Frederickson Partners
Frederickson Partners is a U.S. retained executive search firm founded in 1995 that places HR and People leadership talent — CHROs, Chief People Officers, Total Rewards, and Talent Acquisition executives — for enterprise clients across technology, healthcare, financial services, and other sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersMenlo Park, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Frederickson Partners does
Frederickson Partners is a U.S. retained executive search firm founded in 1995, specializing in HR and People leadership placements for enterprise organizations. The firm's core offering is end-to-end retained search for senior HR roles including CHRO, Chief People Officer, Heads of People, Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, Employee Success, and HR Business Partner positions. The firm has completed over 600 searches across a wide variety of industry sectors and maintains a proprietary network of more than 25,000 executives globally, which serves as the primary sourcing asset.
The firm's technology stack is best characterized as a relationship-driven executive search platform built on its proprietary talent network; no software products, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Delivery is partner-led and conducted across 15+ U.S. cities spanning all major regions. Value verticals served include Healthcare, Technology/Digital, Consumer, Higher Education, Private Equity, and Nonprofit organizations. Named customers include Waymo, Workday, Uber, Lyft, GRAIL, Clover Health, Northwestern Mutual, Qualtrics, Shark Ninja, Ferguson, PTC, Total Quality Logistics, lululemon, New Relic, and NuBank.
Revenue is generated through retained executive search engagements, with pricing structured as custom fees tied to search complexity and executive seniority. Engagements are typically structured as multi-year contracts, consistent with industry norms where fees are calculated as a percentage of expected compensation or fixed retainers. The firm operates as a private, for-profit company with no disclosed institutional investor backing. In June 2026, Buffkin / Baker — an affiliated entity — acquired Benson Executive Search, expanding HR sector expertise and adding partners including Alice Benson and Bob McCarthy.
Frederickson Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Frederickson Partners
- Legal name
- Buffkin Baker
- Website
- https://fredericksonpartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Frederickson Partners is a U.S. retained executive search firm founded in 1995 that places HR and People leadership talent — CHROs, Chief People Officers, Total Rewards, and Talent Acquisition executives — for enterprise clients across technology, healthcare, financial services, and other sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Frederickson Partners 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 industry
- Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK)
Keywords
Where Frederickson Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Menlo Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Frederickson Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Retained Executive Search: Retained executive search services for HR and People leadership roles including CHRO, Chief People Officer, Heads of People, Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, and HR Business Partner functions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom engagement pricing based on search complexity and executive level |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Frederickson Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Frederickson Partners is a retained executive search firm that recruits and places senior HR and People leadership talent for enterprise clients. The firm conducts searches for roles including CHRO, Chief People Officer, Heads of People, Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, Employee Success, and HR Business Partner functions, drawing on a curated network of more than 25,000 executives and a track record of 600+ completed searches across diverse industry sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retained Executive Search for HR & People Leadership
- People Operations Executive Search
- Total Rewards Executive Search Retained search for Total Rewards executives who manage executive compensation, short- and long-term incentives, sales compensation, equity planning, employee benefits, and HRIS analytics.
- Learning and Development Executive Search Retained search for Learning and Development executives who build workforce capabilities and continuous learning programs that differentiate organizations.
- Talent Acquisition and Talent Management Executive Search Retained search for Talent Acquisition and Talent Management executives who design strategies for recruitment, development, and retention of workforce across markets and product offerings.
- HR and People Business Partner Executive Search Retained search for HR Business Partners who combine HR generalist skills with strategic, business-oriented perspectives and implement rewards and development programs aligned to business line objectives.
Companies that use Frederickson Partners
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Frederickson Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Frederickson Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Benson Executive SearchcoreBuffkin / Baker acquired Benson Executive Search on June 8, 2026. The acquisition expands Buffkin Baker's capabilities and human resources sector expertise. Benson Executive Search, led by Alice Benson (formerly President & CEO of Gatti & Associates), brings over 20 years of executive search experience in HR and People functions. The acquisition adds expertise in placing CHROs, Chief People Officers, and HR leadership across startups, enterprises, and PE-backed organizations.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Frederickson Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global retained executive search firm with a dedicated HR Officers practice serving Fortune 500 and high-growth clients - a direct competitor on retained HR/People searches.
- Heidrick & Struggles: One of the largest global retained executive search firms with a flagship HR Officers practice, directly competing for the same CHRO/CPO retained engagements that Frederickson Partners targets.
- JM Search: Boutique retained executive search firm focused on functional leadership placements, with a strong People and HR practice serving venture-backed and Fortune 500 clients.
- Spencer Stuart: Global retained executive search firm with a deep Human Resources practice, placing CHROs and People leaders across enterprise clients - directly comparable on customer type and search function.
- Egon Zehnder: Global private retained executive search firm serving large enterprises and private equity clients, with deep functional practices including HR - comparable on retained model and Fortune 500 client base.
- Calibre One: Boutique retained executive search firm specializing in functional leadership placements including HR, Finance, and Marketing - closely comparable on boutique scale and functional search focus.
- Klein Hersh International: Specialty retained executive search firm focused exclusively on HR and People leadership placements - a closer functional peer than the large generalist firms, competing for the same niche mandates.
- Diversified Search Group: Mid-sized retained executive search firm with vertical and functional practices - a comparable peer in size and search model across industries including HR leadership mandates.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: The largest global executive search and talent consulting firm offering retained search as part of a much broader portfolio across executive recruiting, assessment, and RPO - overlaps on HR executive search but is far broader in scope.
Emerging players
- Daversa Partners: Tech-focused executive search firm placing senior leadership at high-growth technology companies - overlapping on the technology vertical and exec-level placements, though with a broader function focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Frederickson Partners social profiles
Digital presenceFrederickson Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Frederickson Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Frederickson Partners subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Frederickson Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frederickson Partners 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 Frederickson Partners
What does Frederickson Partners do?
Frederickson Partners is a retained executive search firm that recruits and places senior HR and People leadership talent for enterprise clients. The firm conducts searches for roles including CHRO, Chief People Officer, Heads of People, Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, Employee Success, and HR Business Partner functions, drawing on a curated network of more than 25,000 executives and a track record of 600+ completed searches across diverse industry sectors.
Is Frederickson Partners a public or private company?
Frederickson Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Frederickson Partners founded?
Frederickson Partners was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Frederickson Partners based?
Frederickson Partners is headquartered in Menlo Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Frederickson Partners make money?
One revenue line is on record: retained Executive Search.
Who are Frederickson Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Russell Reynolds Associates, Heidrick & Struggles, JM Search, Spencer Stuart, Egon Zehnder, Calibre One, Klein Hersh International and Diversified Search Group. Korn Ferry is listed as a broad incumbent. Daversa Partners is listed as an emerging player.
Does Frederickson Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Frederickson Partners.
What industry is Frederickson Partners in?
Frederickson Partners'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.