True Search

What True Search does

True is a global talent management platform, founded in 2012 in Haddonfield, NJ and Sunnyvale, CA, that delivers executive search and adjacent leadership services to investment firms, their portfolio companies, and public companies. The firm operates a portfolio of interconnected products spanning retained executive search (True Search), fractional and interim executive placements (TrueBridge), talent advisory, coaching and assessment (True Talent Labs), inclusive hiring (AboveBoard), tech-enabled search (SearchEssentials), curated introductions (True Connect), and talent relationship management software (Thrive). True is ranked the industry's sixth largest talent management platform globally, with 13,000+ closed searches since 2019, 250k+ executives engaged across 1,100 active hiring projects at any given time, and placements in 38+ countries.

The platform is built on 13+ years of proprietary talent intelligence, including over 1 million data leadership points, a 1M+ executive database, and the True AI Capability Index℠, a trademarked five-dimension framework for assessing executive readiness for AI-driven transformation. The firm organizes its delivery around dedicated Managing Director-led practices across 13+ industry verticals (Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain & Crypto, Consumer, Cybersecurity & Defense Tech, Digital Infrastructure, Energy Transition & Industrial, Enterprise Software & Services, Financial Services, HardTech, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Longevity) and functional expertise areas (CEO/Board, Finance, Go-to-Market, Product/Data/Tech, People/Talent/Legal, Risk/Compliance). Operations span 13+ offices across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Australia, with a global headquarters relocated to Philadelphia in 2025.

True generates revenue through a mix of professional services (retained executive search mandates, fractional/interim placements, talent advisory and coaching engagements), subscriptions (AboveBoard tiers for startups, growth, and enterprise; Thrive talent CRM), and hybrid models (SearchEssentials tech-enabled search). The go-to-market is primarily enterprise field sales targeting PE/VC sponsors and their portfolio companies, supplemented by self-service platforms for mid-market and fractional hiring. The firm is privately held, backed by LLR Partners since 2021, and led by founders Brad Stadler (CEO) and Joe Riggione (Executive Vice Chair), with Ursula Burns joining the Board of Directors in 2025.

Name

True Search

Legal name

True

Website

https://trueplatform.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

True is a global talent management platform offering retained executive search, fractional/interim placements, talent advisory, inclusive hiring, and proprietary AI-driven executive assessment for investment firms, portfolio companies, and public companies across 13+ industry verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO) (BPACAAAC), Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF), Healthcare & Life Sciences Leadership Search (BPACAAAE), Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Executive recruiting
• Talent management platform
• Fractional executive placement
• Executive assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Haddonfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. True Search (Executive Search): Global recruitment for board members, C-suite executives, VPs, directors and strategic talent for investment firms, portfolio companies and public companies. Core revenue stream from retained executive search mandates.
2. TrueBridge (Fractional & Interim): Connects experienced executives to fractional and interim roles at high-growth companies. Revenue generated from successful placements and network membership fees.
3. True Talent Labs: Talent advisory, executive coaching and assessment solutions providing insights for organizations, teams and leaders. Revenue from consulting engagements and assessment services.
4. SearchEssentials: Tech-enabled search unbundling executive recruitment services, allowing customized search processes. Hybrid model combining software delivery with professional services.
5. Thrive (Talent Technology): Collaborative talent relationship management software sold to search firms, in-house recruiters and VC/PE firms. Software licensing revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

True Search is a worldwide executive recruitment firm placing board members, C-suite executives, VPs, directors, and other strategic talent for investment firms, portfolio companies, and public companies. The firm operates dedicated industry practices (AI, Blockchain, Consumer, Cybersecurity, Digital Infrastructure, Energy, Enterprise Software, Financial Services, Healthcare, Life Sciences) and supplements its core search offering with fractional/interim placements via TrueBridge, talent advisory and assessment via True Talent Labs, inclusive hiring via AboveBoard, and tech-enabled search via SearchEssentials and Thrive.

Product overview

True Search is a global talent management platform that operates as a unified portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core of the offering is True Search (executive recruiting), supplemented by TrueBridge (fractional and interim executive placements), True Talent Labs (talent advisory, coaching and assessment), AboveBoard (inclusive executive hiring platform), SearchEssentials (tech-enabled search with AI-powered candidate matching), Thrive (talent relationship management software), and True Connect (curated executive networking). The platform is backed by 13+ years of talent intelligence data, the proprietary True AI Capability Index℠ assessment framework, and a global team across Americas, APAC, and EMEA. True is ranked as the sixth largest executive search firm globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• True AI Capability Index: Proprietary framework that predicts executive performance in the AI-transformation age with precision and speed. Assesses executives across five dimensions of Adaptive Intelligence: Model-Updating Speed, Personal AI Engagement, AI-Era Decision-Making, Hybrid Organization Design, and Vision and Uncertainty.
• TrueBridge
• True Talent Labs
• AboveBoard
• SearchEssentials
• Thrive
• True Connect

