What Christian & Timbers does

Christian & Timbers is a privately-held, founder-controlled executive search firm founded in 1980 and headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, with a secondary presence in the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm specializes in retained executive search for senior and board-level positions, with a vertical focus on AI, cybersecurity, aerospace and defense, semiconductors, robotics, manufacturing, and healthcare/biopharma. Its core offering is retained search engagements priced as a percentage of the placed executive's first-year compensation, structured as multi-year contracts with a portion of the fee paid upfront. The firm claims 5,000+ C-suite searches and 700+ CEO searches completed, an 80% executive retention rate beyond three years, and a proprietary live talent map of 12,000+ AI executives worldwide tracking research output, patents, and leadership tenure.

The underlying methodology, branded as 'Talent Engineering,' combines market intelligence, AI-driven candidate research, and science-based leadership assessment. AI is applied internally for NLP-based candidate identification, resume analysis, market mapping, and compensation benchmarking. In March 2026 the firm extended its surface area beyond search with CT Labs, an enterprise AI strategy consulting and deployment platform featuring 30+ prebuilt agentic AI workflows and a three-phase delivery model, positioning the company as the first executive search firm to combine human leadership placement with production AI system delivery. A complementary LLM Output Evaluation service recruits domain experts (doctors, lawyers, engineers, mathematicians) to evaluate AI reasoning for model-training and RLHF programs.

Customer concentration is anchored in PE/VC-backed and enterprise technology buyers, with named engagements spanning NightDragon, SecurityScorecard, Bessemer, Riverwood Capital, Race Capital, Atropos Health, Telix Pharmaceuticals, Interos, Desktop Metal, and CelLink, across verticals as diverse as cybersecurity, radiopharmaceuticals, 3D printing, and electric vehicles. Go-to-market is exclusively direct and relationship-based, supported by content marketing through case studies, the AI Builders Podcast, and active presence across LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram. The firm is led by founder and CEO Jeff Christian (two-time Forbes Midas List honoree), President JC Christian, and Partner and Vice Chairman Pravesh Mehra. A separately branded venture vehicle, CT Access Ventures, was launched by Jeff Christian in 2015 as a $40 million fund that returned 5x initial capital, but is distinct from the search firm itself.

Name

Christian & Timbers

Legal name

Christian & Timbers

Website

https://christianandtimbers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Christian & Timbers is a privately-held retained executive search firm founded in 1980 that places C-suite and board-level leaders for technology, AI, cybersecurity, and PE/VC-backed companies, combining proprietary talent mapping and AI-driven research with a recently launched enterprise AI deployment platform, CT Labs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare & Life Sciences Leadership Search (BPACAAAE), Industrial & Engineering Leadership Search (BPACAAAD), Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Retained executive recruiting
• Board director placement
• C-suite leadership advisory
• Ai executive search

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search: Fees structured as a percentage of the placed executive's first-year compensation, with a portion paid at the start of the engagement. The retained model ensures exclusive focus and alignment with client objectives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Christian & Timbers is a retained executive search firm that places C-suite executives, board directors, and senior leaders for technology, AI, cybersecurity, aerospace and defense, and other innovation-driven companies. The firm combines proprietary AI-powered talent mapping with a science-based assessment methodology (Talent Engineering) and, through its CT Labs sub-brand, also delivers enterprise AI strategy consulting and production-grade Agentic AI systems deployment.

Product overview

Christian & Timbers is an executive search and leadership advisory firm, not a traditional software product company. The core offering consists of retained executive search services for C-suite, board, and senior leadership placements across technology, AI, cybersecurity, and specialized sectors. The firm has expanded into AI-related services including CT Labs (an enterprise AI strategy consulting platform with 30+ prebuilt agents) and LLM Output Evaluation staffing solutions. These newer AI offerings complement the core executive recruitment business rather than representing a unified platform architecture. The company also operates CT Access Ventures, a venture capital fund, and employs a proprietary Talent Engineering methodology that combines AI-powered tools with human recruiter judgment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CT Labs: An enterprise AI strategy consulting and deployment platform designed to help organizations move beyond AI pilots to production-grade Agentic systems, operating through a three-phase delivery model with 30+ prebuilt enterprise agents.

Products and services

• Executive Search Services Retained executive search engagements for senior leadership and board-level positions, including CEO, CFO, CTO, CPO, CMO, CISO, Chief AI Officer, Chief Science Officer, and board director placements across technology, AI, cybersecurity, aerospace and defense, biopharma, healthtech software, manufacturing, semiconductors, robotics, and other innovation-driven sectors. Engaged by boards, CEOs, and investors via multi-year retained mandates.
• CT Labs Enterprise AI strategy consulting and deployment platform that helps organizations move beyond AI pilots to production-grade Agentic AI systems. Delivered via a three-phase model and includes 30+ prebuilt enterprise agents for workflows such as intake routing, quoting, claims resolution, and document processing.
• CT Talent (Professional Search) Professional search and talent acquisition solutions for organizations seeking leadership in AI, technology, and specialized sectors. Offered as a complement to retained executive search.
• LLM Output Evaluation Staffing Recruitment of domain experts (doctors, lawyers, engineers, mathematicians) to evaluate LLM outputs across reasoning quality, bias patterns, code generation, tool use, and structured feedback for AI systems used in healthcare, law, finance, and technical domains. Supports RLHF and reinforcement learning training data programs.
• CT Access Ventures A $40 million venture capital fund launched by founder Jeff Christian in 2015, focused on backing exceptional CEOs and competitive investment opportunities. The fund returned 5x initial capital.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of placed executives remain in roles beyond three years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CT Partners: Executive search firm previously founded by Jeff Christian, who grew it to $100M in annual revenue; operates as a direct peer with overlapping technology and board practice focus.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong technology, CEO succession, and board practices; competes directly with C&T at the senior leadership level across enterprise technology clients.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with established technology and digital practice; directly named as a SHREKT competitor and competes with C&T for CEO and board mandates at AI and tech companies.
• Caldwell Partners: North American executive search firm focused on technology, private equity, and board services; competes with C&T at the C-suite level for mid-market and growth-stage technology companies.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the largest global executive search and board advisory firms, directly competing for C-suite and board mandates at technology and AI companies — explicitly named as a 'SHREKT' competitor by Christian & Timbers.
• True Search: Global executive search firm focused on technology, digital, and private equity-backed companies; competes with C&T for VP through C-suite placements in AI, SaaS, and growth-stage tech.
• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with strong technology, private equity, and board practice; competes with C&T for C-suite and board mandates across the US and international markets.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong technology and PE practice; competes head-to-head with C&T for CEO, C-suite, and board placements across AI and enterprise software.

Regional players

• Allen Austin: Executive search firm with private equity and technology practice; comparable in boutique scale to C&T and competes for similar mandates, though with a more regional US footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Largest global organizational consulting firm combining executive search with broader talent, leadership development, and RPO services; competes with C&T on senior-level mandates while offering significantly wider service breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/C_and_Timbers
• Facebookfacebook.com/Christian.and.Timbers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christian-timbers
• Instagraminstagram.com/christian_timbers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Christian & Timbers