Odgers Berndtson
Odgers Berndtson is a London-headquartered global executive search and leadership advisory firm operating 29 offices across 33 countries with 200+ partners. It serves boards, CEOs, and senior leadership of large organizations across twelve industries through retained executive search, interim management, board advisory, and leadership consulting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Odgers Berndtson does
Odgers Berndtson is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm headquartered in London, founded as an executive search firm in 1965 (with a sub-entity registered in 2001) and operating across 29 offices in 33 countries. It identifies, assesses, and places board members, CEOs, and senior executives for large organizations, supplementing retained and contingency executive search with interim management, board advisory and succession, executive coaching, leadership assessment, and human capital consulting. The firm serves clients across twelve industries and twelve executive functions, with primary customers being boards, chairs, and chief executives, and secondary segments spanning Financial Services, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Technology and IT Services, Industrial and Private Equity, Consumer/Entertainment/Sport, Education, Public Impact, and Sustainability.
The commercial model is professional services: fee-based engagements structured as retained searches, contingency placements, interim day-rate or project work, and ongoing advisory retainers. There are no self-serve, marketplace, or reseller channels. Distribution is entirely direct, led by 200+ sector-specialist partners who originate and run engagements, supported by an events, thought-leadership (OBSERVE Magazine), and employer-brand program (CEOx1Day) marketing stack, plus organic LinkedIn, YouTube, and earned media for top-of-funnel awareness. The firm has no proprietary software or technology platform; its core capability is proprietary human-capital assessment methodology and partner-led judgment.
Recent strategic activity includes the January 2026 acquisition of U.S.-based Ridgeway Partners (Financial Services and Board Advisory), an October 2025 senior-health investor roundtable co-convened with consultancy Carnall Farrar tied to the NHS 10 Year Plan, and a February-to-December 2026 BioVenture Builder partnership with Brabant Development Agency, 3D-PharmXchange, and AOMB Intellectual Property for drug-development startups. Leadership comprises Carl Lovas (CEO), Virginia Bottomley (Chairman, heading the Board Practice), Brad Beveridge (President and CEO of Canada), and Joy M. D'Amore (head of talent). The company is privately held and does not disclose revenue.
Odgers Berndtson firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Odgers Berndtson
- Legal name
- Odgers Berndtson
- Website
- https://odgersberndtson.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Odgers Berndtson is a London-headquartered global executive search and leadership advisory firm operating 29 offices across 33 countries with 200+ partners. It serves boards, CEOs, and senior leadership of large organizations across twelve industries through retained executive search, interim management, board advisory, and leadership consulting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Odgers Berndtson industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interim Executive & Fractional Leadership Placement (BPACAAAJ), Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB), C-Suite & Senior Executive Coaching (EDABANAA)
Keywords
Where Odgers Berndtson is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices34 records
Markets served
Odgers Berndtson business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Executive Search Services: Fee-based executive search engagements where Odgers identifies, attracts, and places senior executives and board members for client organizations. Revenue is generated on a retained-search or contingency basis, typically tied to the seniority and complexity of the role.
- Leadership Advisory & Development: Ongoing advisory engagements including executive coaching, leadership assessment, succession management, and board engagement services. These are typically retainer or project-based engagements with existing client relationships.
- Interim Management: Placement of interim executive leaders into client organizations for defined periods, providing revenue on a per-engagement basis.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Odgers Berndtson product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Odgers Berndtson is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm that identifies, attracts, assesses, and places senior executives, board members, and interim leaders for client organizations. Its core service lines are Executive Search, Board + CEO Services (Board Search, Board Succession, and Board + CEO Advisory), Interim Management, and Leadership Advisory (Executive Coaching, Leadership Assessment, Succession Management, and Board Engagement). The firm operates through 200+ partners across 29 offices in 33 countries.
Product overview
Odgers Berndtson is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm offering a unified portfolio of professional services. The core offerings include Executive Search and Interim Management, complemented by Board + CEO Services (encompassing Board Search, Board Succession, and Board + CEO Advisory) and Leadership Advisory (including Executive Coaching, Leadership Assessment, Succession Management, and Board Engagement). The firm also provides Human Capital Consulting. Together, these services enable clients to identify, attract, assess, and develop world-class leadership across industries including Financial Services, Technology & IT Services, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Industrial, Consumer, Education, and Public Impact sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Core retained-search service that identifies, attracts, and engages senior leadership candidates for client organizations across industries.
- Board + CEO Services Suite of governance-level services including Board Search, Board Succession Planning, and Board + CEO Advisory for boards, chairs, and chief executives.
- Interim Management Placement of temporary executive leaders into client organizations for defined periods to bridge leadership gaps during transitions.
- Leadership Advisory Advisory engagements including Executive Coaching, Leadership Assessment, Succession Management, and Board Engagement services.
