Executive Placement Agency for CEO, C-Suite and Board Appointments
Last Updated at: 08/22/2026Alliance Recruitment Agency is an executive placement agency for organisations appointing CEOs, board directors, C-suite leaders and senior functional heads. With 16+ years of experience across 36+ countries and a 20,000+ senior-leader executive database, we run retained and contingency placement mandates from the first brief through offer negotiation to 90-day onboarding support. A shortlist of 3 to 5 assessed candidates typically follows within 10–21 days of an agreed brief. Book a call to scope your appointment.
What Executive Placement Services Cover
Executive placement is the complete appointment lifecycle, not just the search, and that is what an executive placement agency should be judged on. Where a headhunting engagement ends at introduction, placement services carry the mandate through to a leader who is in post and performing.
Search and identification: Market mapping across competitors and adjacent sectors, confidential direct approach to passive candidates, and structured longlisting against the agreed success profile.
Assessment and validation: Competency interviewing, leadership profiling, and structured reference conversations with former direct managers, completed before shortlist, not after offer.
Offer and negotiation: Compensation structuring, counter-offer management and stakeholder alignment through what is often the most fragile stage of a senior appointment.
Onboarding and integration:Day-one support and scheduled check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days, backed by our 90-day replacement guarantee on permanent placements.
Executive Roles We Place
| C-Suite | Board | Functional Leadership | Regional |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEO / President | Board Director | VP Operations | Managing Director |
| CFO | Non-Executive Director | VP Finance | Country Manager |
| COO | Independent Director | VP Engineering | Regional Director |
| CTO / CIO | Board Chair | VP Sales | General Manager |
| CHRO / CPO | Advisory Board Member | VP Marketing | Divisional Head |
| CMO | Audit Committee Chair | General Counsel | Site Director |
| Chief Revenue Officer | Remuneration Committee | Chief Risk Officer | Head of Region |
For board and non-executive appointments specifically, see our board of directors recruitment practice.
Engagement Models
Retained placement: Exclusive, milestone-based, with one dedicated search team. The standard model for CEO, board and business-critical appointments where confidentiality and full market coverage are non-negotiable. Six to ten weeks from brief to accepted offer; ten to fourteen weeks for C-suite roles. See our retained executive search practice.
Exclusive placement: Single-agency engagement without a full retainer structure, suited to senior functional roles where the market is well-defined and the appointment is important but not existential.
Interim executive placement: A leader deployed in weeks rather than months, covering a gap during a permanent search, a transformation programme or a post-acquisition transition.
Multi-role leadership build-out:Coordinated placement of several leadership appointments across a defined window, common for PE portfolio companies post-acquisition and businesses entering new markets. One account team, consistent assessment criteria, blended pricing.
Our Executive Placement Process
| Step | What We Do | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brief & Success Profile | Role scope, board alignment, compensation benchmarking, market definition | Week 1 |
| 2. Market Mapping | Competitor and adjacent-sector mapping, passive candidate identification | Before shortlist |
| 3. Confidential Approach | Direct outreach under NDA, no advertising at any stage | Before shortlist |
| 4. Assessment | Competency interviews, leadership profiling, structured references | Before shortlist |
| 5. Shortlist | 3–5 fully assessed candidates with written summaries and reference reports | Days 10–21 |
| 6. Interview & Offer | Panel coordination, debrief management, negotiation, counter-offer handling | Accepted offer by weeks 6–10 (C-suite 10–14) |
| 7. Onboarding | Day-one support, integration planning, 30/60/90-day check-ins | Post-placement |
Typical mandate: 6–10 weeks from brief to accepted offer; C-suite roles 10–14 weeks.
Who We Place Executives For
Publicly listed corporations appointing C-suite successors and board directors under governance scrutiny, where the process itself must withstand examination.
Private equity portfolio companies placing leadership post-acquisition or ahead of exit, working to investor timelines with reporting throughout.
Scale-ups building their first executive team, where the appointment sets the operating culture for everything that follows.
Family businesses professionalising, the first non-family CEO, CFO or Managing Director, where cultural fit weighs as heavily as capability.
Multinationals entering new markets, appointing country and regional leadership who must bridge local market knowledge and parent-company operating models.
Non-profits and institutions appointing Executive Directors, CEOs and trustee boards under public accountability.
Industries We Serve
Alliance places executives across technology and SaaS, banking and financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing and industrial, energy and utilities, retail and consumer, professional services, construction and infrastructure, logistics, and education.
Every mandate is worked by consultants with sector knowledge, because what makes a strong COO in pharmaceutical manufacturing bears little resemblance to one in e-commerce, and screening on title alone produces shortlists that waste board time.
Executive Placement Services Cost
| Engagement | Fee Model | How the fee is set |
|---|---|---|
| Retained CEO / board placement | Milestone-based retained | Agreed in writing before the search starts |
| Retained C-suite placement | Milestone-based retained | Agreed in writing before the search starts |
| Exclusive senior leadership | Fee agreed per role | Agreed in writing before the search starts |
| Interim executive | Markup on day rate | Agreed in writing before the search starts |
| Multi-role leadership build-out | Blended per-placement | Scoped per programme |
Alliance runs both retained and contingency executive search. The fee model and amount for every engagement are agreed in writing before the search starts; retained fees are billed across three milestones: engagement, shortlist delivery and confirmed placement. Request a quote. Request a quote.
Executive Placement Services Success Stories
Case Study 1: Global CEO Placement for Technology Enterprise
A multinational technology organization required a CEO through a fully confidential executive placement services mandate to lead digital transformation across six international markets. Alliance conducted structured talent mapping and market intelligence gathering across 36 countries, identifying passive candidates with proven leadership acquisition and cross-border operational credentials. The placed CEO delivered international market expansion and organizational growth targets within the first operational year.
