The Elliot Group
The Elliot Group is a retained executive search firm founded in 1984 that places Board, C-Suite, VP, and Director-level leaders for consumer and service industry clients, including private-equity firms and global brands across restaurants, hospitality, and franchising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Elliot Group does
The Elliot Group is a retained executive search firm specializing in executive and leadership placement for the consumer and service industries. Founded in 1984 by Alice Elliot and headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, the firm operates across three primary verticals: Restaurant & Hospitality, Consumer & Lifestyle, and Franchising. It serves global private-equity firms, public companies, and private businesses of all sizes, placing candidates at Board, C-Suite, VP, and Director levels. The firm reports 5,000+ executive placements and a 95% offer acceptance rate across more than 18 specialized consumer-sector industries.
The firm's core product is retained executive search, supported by an advisory services line that includes board development, benchmarking, M&A talent advisory, talent sequencing, succession planning, and onboarding support. Its differentiator is the Deep Immersion methodology, in which consultants conduct on-site discovery to understand client culture, leadership dynamics, and strategic goals before sourcing candidates. Operations are supported by a proprietary database system and a distributed team organized into Leadership, Business Development, Executive Search, and Search Success & Production functions. The firm also co-founded the Elliot Leadership Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit for executive leadership development.
The Elliot Group operates on a retained engagement model with multi-year contracts and exclusive representation of the hiring company. Revenue is generated through search fees and advisory service billings. The firm is privately held (Elliot Group Enterprises, LLC) with no disclosed institutional investment, has never raised external funding, and maintains offices in Tarrytown, Boston, Nashville, Chicago, Atlanta, and Cleveland. Named clients include Whataburger, Portillo's, Bojangles, Cipriani, Bay Club, Madison Reed, and Flynn Group, alongside partnerships with the Cornerstone Franchise Partners network and founding-membership in the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance.
The Elliot Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Elliot Group
- Legal name
- Elliot Group Enterprises, LLC
- Website
- https://theelliotgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Elliot Group is a retained executive search firm founded in 1984 that places Board, C-Suite, VP, and Director-level leaders for consumer and service industry clients, including private-equity firms and global brands across restaurants, hospitality, and franchising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Elliot Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI)
Keywords
Where The Elliot Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
The Elliot Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retained Executive Search: The firm works exclusively on behalf of the hiring company to identify, assess, and secure the right candidate for senior leadership positions. The process is typically confidential and involves deep discovery, targeted outreach, thorough candidate assessment, and support through onboarding.
- Leadership Advisory Services: Supporting clients with suite of advisory services including board development, benchmarking, M&A talent advisory, talent sequencing, succession planning and onboarding support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Retained Executive Search Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
The Elliot Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Elliot Group is a retained executive search firm that identifies, assesses, and places transformational executive talent at the Board, C-Suite, Vice President, and Director levels for global private-equity firms and public and private businesses across consumer and service industries. It complements its search engagements with leadership advisory services such as board development, benchmarking, M&A talent advisory, talent sequencing, succession planning, and onboarding support. The firm also operates the Elliot Leadership Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit providing leadership development programming.
Product overview
The Elliot Group is a retained executive search firm offering a unified service portfolio centered on executive search and leadership advisory. The core offering is its Retained Executive Search service, which operates alongside Advisory Services (including board development, benchmarking, M&A talent advisory, succession planning, and onboarding). The firm also operates the Elliot Leadership Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit providing professional development, and produces thought leadership content including whitepapers on leadership traits and talent strategy. The products function as an integrated suite where search services serve as the foundation, with advisory and development offerings extending the firm's client engagement beyond individual placements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retained Executive Search Retained executive search across Board, C-Suite, Vice President, and Director levels for global private-equity firms and public and private businesses of all sizes. The process involves deep discovery, targeted outreach, thorough candidate assessment, and support through onboarding, with the firm working exclusively on behalf of the hiring company.
