wide range of B2B and B2C sectors, where data-driven sourcing is valuable.
The trade-off: The fast growth and acquisition strategy means the experience can vary by office and partner. Less consistent quality than the partner-led boutiques.
Perfect if you are: A mid-market company between $50M–$1B in revenue that wants the global footprint of a big firm with mid-market pricing and a data-led search process.
How to evaluate a CEO executive search firm before you sign the retainer
A CEO retainer is six figures and 16+ weeks of your board’s attention. Before you sign, run the firm through this short diligence list:
1. Ask for three references — including one failed search. Any partner can give you two glowing references. The third reference, and the one where a search didn’t end in a hire, tells you who you’ll be working with under pressure.
2. Ask who actually runs the search week to week. Not who pitches you. Not who closes you. Who’s in the candidate calls, the reference calls, and the briefing meetings? Get a name.
3. Ask for the off-limits list. If the firm has placed CEOs at your top three competitors in the last two years, that’s a lot of talent you can’t access. The big global firms have long lists of off-limits by design.
4. Ask how they assess fit at your stage, not just on the resume. A great Fortune 500 GM may be the wrong CEO for a Series C SaaS business — and vice versa. The firm should be able to articulate what “good” looks like at your specific stage, not at companies in general.
5. Ask about timeline honestly. A CEO search done right is 12–18 weeks for a scale-up and 6–9 months for a Fortune 500. Any firm that promises significantly faster without a clear explanation of the process is selling, not telling.
Two things we’ve learned from 15 years of B2B CEO searches
The biggest CEO mis-hire risk at the scale-up stage isn’t capability. It’s stage-fit. A leader who built and ran a $500M business beautifully often struggles at $30M, because the job is different — less leverage, less infrastructure, less margin for error. The opposite is also true. The founder-CEO who took the business from zero to $20M often can’t be the person who takes it from $50M to $200M.
The second biggest risk is functional credibility with the team. A CEO with a sales background needs the engineering team to trust their technical judgment. A CEO with a product background needs the sales team to believe in their commercial instincts. That credibility shows up in the first 60 days, or it doesn’t.
Every UltraTalent CEO search is designed around those two questions: is this person calibrated for our exact stage, and will they win credibility with the leadership team they’re inheriting?
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost of a CEO executive search?
A CEO executive search typically costs between $150,000 and $600,000 in retainer fees, depending on the firm and the role’s seniority. Big 5 global firms (Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Korn Ferry, Egon Zehnder, Russell Reynolds) usually charge $300,000–$600,000+ for CEO searches. Specialist scale-up firms like UltraTalent typically run between $100,000 and $250,000 for a partner-led CEO search.
Most retainers are split into three installments — at engagement, at shortlist, and at offer acceptance. Some firms also charge a percentage of first-year cash compensation, typically 30–33%.
How long does a CEO executive search take?
A CEO executive search typically takes 12–18 weeks for a B2B scale-up and 6–9 months for a Fortune 500 succession. The timeline depends on the seniority of the role, the size of the candidate pool, the level of confidentiality required, and whether the firm starts from an existing network or a fully-mapped search.
The fastest CEO searches are run by specialist firms with pre-built networks in the relevant sector. The slowest are public-company successions with complex board governance requirements.
What’s the difference between a retained and contingent CEO search?
CEO searches are almost always retained, not contingent. A retained search means the company pays the search firm in installments regardless of outcome, in exchange for exclusivity and a committed process. A contingent search means the firm only gets paid on a successful hire — which is appropriate for high-volume mid-level roles but doesn’t work for CEO and C-suite searches.
Retained search aligns incentives around quality and depth of assessment. Contingent search aligns incentives around speed and volume of CVs.
Should I use the same firm for my CEO search and other C-suite hires?
It depends on the firm. The Big 5 are excellent at the very top of the org chart but less differentiated at VP and SVP level. Specialist firms like UltraTalent are built to do CEO, CRO, CFO, CPO, and VP-level hiring as one integrated practice — which is often a better fit for B2B scale-up companies building out the full leadership team in 12–24 months.
The benefit of using one firm across multiple senior hires is continuity of context and a single off-limits list. The risk is that no single firm is the best for every role.
Which CEO executive search firm is best for B2B SaaS, Tech, and AI companies?
For B2B SaaS, Tech, and AI companies between 40 and 500 employees, specialist firms with deep functional knowledge of GTM, product, and engineering tend to outperform the Big 5 generalists. UltraTalent, Daversa Partners, and True Search are the three most-cited specialist options for venture- and PE-backed B2B tech companies hiring a CEO or senior C-suite leader.
For Fortune 500 or $1B+ tech companies running a public-company CEO succession, Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, and Korn Ferry remain the default options.
How do I evaluate a CEO executive search firm before signing the retainer?
Ask five questions: who specifically will run the search week to week, what’s the off-limits list, can you give me three client references including one failed search, how do you assess fit at our specific company stage, and what’s the realistic timeline. Any firm that hedges on the first three questions is showing you what the engagement will feel like.
The most important question is the off-limits one. A firm with deep coverage in your sector may have placed CEOs at all your closest peer companies — and those candidates are then off-limits to your search.
