RSR Partners
RSR Partners is a boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm that places board directors and C-suite executives for Fortune 50 to Fortune 1000 companies, private equity firms, family offices, and asset managers, using a partner-led, retained-engagement model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RSR Partners does
RSR Partners is a privately-held, boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, with additional offices in Tokyo and Cleveland. Founded in 1994 by Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. (originally as the Directorship Group), the firm specializes in retained searches for corporate boards and C-suite roles, serving Fortune 50 to Fortune 1000 public companies, private equity-backed firms, family offices, asset managers, and non-profit organizations. Its service portfolio is organized around five core capabilities (Board Advisory, Board Recruiting, Executive Search, Leadership Assessment, and Succession Planning) and delivered through ten-plus industry, functional, and capability practices covering asset management, consumer markets, family offices, healthcare and life sciences, industrial, private equity, sport, and Asia Pacific.
The firm operates on a partner-led, retained-search business model in which senior consultants execute engagements end-to-end with no handoff to junior staff, accepting a limited number of concurrent mandates to avoid client conflicts. It monetizes through placement-based professional services fees rather than subscription or technology products, and it maintains a proprietary database of more than 50,000 active and retired executives, government officials, and academicians as its primary sourcing asset. Notable clients and engagements include BNY Mellon (board leadership and governance advisory), Bath & Body Works (board chair leadership), and Victoria's Secret (board establishment during spin-off).
Growth and capability expansion have been driven primarily by acquisition (notably Higdon Partners in 2017, which added an asset management practice) and by practice buildout across geographies (Tokyo) and capability areas (growth-oriented and turnaround leaders, mutual fund trustees, supply chain). Leadership transitioned from founder Russell Reynolds to CEO Brett Stephens in 2022, with Reynolds assuming the Chairman Emeritus role. The firm reports a near-100% search completion rate and cumulative placements exceeding 1,000 industrial-sector executives and 400 supply chain officers, and it owns the annual Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Chair of the Year Award as a brand-building program.
RSR Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RSR Partners
- Legal name
- RSR Partners LLC
- Website
- https://rsrpartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- RSR Partners is a boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm that places board directors and C-suite executives for Fortune 50 to Fortune 1000 companies, private equity firms, family offices, and asset managers, using a partner-led, retained-engagement model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RSR Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search and Leadership Advisory
- NAICS
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- HR Shared Services Centers (Captive/Managed) (BPACAKAB)
Keywords
Where RSR Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
RSR Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Executive Search Services: Retained executive search engagements for C-suite and board-level placements. Fees based on successful placement of senior executives and directors.
- Board Advisory Services: Corporate governance advisory services including board effectiveness reviews, succession planning, and director assessment.
- Leadership Assessment: Proprietary assessment methodology for evaluating executive candidates using leadership questionnaires, 360-degree feedback, in-depth interviews, and other evaluation tools.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
RSR Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RSR Partners is a boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm that provides retained C-suite and board-level executive search, board director recruiting, corporate governance advisory, leadership assessment, and CEO succession planning services. The firm serves Fortune 50 to Fortune 1000 public companies, asset management firms, family offices, private equity-backed companies, and other specialized organizations through partner-led engagements from strategy through placement.
Product overview
RSR Partners is a leadership advisory and executive search boutique offering a unified portfolio of professional services centered on identifying and recruiting transformative leadership for boards and C-suites. The core offering comprises Board Advisory, Board Recruiting, Executive Search, Leadership Assessment, and Succession Planning services. These are organized across multiple Industry Practices (Asset Management, Consumer Markets, Family Office, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Industrial, Private Equity, Sport), Functional Practices (CEO, CFO, CIO, Human Capital, Marketing, Mutual Fund Trustees, Supply Chain & Operations), and Capability Practices (Asia Pacific, Family Enterprises, Foreign Owned Companies, Growth-Oriented Leaders, Turnaround Leaders). The firm operates as a services-based consultancy without a technology product platform, delivering personalized, partner-led engagements to clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to private equity-backed portfolio companies and family-owned businesses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Board Advisory Corporate governance advisory services including board composition analysis, director and CEO transitions, committee structures, board effectiveness reviews, on-boarding and continuing director education, 360-degree peer-evaluations, and governance guidelines, provided to public, private, non-profit, and global sport boards.