Case Study 2: CFO Executive Placement for Private Equity Portfolio Company
A private equity firm required a CFO through a retained search executive placement mandate for a portfolio manufacturing business entering a value-creation phase. Alliance ran a fully confidential search, mapped finance leaders with private equity experience and placed the CFO within nine weeks. The CFO delivered EBITDA improvement and board governance credibility, positioning the business for a successful exit within 18 months.
Case Study 3: Board Recruitment Through Executive Placement Services
An enterprise corporation required two independent directors through an executive placement services mandate sourcing board recruitment candidates with verified governance, strategic workforce planning, and leadership acquisition credentials. Alliance approached passive board candidates confidentially across four geographies and completed both appointments within 11 weeks, each assessed against the same governance criteria.
Why Organisations Choose Alliance
16+ years. 36+ countries. 9,000+ organisations served. 95% repeat business.
- Placement, not just introduction — the mandate runs through offer negotiation and 90-day onboarding, not to shortlist
- Passive candidate access — most shortlisted leaders are performing well and not seeking a move at point of approach
- References before shortlist — structured conversations with former direct managers completed before you meet anyone
- Confidential by default — no advertising, client identity withheld until formal shortlist
- All engagement models — retained, exclusive, interim and multi-role, matched to the mandate rather than the fee
- Global reach — one executive search team working across 36+ countries, backed by a 20,000+ senior-leader executive database
- Replacement guarantee — a 90-day replacement guarantee on every permanent executive placement
For a full executive search mandate, see our executive search firms page; for CEO, CFO and other C-suite searches, see C-level executive recruiters. For confidential direct-approach methodology, see executive headhunters and our headhunting services. For VP and Director-tier appointments, see executive management recruiters.
Video Testimonials
Frequently Asked Questions
What are executive placement services?
Executive placement services cover the full appointment lifecycle for senior leadership roles, market mapping, confidential candidate approach, competency assessment, reference validation, offer negotiation and post-placement onboarding support. Unlike a search engagement that ends at introduction, placement services carry the mandate through to a leader who is in post and performing.
What does an executive placement agency do?
An executive placement agency finds, assesses and places senior leaders, from VPs to CEOs and board directors, and stays with the appointment until the leader is in post. Alliance Recruitment Agency maps the market, approaches employed leaders confidentially, delivers a shortlist of 3 to 5 assessed candidates within 10–21 days, manages the offer and supports onboarding, backed by a 90-day replacement guarantee.
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How do executive placement services differ from standard recruitment?
Standard recruitment advertises a role and works the resulting applicants. Executive placement identifies leaders who are currently employed and performing well, approaches them confidentially, and assesses them against a defined success profile. It also continues past offer into onboarding, with check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days and a 90-day replacement guarantee on permanent placements.
Which executive roles does Alliance place?
Alliance places CEOs, Presidents, CFOs, COOs, CTOs, CIOs, CHROs, CMOs and Chief Revenue Officers, alongside board directors, non-executive directors, managing directors, country managers, general counsel and VP-level functional leadership across all major industries.
How long do executive placement services take?
Most executive placements reach an accepted offer 6 to 10 weeks after the agreed brief; C-suite appointments take 10 to 14 weeks. Week one covers the brief and success profile, and a shortlist of 3 to 5 assessed candidates typically follows within 10 to 21 days. Interim start dates are agreed at the brief.
How much do executive placement services cost?
Fees depend on the role, the market and the engagement model. Alliance runs both retained and contingency executive search, and the fee for every engagement is agreed in writing before the search starts. Retained fees are billed across three milestones: engagement, shortlist delivery and confirmed placement.
Are executive placement searches confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is the default. Alliance does not advertise the role, does not post to job boards, and does not disclose the client organisation to candidates until they are formally shortlisted and have signed confidentiality documentation. This is essential when replacing an incumbent still in post.
What is retained executive placement?
Retained placement is an exclusive engagement where one firm dedicates a full search team to your mandate, paid across three milestones, engagement, shortlist and placement. It delivers complete market coverage, absolute confidentiality and structured assessment. It is the standard model for CEO, board and business-critical appointments.
Can Alliance place interim executives?
Yes. Alliance places interim CEOs, CFOs, COOs and functional leaders for organisations bridging a leadership gap, running a transformation programme, or managing a post-acquisition transition. Contract terms and start dates for interim leaders are agreed at the brief.
Does Alliance handle board and non-executive appointments?
Yes. Alliance places board directors, non-executive directors, board chairs and committee chairs. Board mandates run confidentially with governance-appropriate process and trustee or nomination-committee facilitation.
Can Alliance place executives across borders?
Yes. Alliance’s executive search team works globally and runs cross-border placements across 36+ countries, including the UK, United States, Canada, UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Germany, Singapore and Australia. Visa, work permit and relocation needs are scoped at the brief; in markets that need a local licence, such as the UAE and Singapore, we work through licensed partners.
What replacement guarantee applies?
Every permanent executive placement carries Alliance’s 90-day replacement guarantee. If the placed executive leaves or is let go for performance-related reasons within 90 days, Alliance re-runs the search and places a replacement at no additional placement fee. Full terms are confirmed in writing at engagement.
Can Alliance place an entire leadership team?
Yes. Alliance runs multi-role leadership build-outs for PE portfolio companies post-acquisition, scale-ups establishing their first executive team, and businesses entering new markets. Delivered as one coordinated programme with blended pricing.
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