What Fenaroli & Associates does

Fenaroli & Associates is a private executive search and talent consultancy founded in 2016 by Karen Fenaroli, operating from a Kansas City, Missouri headquarters and four additional U.S. offices in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Dallas. The firm specializes in retained executive search for C-Suite and board of director placements, with a stated emphasis on diverse board and executive talent. Core service lines include Executive Search (a 16-week, 8-milestone retained engagement), Executive Branding (8-week resume and LinkedIn optimization), Executive Transition (9-month career coaching), and Encore Career Transition (9-month program for encore-career executives). The firm also generates demand and pipeline through community initiatives including Pure Pitch Rally (an annual tech startup pitch event with a $1M+ cash and services purse), The Executive Ascent (a CEO mentorship cohort), and Vibe (a quarterly women's leadership event series).

The business model is professional services revenue, with quote-based pricing on retained search mandates and milestone-based delivery across engagement timelines. No proprietary technology platform powers the service; the deliverable is human-led search, vetting, and coaching grounded in Karen Fenaroli's 25+ years of executive search experience and personal network. The target customer base is horizontally segmented across Fortune 1000, Russell 2000, PE-backed, large privately-held, and YPO entrepreneurial organizations, with no individual customer logos publicly disclosed.

The firm also operates Fenaroli Minerva Fund, a private family office venture vehicle making Angel and Series A investments in AI, Fintech, and Insurtech startups, with a named portfolio holding in Bellwethr (a Techstars KC graduate). The core operating team is small—Karen Fenaroli as Founder & CEO, Deborah Martin as Director of Talent Operations & Client Service, and Christine Murray as SVP and Managing Director—suggesting a boutique consultancy model rather than a scaled platform.

Name

Fenaroli & Associates

Legal name

Fenaroli & Associates, LLC

Website

https://fenaroliassociates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fenaroli & Associates is a US-based executive search and talent consultancy placing C-Suite executives and board directors for Fortune 1000, Russell 2000, PE-backed, and large private companies across five US offices, with a stated focus on diverse talent.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: Retained executive search mandates for C-Suite and Board placements. 16-week engagement with 8 milestones covering needs analysis, candidate sourcing, vetting, interviewing, negotiation, and placement. Revenue recognized upon successful placement.
2. Executive Branding: Resume, branding, and social media optimization services. 8-week engagement with 8 milestones covering needs analysis, professional documents, LinkedIn profile optimization, and reference list vetting.
3. Executive Transition Coaching: 9-month career coaching and transition program for executives in transition. Milestone-based engagement including needs analysis, career mapping, resume updates, and board training.
4. Encore Career Transition: 9-month coaching program for encore career professionals. Includes career mapping, board preparation, and self-administered training programs.
5. Venture Investing (Fenaroli Minerva Fund): Private family office fund making Angel and Series A investments in emerging technology startups. Investment returns generated through equity appreciation and exits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fenaroli & Associates is a retained executive search and talent consultancy placing C-Suite executives, VPs, and corporate board directors for public, private, and non-profit organizations. Core engagements include a 16-week executive search process, 8-week executive branding and LinkedIn optimization, and 9-month executive/encore career transition coaching programs, all delivered via a milestone-based methodology by a small senior team across five U.S. offices.

Product overview

Fenaroli & Associates is a talent consultancy and executive search firm offering professional services organized around executive placement and career development. The core offerings consist of Executive Search (C-Suite and Board placements over 16 weeks), Executive Branding (resume and social media optimization over 8 weeks), Executive Transition (9-month career coaching), and Encore Career Transition (similar 9-month program). The firm also operates Making a Leader as a community initiative encompassing The Executive Ascent (CEO mentorship), Pure Pitch Rally (tech startup funding event), and Vibe (women's leadership events). Through the Fenaroli Minerva Fund, the firm makes venture investments in emerging technology companies. This is a services-based business rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Retained executive search service placing C-Suite team members and Board of Directors for public, private, and non-profit organizations. A 16-week engagement structured around 8 milestones covering needs analysis, candidate sourcing, vetting, interviewing, reference checks, and negotiation to close.
• Executive Branding Resume, branding, and social media optimization service delivered over 8 weeks with 8 milestones. Includes professional document creation, LinkedIn profile development, and interview preparation, targeted at senior executives.
• Executive Transition Career coaching and transition program for executives in transition. A 9-month engagement with 9 milestones including needs analysis, target company database creation, resume updates, and ongoing coaching calls.
• Encore Career Transition Career coaching and transition program for executives pursuing encore careers. A 9-month, 9-milestone program with similar structure to Executive Transition, including career mapping and board training.
• Keynote Speaking Keynote speaking engagements delivered by Karen Fenaroli covering leadership, talent, diversity, and executive development topics for corporate audiences and conferences.

Quantifiable outcome

• High stick rates in executive placements
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Techstars KCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBellwethr, a Fenaroli Minerva Fund portfolio company, graduated from Techstars KC accelerator program in 2018. The connection provides access to the startup ecosystem and potential deal flow.
• General AssemblyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecruited as partner for t.Brainery initiative, a hybrid learning accelerator aimed at filling Kansas City's tech talent pipeline through collaboration with multiple tech academies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a strong board and CEO practice and dedicated diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory. Directly comparable to Fenaroli's C-suite and board placement focus, but with vastly greater scale, international footprint, and dedicated research teams.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the world's leading executive search firms, with a flagship board practice and long-standing focus on board effectiveness and CEO succession. Competes head-to-head with Fenaroli on Fortune 1000 board and CEO search mandates.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with deep board, CEO, and C-suite practices and dedicated diversity and inclusion advisory. Directly comparable in client profile (Fortune 1000, PE-backed) and mandate types.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm serving large corporates and private equity. Comparable on senior executive search and board advisory, with proprietary leadership assessment tools that Fenaroli lacks.
• Diversified Search Group: Mid-sized executive search firm recognized for diversity-focused CEO and board placements. Directly comparable to Fenaroli's niche emphasis on diverse board talent aggregation, but with broader industry coverage and larger research staff.
• Crist|Kolder Associates: Boutique executive search firm focused on C-suite and board placements for Fortune 500 and PE-backed companies. Closely comparable boutique positioning to Fenaroli, with similar premium client focus.
• Greenwood/ASPIRE: Executive search and leadership firm with explicit mission to increase diversity in corporate leadership. Highly comparable to Fenaroli's positioning as a diverse-board-talent aggregator, though operating at somewhat larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Largest organizational consulting and executive search firm globally, combining search with broader talent consulting, RPO, and assessment. A scaled incumbent that competes on Fortune 1000 search mandates while offering services outside Fenaroli's core scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/karenfenaroli

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Fenaroli & Associates