ON Partners
ON Partners is a privately held, partner-led retained executive search firm that places C-suite and board leaders for private equity, venture capital, and public companies across technology, industrial, healthcare, consumer, and financial services sectors, operating from seven U.S. offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersHudson, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ON Partners does
ON Partners is a privately held, partner-led retained executive search firm founded in 2006 by search professionals who left the largest executive search firms. The firm is structured so that one partner runs each engagement from first client call through final offer, with no handoffs to junior staff, and a dedicated team (Partner for strategy and lead, Consultant for research and sourcing, Project Coordinator for logistics) supporting each search. ON Partners places C-suite and board-level executives across CEO/Board, Commercialization & GTM, Finance & Accounting, IT/Security & Risk, People & Talent, Product/Data & Engineering, Strategy & Transformation, and Supply Chain functions.
The firm serves private equity (Vista Equity Partners, Francisco Partners), venture capital, and public and private companies across industry verticals including AI & Emerging Tech, Consumer & Retail, Energy Transition, Financial & Professional Services, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Industrial Tech & Infrastructure, Semiconductor & Hardware, and Software & SaaS. Named placements include C-suite and board executives at NVIDIA, Micron Technology, Global Foundries, Honeywell, Whirlpool, Samsung (50+ C-level/board in 2019), Tesla (CFO, 2015), Peloton, Logitech, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Bill.com. Operations span seven U.S. offices (Cleveland headquarters plus Dallas, Atlanta, Silicon Valley, Boston, San Francisco, and Minneapolis/St. Paul).
The business model is pure professional services revenue from retained search fees negotiated per engagement based on role seniority and scope, with no disclosed software or platform product. Marketing is driven by thought leadership content (1,040+ published insights, multiple sector talent reports), earned media (Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider, Hunt Scanlon, regional business journals), referrals (95% referral rate), and event sponsorships (Deloitte Technology Fast 500). The firm reports 400+ searches per year, an 85% client return rate, 98% placement retention at 12 months, median 113 days to close, and 4.9/5 client satisfaction.
ON Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ON Partners
- Legal name
- ON Partners, LLC
- Website
- https://onpartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ON Partners is a privately held, partner-led retained executive search firm that places C-suite and board leaders for private equity, venture capital, and public companies across technology, industrial, healthcare, consumer, and financial services sectors, operating from seven U.S. offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ON Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)
Keywords
Where ON Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hudson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
ON Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retained Executive Search Fees: The firm operates on a retained executive search model, providing C-suite and board-level executive placement services. Fees are based on retained engagements with compensation structured around the seniority and complexity of each search.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom engagement-based pricing for retained executive search |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
ON Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ON Partners is a retained executive search firm that places C-suite and board-level leaders for private equity, venture capital, and public companies. Each engagement is led end-to-end by a single partner with no handoff to junior staff, supported by a dedicated consultant for research and sourcing and a project coordinator for logistics. The firm specializes in CEO, CFO, COO, CTO, CISO, CHRO, and board searches across multiple industries and functions.
Product overview
ON Partners is a pure-play retained executive search firm offering a single, unified service: placing C-suite and board-level leaders for private equity, venture capital, and public companies. The firm operates on a partner-led model where one partner manages each search from start to finish. Their service spans multiple industries including AI & Emerging Tech, Consumer & Retail, Energy Transition, Financial & Professional Services, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Industrial Tech & Infrastructure, Semiconductor & Hardware, and Software & SaaS. Functions covered include CEO/Board, Commercialization & GTM, Finance & Accounting, IT/Security & Risk, People & Talent, Portfolio Operations, Product/Data & Engineering, Strategy & Transformation, and Supply Chain/Manufacturing & Operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retained Executive Search Services Partner-led retained executive search placing C-suite and board-level leaders for private equity, venture capital, and public companies across functions including CEO/Board, Finance & Accounting, IT/Security & Risk, People & Talent, Product/Data & Engineering, and Supply Chain Operations. Each engagement is run from first call to close by a single partner supported by a Consultant for research and sourcing and a Project Coordinator for logistics, with services sold on a per-search retained basis.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% of clients return for their next search
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use ON Partners
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ON Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ON Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Gaming USA Corp.minorON Partners' consumer practice formed a partnership to sponsor Alan Woinski's long-running newsletter service, providing marketing visibility in the gaming and hospitality sector.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ON Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- JM Search: PE-centric retained executive search firm placing operating leaders, C-suite, and board members at growth-stage and PE-backed companies — directly comparable to ON Partners' PE practice.
- Spencer Stuart: Global retained executive search firm, deeply focused on board, CEO, and C-suite placements for PE-backed and large-cap public companies — the most direct competitor to ON Partners' core offering.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Publicly-traded global retained executive search firm with strong PE practice and sector specializations (including technology, healthcare, financial services) that directly overlap with ON Partners' industries.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global retained executive search firm with established Technology, PE, and Board Advisory practices; competes head-to-head with ON Partners for large-cap C-suite and board engagements.
- Egon Zehdner: Privately-held global retained executive search firm emphasizing C-suite and board advisory with deep sector practices; a leading same-category competitor to ON Partners' model.
- DHR Global: Mid-to-large retained executive search firm with PE practice and sector depth across technology, healthcare, and industrial — closest direct competitor to ON Partners in size and PE focus.
- True Search: PE-focused retained executive search firm specializing in portfolio company executive placements; competes for the same private-equity panel work as ON Partners.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Publicly-traded global organizational consulting firm with a large Executive Search division that serves Fortune 500 and PE clients — much broader portfolio but a direct competitor in retained C-suite search.
Emerging players
- ZRG Partners: Mid-sized retained executive search firm with strong technology and PE practice; competes with ON Partners for venture- and growth-equity-backed C-suite searches.
- Witt/Kieffer: Retained executive search firm specialized in healthcare, life sciences, and higher education leadership — comparable to ON Partners' Healthcare & Life Sciences vertical practice.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ON Partners social profiles
Digital presenceON Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ON Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
ON Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ON 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 ON Partners
What does ON Partners do?
ON Partners is a retained executive search firm that places C-suite and board-level leaders for private equity, venture capital, and public companies. Each engagement is led end-to-end by a single partner with no handoff to junior staff, supported by a dedicated consultant for research and sourcing and a project coordinator for logistics. The firm specializes in CEO, CFO, COO, CTO, CISO, CHRO, and board searches across multiple industries and functions.
Is ON Partners a public or private company?
ON Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ON Partners founded?
ON Partners was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ON Partners based?
ON Partners is headquartered in Hudson, United States, in the North America region.
How does ON Partners make money?
One revenue line is on record: retained Executive Search Fees.
Who are ON Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are JM Search, Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates, Egon Zehdner, DHR Global and True Search. Korn Ferry is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are ZRG Partners and Witt/Kieffer.
Does ON Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for ON Partners.
What industry is ON Partners in?
ON Partners's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAI, Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.