Coleman Lew Canny Bowen
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen is a privately held, retained executive search firm formed in 2019 from the merger of two legacy practices (1954 and 1979), placing C-suite, board, and senior leaders for enterprise, private equity, nonprofit, and academic clients across eight industry practices from offices in Charlotte and New York.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Coleman Lew Canny Bowen does
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen (CLCB) is a privately held retained executive search firm formed in 2019 through the merger of two legacy practices: Canny Bowen, founded in New York in 1954, and Coleman Lew, founded in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1979. The firm is led by CEO Shana Plott (Charlotte) and President Greg Gabel (New York) and operates from offices at 6101 Carnegie Blvd., Suite 300 in Charlotte and 667 Madison Ave., 5th Floor in New York. CLCB specializes in C-suite, board of directors, and senior functional leadership placements across eight practice areas: Industrial/Manufacturing, Financial Services, Business Services, Healthcare, Education, Consumer Goods and Services, Government and Nonprofit, and Energy and Infrastructure. The stated client mix spans publicly traded enterprises, private equity portfolio companies, nonprofit and academic institutions, and government-adjacent organizations, with documented enterprise references including a $5 billion publicly traded manufacturing company, a $30 billion-plus publicly traded restaurant chain, a $100 million physician-owned multi-specialty healthcare practice, and a national HVAC/plumbing services company that grew from 100 to 650 locations under a CLCB-placed General Counsel.
The firm generates revenue exclusively through professional services fees on a retained engagement basis; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. CLCB reports that more than 85% of its business originates from current or former clients or referrals, versus a stated search-industry average of 27%, and that 100% of searches are personally led by partners or senior consultants rather than delegated to junior associates or outsourced recruiters. Client relationships frequently span 10+ years with 20+ completed searches per long-tenured client. The firm accesses global candidate reach and cross-border delivery through memberships in AESC (Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants) and Penrhyn International, a global network of premier retained search firms; Greg Gabel served on Penrhyn's Global Board from 2019 to 2023. CLCB does not operate any software product, API, or self-service platform — all search work is delivered through a human consultant process covering client consultation, candidate sourcing, evaluation, interview facilitation, reference verification, and offer negotiation.
The team is disclosed at 10-15 professionals across both offices, including partner-level consultants (Shana Plott, Greg Gabel, Jonas Hedin, others) with prior experience at Heidrick & Struggles, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Bank of America, and boutique search firms. Headcount and revenue are not publicly reported. An independent partnership-style ownership structure is referenced, with no disclosed parent company, institutional investor, private equity involvement, or secondary offerings.
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coleman Lew Canny Bowen
- Legal name
- Coleman Lew Canny Bowen
- Website
- https://clcbsearch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Coleman Lew Canny Bowen is a privately held, retained executive search firm formed in 2019 from the merger of two legacy practices (1954 and 1979), placing C-suite, board, and senior leaders for enterprise, private equity, nonprofit, and academic clients across eight industry practices from offices in Charlotte and New York.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF), Industrial & Engineering Leadership Search (BPACAAAD)
Keywords
Where Coleman Lew Canny Bowen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retained Executive Search: Retained executive search services for C-suite, board, and senior leadership positions. Clients include public, private, nonprofit, and international organizations. Revenue generated through professional services fees for search engagements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen is a retained executive search firm that connects organizations with senior executive talent. The firm conducts partner-led searches for C-suite, board, and senior leadership positions across multiple industries, with 100% of searches led by partners or senior consultants rather than delegated to junior associates.