- Human Capital Consulting Consulting services focused on human capital strategy and organizational development for clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4,900 executive searches completed globally over the past 3 years
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Odgers Berndtson
Customer profileSegments9 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Odgers Berndtson technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Odgers Berndtson partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Brabant Development Agency (BOM)minorBOM partnered with 3D-PharmXchange, Odgers, and AOMB Intellectual Property to co-develop the BioVenture Builder accelerator program for drug development startups running February to December 2026. Odgers serves as a knowledge and leadership advisory partner within the program, supporting startup preparation for first major funding rounds and providing access to pharmaceutical industry networks.
- Ridgeway Partners LLCcoreOdgers acquired Ridgeway Partners LLC, a U.S.-based executive search firm specializing in Financial Services and Board Advisory. The acquisition expands Odgers' executive search and leadership advisory capabilities in the U.S. financial services sector and strengthens its board advisory practice.
- Carnall FarrarminorOdgers co-convened a senior health investor and advisor roundtable with consultancy Carnall Farrar on October 1, 2025, to examine investment opportunities emerging from the NHS 10 Year Plan in England. The collaboration combined Carnall Farrar's healthcare fiscal analysis with Odgers' executive leadership expertise in the healthcare sector.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Odgers Berndtson competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm offering executive search, talent management, and RPO/advisory services across all major sectors and geographies. It is directly comparable to Odgers Berndtson in executive search and leadership advisory, but operates at meaningfully larger scale with publicly disclosed multi-billion revenue and a broader consulting portfolio.
- Hays plc: Hays is a publicly-listed global recruitment and workforce solutions firm with broader staffing focus but overlapping executive search capabilities. It is comparable to Odgers as a listed recruitment industry peer providing business intelligence on sector hiring trends and broader professional staffing scale.
- Robert Half International: Robert Half is a publicly-listed global staffing and consulting firm with a specialized executive search practice (Protiviti). It is a broad incumbent comparable to Odgers in the recruitment services space, though it is more diversified across staffing, consulting, and finance/accounting placement.
Direct peers
- Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a pure-play global executive search and leadership advisory firm with comparable service offerings (executive search, interim, leadership consulting). It is publicly listed and operates across the same industry verticals and geographies as Odgers, making it the closest publicly-traded comparable in business model and scale.
- Spencer Stuart: Spencer Stuart is a privately-held global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep board and CEO practice, operating in similar sectors to Odgers. It is a direct peer due to overlapping service lines (board search, CEO succession, executive assessment) and comparable geographic footprint.
- Egon Zehnder: Egon Zehnder is a privately-held global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong board and CEO practice across sectors. It is one of the top-tier direct competitors to Odgers in C-suite and board advisory mandates, with comparable partner-led model and global coverage.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Russell Reynolds Associates is a privately-held global executive search firm focused on board, CEO, and senior leadership advisory across industries. It directly competes with Odgers in board and C-suite search mandates and shares a similar partner-led, sector-specialized service model.
- DHR Global: DHR Global is a privately-held executive search firm operating across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC with comparable practice areas to Odgers. It is a direct competitor in mid-to-senior executive search and leadership advisory, particularly for technology, industrial, and consumer mandates.
Emerging players
- Signium: Signium is a privately-held global executive search firm with international presence across multiple regions and industries. It competes with Odgers in senior executive and board search mandates, particularly in EMEA and APAC, and is comparable as a peer-tier boutique with overlapping service lines.
Regional players
- PageGroup: PageGroup (Michael Page) is a publicly-listed recruitment firm headquartered in the UK with strong EMEA and APAC presence. While focused on mid-to-senior professional recruitment rather than pure C-suite search, it is a regional comparable to Odgers in the UK recruitment market and serves similar mid-market enterprise clients.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Odgers Berndtson social profiles
Digital presenceOdgers Berndtson financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Odgers Berndtson leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Odgers Berndtson subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Odgers Berndtson funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Odgers Berndtson M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Odgers Berndtson
What does Odgers Berndtson do?
Odgers Berndtson is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm that identifies, attracts, assesses, and places senior executives, board members, and interim leaders for client organizations. Its core service lines are Executive Search, Board + CEO Services (Board Search, Board Succession, and Board + CEO Advisory), Interim Management, and Leadership Advisory (Executive Coaching, Leadership Assessment, Succession Management, and Board Engagement). The firm operates through 200+ partners across 29 offices in 33 countries.
Is Odgers Berndtson a public or private company?
Odgers Berndtson is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Odgers Berndtson founded?
Odgers Berndtson was founded in 2001. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Odgers Berndtson based?
Odgers Berndtson is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Odgers Berndtson make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Executive Search Services are the primary driver. The others are leadership Advisory & Development and interim Management.
Who are Odgers Berndtson's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Korn Ferry, Hays plc and Robert Half International. Direct peers are Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Egon Zehnder, Russell Reynolds Associates and DHR Global. Signium is listed as an emerging player. PageGroup is listed as a regional player.
Does Odgers Berndtson have an API?
No public API is recorded for Odgers Berndtson.
What industry is Odgers Berndtson in?
Odgers Berndtson's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAJ, Interim Executive & Fractional Leadership Placement. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.