What Calibre One does

Calibre One Ltd is a privately held, boutique executive search firm founded circa 2000 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The firm offers retained executive search, board search, human capital advisory, and a proprietary cultural-fit assessment called Culture Quotient™, delivering partner-led engagements for C-suite, vice president, and board-level placements. Calibre One organizes its work around five vertical practice groups — Technology (co-led by Managing Partners Tom Barnes and James Brocket, with Shane Burgess), Financial Services (led by Managing Partner David Schumer and co-led by Curtis Krause for Asset Management), Healthcare & Life Sciences (led by Christos Richards, with a health and well-being sub-practice led by Harry Greenspun, M.D.), Consumer, Sport & Entertainment (co-led by Luis DeAnda and James Flashman-Fox), and Advanced Industrials.

The firm operates through seven offices spanning London, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, and Miami, enabling transatlantic search mandates for clients that include BP, Oracle (Grapeshot), Tray.io, Intercom, Brookfield, Neuberger Berman, Horizon Capital, Neurocrine Biosciences, KalVista Pharmaceuticals, AtaiBeckley, Dalet, and IG Group, among others. Calibre One is described in source material as positioning itself between large global search firms and small boutiques, claiming the scale and network breadth of a major firm alongside the agility and personal attention of a boutique.

Revenue is generated entirely through professional services fees on a retained search engagement basis, structured around milestones achieved in the search process rather than time elapsed. Fees are not publicly disclosed but are stated to be in line with SHREK-tier firms (Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds, Egon Zehnder, Korn Ferry), with boutique-style flexibility on structure. The firm has roughly 20 partners plus principals, senior associates, associates, and administrative staff, has not raised external funding, and operates as an independent, founder-managed private limited company.

Name

Calibre One

Legal name

Calibre One Ltd

Website

https://calibreone.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Calibre One is a privately held, London-based boutique executive search firm with seven offices across the UK and US, offering partner-led retained search for C-suite, board, and senior executive placements in technology, financial services, healthcare & life sciences, consumer/sport/entertainment, and advanced industrials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search: Retained search fees for executive placement services, typically structured around milestones achieved in the search process rather than purely time-based billing. Fees are in line with major global search firms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Calibre One is a boutique global executive search firm that identifies and secures C-suite, board, and senior executive leaders for technology and innovation-driven organizations. Core offerings include Executive Search, Board Search, Human Capital Advisory, and the proprietary Culture Quotient™ cultural-fit assessment. Practice groups specialize by sector including Technology, Financial Services, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Consumer, Sport & Entertainment.

Product overview

Calibre One is a boutique global executive search firm offering a unified suite of professional services focused on identifying and securing transformative leadership talent. The core offering comprises Executive Search (for C-suite, VP, and senior executive roles) and Board Search (for board directors and non-executive directors), supported by Human Capital Advisory services and the proprietary Culture Quotient™ assessment methodology. Practice groups specialize by sector including Technology, Financial Services, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Consumer, Sport & Entertainment. The firm operates globally with hubs in London, San Francisco, and New York, serving clients across North America, Europe, and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global retained executive search and leadership advisory firm, publicly listed (HSII). Direct competitor across C-suite and board placements in technology, financial services, and healthcare — overlapping most of Calibre One's practice areas.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the SHREK-tier global executive search firms with deep sector practices. Directly comparable on technology and financial services CEO/board searches, with similar partner-led methodology.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with strong technology and financial services practices. Comparable in serving PE-backed and enterprise clients for senior leadership mandates.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search firm known for partner-led engagements and proprietary assessment methodologies. Closest parallel to Calibre One's boutique-but-global positioning.
• Korn Ferry: Largest global organizational consulting and executive search firm (NYSE: KFY). Overlaps on C-suite and board placements across all Calibre One's practice verticals.

Direct peers

• Odgers Berndtson: Global boutique executive search firm with strong UK presence and transatlantic reach. Closest comparable to Calibre One in size, boutique positioning, and sector specialism.
• True Search: Boutique executive search firm focused on technology and venture-backed companies. Direct competitor on technology and digital leadership placements.
• N2Growth: Boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm with proprietary assessment IP, serving technology, financial services, and healthcare — closely analogous to Calibre One's vertical model.
• Whitney Partners: Boutique retained executive search firm focused on technology, media, and financial services senior leadership. Comparable boutique scale and US/UK footprint.
• Norman Broadbent: London-headquartered boutique executive search firm with transatlantic capability, similar size and sector coverage to Calibre One — especially in financial services and technology leadership mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/calibre1search
• Facebookfacebook.com/calibre-one-218570301820383
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calibre-one

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Calibre One