Product overview
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen is a retained executive search firm that has operated since 1954. The company does not offer a software product, platform, or SaaS offering. All services are delivered through human consultants via a structured search process that includes client consultation, global candidate sourcing, candidate evaluation, interview facilitation, reference verification, and offer negotiation. The firm specializes in placing senior executives (CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, General Counsel, Board Directors) and senior functional leaders across multiple industries including Industrial/Manufacturing, Financial Services, Business Services, Healthcare, Education, Consumer Goods and Services, Government and Nonprofit, and Energy and Infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retained Executive Search
- Board of Directors Placement
Quantifiable outcome
- 85%+ business from referrals vs 27% industry average
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Coleman Lew Canny Bowen
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AESC (Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants)coreGlobal membership association for executive search firms that meet highest quality standards in the executive talent industry. CLCB is a long-standing member committed to AESC's standards and diversity pledge.
- Penrhyn InternationalcoreLeading global network of premier retained executive search firms. Members provide customized solutions to help organizations identify world-class C-suite talent. Greg Gabel served on Penrhyn International's Global Board from 2019-2023.
- BlueStepsminorInternational career service connecting individuals with leading executive recruiters, jobs, and career coaches. CLCB maintains membership for candidate sourcing and client visibility.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Heidrick & Struggles: One of the largest global retained executive search firms with a dedicated CEO & Board Practice. Directly comparable as a retained executive search competitor serving C-suite and board mandates across the same industries (notably, CLCB's CEO Shana Plott and President Greg Gabel both previously worked at Heidrick & Struggles).
- Spencer Stuart: Premier global executive search firm specializing in board, CEO, and senior leadership placements across industries. Directly comparable to CLCB in service offering, target clients, and partner-led delivery model.
- Egon Zehnder: Global retained executive search firm with deep C-suite, board, and executive advisory practices. Closely comparable to CLCB on service scope, target buyer, and partner-led delivery ethos.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on C-suite, board, and senior leadership across consumer, financial services, industrial, and technology sectors. Direct competitor for CLCB's retained executive search mandates.
- DHR International: Global executive search firm specializing in senior leadership placements across multiple industries. Comparable mid-sized retained search competitor serving enterprise clients.
- Witt/Kieffer: Executive search firm with particular strength in healthcare, education, and nonprofit leadership. Overlaps meaningfully with several of CLCB's named verticals (healthcare, education, government/nonprofit).
- Odgers Berndtson: Global retained executive search firm with strong C-suite and board practice across industries. Comparable partner-led boutique search firm competing for similar enterprise mandates.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Large publicly traded organizational consulting firm with a major executive search practice alongside broader talent management and advisory services. Comparable on the executive search core but operates at much greater scale and with adjacent HR consulting lines.
Regional players
- Waldthausen & Associates: Charlotte-based retained executive search firm serving mid-sized privately owned businesses. Two CLCB team members (Stacy Adams and Robin Bagby) previously worked at Waldthausen, indicating close market overlap and comparable retained search model in the Carolinas.
Others
- BlueSteps (AESC): Executive career service operated by AESC that connects senior executives with retained search firms. Listed as a CLCB partnership/channel partner; comparable as part of the same executive search ecosystem and candidate sourcing infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen social profiles
Digital presenceColeman Lew Canny Bowen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen 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 Coleman Lew Canny Bowen
What does Coleman Lew Canny Bowen do?
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen is a retained executive search firm that connects organizations with senior executive talent. The firm conducts partner-led searches for C-suite, board, and senior leadership positions across multiple industries, with 100% of searches led by partners or senior consultants rather than delegated to junior associates.
Is Coleman Lew Canny Bowen a public or private company?
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Coleman Lew Canny Bowen founded?
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Coleman Lew Canny Bowen based?
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coleman Lew Canny Bowen make money?
One revenue line is on record: retained Executive Search.
Who are Coleman Lew Canny Bowen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Egon Zehnder, Russell Reynolds Associates, DHR International, Witt/Kieffer and Odgers Berndtson. Korn Ferry is listed as a broad incumbent. Waldthausen & Associates is listed as a regional player. BlueSteps (AESC) is listed as an others.
Does Coleman Lew Canny Bowen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coleman Lew Canny Bowen.
What industry is Coleman Lew Canny Bowen in?
Coleman Lew Canny Bowen's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAK, Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.