- Leadership Advisory Services Suite of advisory services including board development, benchmarking, M&A talent advisory, talent sequencing, succession planning, and onboarding support, provided alongside the firm's retained executive search engagements.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,000+ executive placements
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Elliot Group
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Elliot Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Elliot Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Cornerstone Franchise PartnerscoreThe Elliot Group has been named as the exclusive human capital partner to Cornerstone's network, providing executive search and leadership advisory services. The partnership supports Cornerstone's portfolio brands including ClearSite Construction Services and helps identify additional service-based franchise opportunities.
- Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA)coreThe Elliot Group was a founding member of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA).
- The Culinary Institute of AmericacoreAlice Elliot sits on the Board of Trustees of The Culinary Institute of America. The firm has received awards from the institute including the 2020 Augie Award.
- National Restaurant AssociationminorActive member of the National Restaurant Association.
- International Franchise AssociationminorActive member of the International Franchise Association.
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)minorActive member of SHRM.
- National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)coreThe Elliot Group curated and donated The Elliot Group Memorabilia Collection to the NRAEF in 2015, currently housed in America's Restaurant Gallery. Alice Elliot was inducted into NRAEF's College of Diplomats in 2010.
- Elliot Leadership InstitutecoreThe Elliot Group co-founded The Elliot Leadership Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to executive leadership development. Founded in 2003 with PepsiCo as a lead sponsor.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Elliot Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with a Consumer & Retail practice. Competes for senior executive placements across consumer-facing industries with broader international coverage than The Elliot Group.
- DHR Global: Executive search firm with practices across consumer, retail, hospitality, and food & beverage. Comparable in size and specialization to The Elliot Group and competes for similar mid-to-senior level mandates.
- Diversified Search Group: Executive search firm with dedicated consumer, retail, and hospitality practices. Similar vertical focus to The Elliot Group with comparable boutique-to-mid-size positioning and client profiles.
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a consumer and retail practice. Competes directly for senior-level mandates and offers comparable advisory services to The Elliot Group's client base.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Consumer Markets practice covering retail, restaurant, hospitality, and consumer products. Competes directly with The Elliot Group for senior-level placements in these verticals while offering broader geographic reach.
- Spencer Stuart: One of the world's largest privately-held executive search firms with a Consumer practice serving retail, restaurant, and hospitality clients. Directly comparable on C-Suite and Board placements in the same verticals as The Elliot Group.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with consumer, retail, and hospitality practices. Places C-Suite and Board executives across the same verticals as The Elliot Group, with deeper international coverage.
- JM Search: Boutique executive search firm focused on consumer, retail, industrial, and private equity-backed companies. Closely comparable in scale, vertical specialization, and approach to The Elliot Group.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering executive search, talent assessment, and RPO services across all industries including consumer. Much broader portfolio and scale than The Elliot Group, but overlaps on consumer-sector C-Suite searches.
Emerging players
- Kincannon & Reed: Executive search firm specializing in food, agribusiness, and consumer sectors. Niche competitor with similar vertical focus to The Elliot Group, particularly relevant for food and beverage executive placements.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Elliot Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Elliot Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Elliot Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
The Elliot Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Elliot Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Elliot Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Elliot Group
What does The Elliot Group do?
The Elliot Group is a retained executive search firm that identifies, assesses, and places transformational executive talent at the Board, C-Suite, Vice President, and Director levels for global private-equity firms and public and private businesses across consumer and service industries. It complements its search engagements with leadership advisory services such as board development, benchmarking, M&A talent advisory, talent sequencing, succession planning, and onboarding support. The firm also operates the Elliot Leadership Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit providing leadership development programming.
Is The Elliot Group a public or private company?
The Elliot Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Elliot Group founded?
The Elliot Group was founded in 1984. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Elliot Group based?
The Elliot Group is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Elliot Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retained Executive Search is the primary driver. The others are leadership Advisory Services.
Who are The Elliot Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Odgers Berndtson, DHR Global, Diversified Search Group, Egon Zehnder, Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Russell Reynolds Associates and JM Search. Korn Ferry is listed as a broad incumbent. Kincannon & Reed is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Elliot Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Elliot Group.
What industry is The Elliot Group in?
The Elliot Group's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAB, Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops), with a secondary code of BPACAAAI, Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search. Its NAICS code is 56131 and its SIC code is 8600.