Products and services

• True Search Global executive search practice placing board members, C-suite executives, VPs, directors and other strategic talent for investment firms, portfolio companies and public companies through dedicated industry practices including AI, Blockchain, Consumer, Cybersecurity, Digital Infrastructure, Energy Transition, Enterprise Software, Financial Services, HardTech, Healthcare, Life Sciences, and Longevity.
• TrueBridge Talent solution connecting experienced executives to fractional and interim roles at high-growth and mid-market companies, providing on-demand access to a vetted network of executives with 26 years average experience and a 25% pass-through rate.
• True Talent Labs Talent advisory, executive coaching and assessment solutions providing organizations with insights for leadership performance and alignment, leveraging over 1 million+ data leadership points accrued over 12+ years.
• AboveBoard Inclusive executive platform and community providing open access to senior leadership opportunities, enabling companies to build inclusive candidate pipelines with Startup, Growth and Enterprise subscription tiers.
• SearchEssentials Tech-enabled executive search that combines True Search's expertise with Thrive TRM software, AboveBoard members, Pitchbook and LinkedIn connections, and a database of over one million executives. Offered in Slates, Pipelines, and Placements packages.
• Thrive (Thrive TRM) Collaborative, real-time talent relationship management (TRM) software for search firms, in-house recruiters and VC/PE firms to document relationships, track interactions, assess and stack rank candidates, and run better hiring processes.
• True Connect Proactive access to executive talent and trusted relationships through curated introductions, exclusive events and thoughtfully designed experiences, helping organizations anticipate leadership needs and stay ahead of succession risks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3x greater cost reduction from AI-native leaders
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers28 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IntegrumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025True announced partnership with Integrum in 2025; includes board development and governance advisory capabilities.
• Bleecker (True Advance)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024True acquired Bleecker and launched True Advance assessment and coaching offering, integrated into True Talent Labs.
• JopwellminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023True acquired Jopwell, a hiring platform focused on advancing careers for Black, Latinx, and Native American professionals, to strengthen diversity recruiting capabilities.
• Hobbs & Towne Inc. (HTI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021True acquired climate technology and sustainability executive search firm Hobbs & Towne Inc. to create True's Energy Transition & Industrial Practice.
• AboveBoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019AboveBoard, an inclusive digital platform that opens up executive search to underrepresented leaders, was co-founded by True in 2019 to help companies diversify their executive roles.
• Thrive TRMcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2015Thrive TRM spun out of True in 2015 to become an independent SaaS company providing talent relationship management software to search firms, in-house recruiters, and VC/PE firms.
• AccelminorOthersAccel uses TrueBridge for short-term executive needs as referenced in client testimonial.
• SeatGeekminorOthersSeatGeek engaged TrueBridge for fractional CPO placement during full-time hire transition.
• BlackRockminorOthersBlackRock referenced as client benefiting from True Talent Labs talent advisory services.
• NikeminorOthersNike referenced as client benefiting from True Talent Labs talent advisory services.
• GoogleminorOthersGoogle referenced as client benefiting from True Talent Labs talent advisory services.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DHR Global: Global executive search firm with a similar vertical practice model and PE/portfolio company orientation. Comparable in serving investment firms and growth-stage companies; similarly privately held with multi-practice, multi-region structure.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Public global executive search firm with deep practice-area coverage in financial services, technology, healthcare, and consumer. Closely comparable in vertical specialization and enterprise client base; publicly traded, providing a useful valuation benchmark for a top-10 global search firm.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search and leadership advisory firm with comparable practice structure across industries and geographies. Closely comparable on client base, mandate type, and professional services delivery model.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Major privately held global executive search firm with comparable industry practice structure (including technology, financial services, healthcare) and similar focus on C-suite and board work. Closely comparable in business model and target customer.
• Boyden: Privately held global executive search firm with industry-specialized practices and broad geographic coverage. Comparable business model and customer base, particularly for board and senior executive mandates in mid-to-large cap and PE-backed companies.
• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with comparable C-suite and board practice across multiple verticals and geographies. Similar retained-search model and enterprise customer profile, though with stronger UK/European roots.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the world's largest privately held executive search firms, with a comparable global practice structure spanning board, CEO, and functional leadership across industries. Directly comparable on mandate type, customer base, and delivery model, though generally larger and more entrenched at top-tier boards.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Largest global organizational consulting firm with a significant executive search franchise alongside RPO, assessment, and talent consulting. Comparable on retained search mandates but broader in scope with much greater scale and recurring revenue diversification.

Emerging players

• Allegis Partners: Executive search firm with strong focus on technology, digital, and private equity-backed mandates. Comparable on the PE/portfolio-company value proposition and tech vertical specialization, but smaller scale and more concentrated geographic footprint than True.

Regional players

• Isaacson, Miller: US-focused executive search firm strong in nonprofit, education, and social impact sectors. Partial overlap with True's Nonprofit & Social Impact practice and Diversity focus, but primarily serves mission-driven organizations rather than PE-backed enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/trueplatform
• YouTubeyoutube.com/trueplatform
• Facebookfacebook.com/trueplatform
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/true-search
• Instagraminstagram.com/trueplatform

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about True Search