- Board Recruiting Director search and recruitment services leveraging a database of over 50,000 active and retired executives, government officials, and academicians, with expertise in identifying candidates that meet strict criteria and assessing cultural and chemistry fit for boards.
- Executive Search C-suite and senior executive recruitment partnering with boards and CEOs of public and private companies, using a proprietary candidate assessment model focusing on experience, character, and ambition.
- Leadership Assessment Comprehensive leadership evaluation services including online assessments, 360-degree feedback, in-depth interviews, and referencing, based on a proprietary framework covering CONNECT, ADAPT, and DELIVER capabilities.
- Succession Planning CEO and board succession planning services helping organizations design and customize processes to identify and evaluate internal and external successor candidates.
Quantifiable outcome
- Near-100% search completion rate significantly exceeds industry norms
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use RSR Partners
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
RSR Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RSR Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC)coreRSR Partners is a member of AESC and commits to the AESC Code of Professional Practice and Standards of Excellence. AESC is the global association for executive search and leadership advisory firms.
- BlueStepsminorRSR Partners recommends executives to submit resumes to BlueSteps, the executive career service of the AESC, to increase visibility across executive search firms.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RSR Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Large publicly-traded organizational consulting firm offering executive search, executive coaching, and talent consulting as part of broader HR/consulting portfolio. Overlaps with RSR in executive search but with much wider service breadth and global scale.
Direct peers
- Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with strong presence in UK/Europe and North America. Directly comparable in board and senior executive search with similar premium positioning and sector-specialized practices.
- DHR Global: Privately-held global executive search firm founded in 2011 by former Heidrick & Struggles leaders. Direct competitor in mid-to-senior level executive search with growing global footprint, comparable to RSR's boutique scale.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with comparable offerings in board advisory, executive search, and succession planning. Direct competitor for Fortune 500 CEO and board mandates with broader international footprint.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm focused on board, CEO, and senior executive placements. Directly comparable to RSR Partners across board recruiting, executive search, and succession planning for Fortune 500 and large private clients.
- Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global executive search firm with strong board advisory and CEO succession capabilities. Notable as a former employer of Carter L. Burgess Jr., now Head of Board Recruiting at RSR Partners; directly comparable in service offering and client type.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Founded in 1969 by Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. (who later founded RSR Partners in 1994). One of the largest global executive search firms, directly comparable in board and CEO services, asset management, and financial services practices.
- Witt Kieffer: Executive search firm specializing in healthcare, education, and nonprofit board/executive recruiting. Comparable boutique positioning with sector specialization similar to RSR's industry-vertical practice model.
- Signium International: Mid-sized global executive search firm with comparable board, CEO, and functional practices. Comparable boutique-to-mid-tier positioning serving clients across multiple industries.
Emerging players
- JM Search: US-focused executive search firm serving private equity, portfolio companies, and growth-stage businesses. Comparable in PE practice focus and CEO/board search for portfolio companies, though smaller scale than RSR.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RSR Partners social profiles
Digital presenceRSR Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RSR Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
RSR Partners subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
RSR Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RSR Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RSR Partners
What does RSR Partners do?
RSR Partners is a boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm that provides retained C-suite and board-level executive search, board director recruiting, corporate governance advisory, leadership assessment, and CEO succession planning services. The firm serves Fortune 50 to Fortune 1000 public companies, asset management firms, family offices, private equity-backed companies, and other specialized organizations through partner-led engagements from strategy through placement.
Is RSR Partners a public or private company?
RSR Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RSR Partners founded?
RSR Partners was founded in 1994. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is RSR Partners based?
RSR Partners is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does RSR Partners make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Executive Search Services are the primary driver. The others are board Advisory Services and leadership Assessment.
Who are RSR Partners's main competitors?
Korn Ferry is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Odgers Berndtson, DHR Global, Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Egon Zehnder, Russell Reynolds Associates, Witt Kieffer and Signium International. JM Search is listed as an emerging player.
Does RSR Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for RSR Partners.
What industry is RSR Partners in?
RSR Partners's product category is Executive Search and Leadership Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAKAB, HR Shared Services Centers (Captive/Managed). Its NAICS code is 5416 and its SIC code is 8742.