What Cornerstone International Group does

Cornerstone International Group, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Atlanta (with a second head office in Shanghai), operates a private, member-owned network of 60+ independently owned executive search offices spanning 40 countries. The firm is chaired and led by Simon Wan (Chairman and CEO) with Larry Shoemaker as President, and employs 250+ expert consultants organized around owner-managed partner offices (e.g., Ulrich Associates AG in Zurich, DERGEL Executive Search in Montreal, Performance Search Group in Houston, RLC Recruitment in Bangkok).

The company's core offering is retained executive and board search for C-suite and senior leadership roles, delivered through a high-touch, consultative field-sales model. Around this anchor service, Cornerstone bundles four integrated service lines: Leadership Development (executive coaching, board and CEO advisory, recruiting assessments, succession planning), Career Transition (outplacement and restructuring support), and Interim & Fractional Management placement. The firm organizes specialized practice groups for Hospitality/Travel & Leisure, Life Sciences & Healthcare, and Industrial sectors, and is a member of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC).

Cornerstone monetizes through project-based retained search fees and related professional-services engagements, priced per mandate based on scope, seniority, and geography, with a reported 12-month placement guarantee and 94% search completion rate cited by some offices. The underlying technology layer is human-capital expertise and assessment methodologies supported by an internal member portal; the firm does not operate a self-service software platform or public API. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise engagement with boards and senior leadership, supplemented by intra-network referrals across geographies and sectors, plus thought-leadership marketing (surveys, conferences, content) that drives inbound demand at the top of the funnel.

Name

Cornerstone International Group

Legal name

Cornerstone International Group

Website

https://cornerstone-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cornerstone International Group is a private, member-owned network of retained executive search firms operating 60+ offices across 40 countries, delivering executive search, leadership development, career transition, and interim management services to enterprise boards and senior leadership teams globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive Outplacement (C-Suite & Senior Leaders) (BPACAOAC)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Leadership development
• Career transition
• Interim management
• Board advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search: Retained search fees for C-level and senior executive placement. Search firms are contracted exclusively by client companies to conduct comprehensive executive searches, typically on a retained basis with upfront fees.
2. Leadership Development & Coaching: Executive coaching, leadership development programs, and onboarding services provided alongside or independent of search mandates.
3. Career Transition / Outplacement: Outplacement services supporting departing employees with tools and coaching, particularly for organizational restructuring situations.
4. Interim & Fractional Management: Placement of experienced interim and fractional leaders to step in quickly and guide organizations through transitions or fill temporary leadership gaps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cornerstone International Group is a global retained executive search network that places C-level executives, board directors, and senior leadership talent for enterprise clients through 60+ member-owned offices in 40 countries. Its core offering is retained executive and board search, complemented by leadership development (executive coaching, board/CEO advisory, succession planning, recruiting assessments), career transition/outplacement, and interim & fractional management services. Specialized sector practices serve hospitality/travel/leisure, life sciences/healthcare, and industrial clients.

Product overview

Cornerstone International Group operates as a global retained executive search and leadership development network offering a portfolio of integrated talent solutions. The core offering consists of Executive & Board Search (retained search for C-suite and board positions) supported by four key service lines: Leadership Development (including executive coaching, board advisory, and assessments), Career Transition (outplacement services), and Interim & Fractional Management. The firm is organized into industry-specific practice groups including Life Science & Healthcare, Hospitality/Travel & Leisure, and Industrial. Cornerstone functions as a network of over 60 independently owned member offices across 40 countries, with members accessing shared resources through an internal member portal. Services are delivered through direct consultant engagement rather than a self-service software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive & Board Search Cornerstone's primary retained executive search service providing right-fit talent acquisition for executive and board-level positions globally; places C-level executives, board directors, and senior leadership across all industries and geographies through 60+ offices.
• Leadership Development Comprehensive leadership development services including executive coaching, board advisory, CEO advisory, and recruiting assessments; equips leaders with tools to succeed and grow through personalized coaching programs and leadership gap assessments.
• Career Transition Outplacement and career transition support services for departing employees, providing tools, coaching, and guidance during organizational changes, including organizational restructuring projects.
• Interim & Fractional Management Rapid placement of experienced executive leaders who can step in quickly to guide organizations and deliver results on an interim or fractional basis, filling temporary leadership gaps.
• Executive Coaching ICF-certified executive coaching services supporting new leader onboarding, executive team development, and ongoing leadership support for senior leaders.
• Succession Planning Structured succession planning services following a five-step Cornerstone process: identifying critical positions, defining competencies, selecting succession strategies, documenting plans, and evaluating effectiveness to maintain leadership continuity.
• Board Advisory & CEO Advisory Advisory services supporting boards and CEOs in leadership assessment, board composition evaluation, and strategic talent decisions, including CEO peer network facilitation and advisory on board governance matters.
• Life Science & Healthcare Practice Specialized executive search and talent advisory services for pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, and life sciences organizations requiring leaders with scientific and technological domain expertise.
• Hospitality, Travel & Leisure Practice Global sector practice focused on hospitality, travel, tourism, consumer services, restaurants, and lifestyle brands; led by Florian Kittler as Global Sector Head with offices serving this sector including Frankfurt.
• Industrial Practice Executive search capabilities focused on industrial sector clients, including manufacturing, energy, and related industries requiring specialized leadership talent.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% Search Completion Rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• YK Hospitality ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2026Founded in 2020, YK Hospitality Consulting joined Cornerstone International Group as part of the Frankfurt office launch in January 2026. This partnership strengthens Cornerstone's Global Hospitality, Travel & Leisure Practice under the leadership of Florian Kittler, bringing specialized sector expertise to the European market.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global executive search and leadership advisory firm, comparable to Cornerstone in retained-search methodology, sector practices, and global geographic footprint.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the world's leading retained executive search firms with a strong board and CEO practice globally. Directly competes with Cornerstone for C-suite and board-level mandates across industries and geographies.
• DHR Global: Privately-held retained executive search firm with international footprint and sector-specific practice groups, directly comparable to Cornerstone's service model and client base.
• Stanton Chase: Global retained executive search firm organized as a partnership of member offices — a structural analog to Cornerstone's federated member-owned model. Competes directly for senior executive mandates worldwide.
• Pedersen & Partners: Global retained executive search firm with strong emerging-markets presence and sector practices. Comparable to Cornerstone in cross-border mandate execution and mid-to-senior level search focus.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global retained executive search firm competing directly with Cornerstone for senior executive and board placements, with comparable practice-group structure and cross-border coverage.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global retained executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong practices in board, CEO, and sector-specific search. Directly comparable to Cornerstone in service mix and target clients.
• Odgers Berndtson: Global retained executive search firm with comparable international office network and sector specialization. Closely overlaps with Cornerstone in mid-to-upper market C-suite and board mandates.

Emerging players

• N2Growth: Smaller but rapidly growing retained executive search and leadership advisory firm. Overlaps with Cornerstone on senior executive search but with a more concentrated geographic footprint and emerging brand.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Larger publicly-traded organizational consulting firm with a significant retained executive search division. Broader portfolio (assessment, RPO, consulting) makes it a broad incumbent rather than a pure-play peer, but it competes head-to-head on senior mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CIGExecSearch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cornerstone-international-gr
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cornerstone.International.Group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-international-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornerstone_international_group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Cornerstone International Group