Leathwaite
Leathwaite is a global executive search and human capital advisory firm placing C-suite, board-level, and functional corporate officers for multinationals, PE-backed firms, and family-owned businesses across EMEA, North America, and Asia Pacific.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Leathwaite does
Leathwaite is a privately-held global executive search and human capital advisory firm founded in 1999 in London by Andrew Wallace, Martin Phillips, and two co-founders. The firm specializes in placing C-suite, board-level, and functional corporate officers across eight horizontal specialisms (CEO and Board, Finance and Audit, Operations and Supply Chain, Human Resources, Legal Risk and Compliance, Technology and Digital, Commercial and Growth, and Strategy and Transformation) for large global listed entities, multinationals, private equity-backed firms, and family-owned businesses. Its core service lines are Executive Search (permanent placements), Executive Interim (temporary senior leaders for transition, crisis, or transformation), and Data and Insights (bespoke Market Analysis Projects and Individual Due Diligence reports), with a complementary Executive Assessment module built on the proprietary Mindset Advantage psychometric tool developed with Matthew Syed.
The firm operates a partner-led delivery model in which a founding partner conducts a 40-day audit review for every search engagement. It is recognized as a Top 50 recruiter by the AESC and Hunt Scanlon, joined the AESC in 2019, and holds ISO 27001:2013 certification for information security. Leathwaite has 101-250 employees across offices in London (headquarters), New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Munich, Toronto, West Palm Beach, Los Angeles, and Seattle, having expanded from a UK base through US entry in 2005, first Asia entry in 2008, and a more recent DACH push via Leathwaite International Germany GmbH (2023) and the Munich office (2024). Beechbrook Capital is an investor, and the firm reports 200+ clients globally with a 90% repeat client rate and 600+ senior leaders placed in the past three years. Pricing is retained, quote-based, and varies by role seniority, geographic scope, and project complexity.
Leathwaite firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Leathwaite
- Legal name
- Leathwaite Human Capital Limited
- Website
- https://leathwaite.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Leathwaite is a global executive search and human capital advisory firm placing C-suite, board-level, and functional corporate officers for multinationals, PE-backed firms, and family-owned businesses across EMEA, North America, and Asia Pacific.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Leathwaite industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF)
Keywords
Where Leathwaite is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Leathwaite business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Executive Search (Permanent Placements): Retained executive search mandates placing permanent senior leaders across corporate functions. Partner-led service with a 40-day audit review process.
- Executive Interim: Interim executive placements providing immediate leadership talent for periods of transition, crisis, growth, or transformation. Blends agility and speed with consultancy-quality assurance.
- Data and Insights (MAP Reports): Market Analysis Projects (MAP) providing bespoke research on compensation, competitor analysis, diversity trends, geographies, headcount, operating models, and strategic market analysis. Due Diligence reports for professional services industry.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing for retained executive search mandates |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Leathwaite product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Leathwaite is an executive search and human capital advisory firm that places permanent C-suite, board-level, and corporate function leaders into client organizations worldwide through retained search mandates. It complements permanent search with executive interim placements, bespoke market analysis (MAP) and due diligence research, and a proprietary Executive Assessment built around the Mindset Advantage psychometric tool.
Product overview
Leathwaite is an executive search and human capital advisory firm offering three interconnected service lines: Executive Search (permanent placement of C-suite and board-level corporate officers), Executive Interim (temporary senior executive solutions), and Data & Insights (market analysis projects and due diligence reports). A complementary Executive Assessment module leverages a proprietary Mindset Advantage psychometric tool developed with Matthew Syed to evaluate leadership potential. The portfolio is unified by a one-firm operating model, a global corporate officer talent network, and functional specialisms spanning CEO/Board, Operations, Finance, HR, Commercial, Strategy, Risk, and Technology. The firm serves clients across industries including Financial Services, Private Equity, Healthcare, Consumer Markets, and Technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Retained permanent placement of C-suite, board-level, and corporate function leaders for global enterprises, multinationals, PE-backed firms, and family-owned businesses. A 40-day audit review is conducted by a founding partner on every search.
- Executive Interim Interim executive placement providing temporary senior leaders during periods of transition, crisis, rapid growth, or transformation, blending agility and speed with consultancy-quality assurance.
- Data and Insights
- Executive Assessment
Quantifiable outcome
- 600+ senior leaders placed globally in the last three years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Leathwaite
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Leathwaite technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Leathwaite partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators10 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Leathwaite competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Spencer Stuart: One of the world's largest privately-held executive search firms with deep C-suite and Board practice; directly comparable to Leathwaite's CEO/Board and functional leadership focus, though at materially larger scale with ~400+ consultants globally.
- Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global leadership advisory firm with comparable partner-led model and strong functional specialization. Closely aligned with Leathwaite in serving C-suite, Board, and functional leadership across industries including Financial Services.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with deep C-suite and Board practice serving similar enterprise clients across Financial Services, Technology, and other verticals. Direct competitor for senior-level functional leadership mandates.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Public global executive search and leadership advisory firm (NASDAQ: HSII). Direct competitor across executive search, interim, and On-Demand Talent, with deeper Financial Services and private equity practices and broader geographic scale.
- Odgers Berndtson: UK-headquartered global executive search firm with comparable sector-agnostic, function-led model. Direct competitor in mid-to-senior leadership search across Financial Services, PE, and other verticals.
- Norman Broadbent: UK-listed executive search and interim management firm with overlapping services in executive search, interim, and leadership advisory. Closely comparable in size and service mix to Leathwaite, with similar Financial Services exposure.
- Page Executive: Executive search arm of PageGroup (formerly Michael Page), operating globally with focus on senior and board-level placements. Comparable to Leathwaite in serving enterprise clients across functions, with greater scale and broader brand recognition.
- DHR International: Global executive search firm with comparable functional and industry coverage, including Financial Services, Technology, and PE. Direct competitor for senior leadership mandates of similar scope.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm (NYSE: KFY) with an executive search segment that competes directly with Leathwaite in C-suite and functional leadership, alongside much larger RPO, consulting, and assessment businesses.
Emerging players
- Alvarez & Marsal Talent Solutions: Executive search and leadership advisory practice within broader Alvarez & Marsal consulting firm, overlapping with Leathwaite in transformation, restructuring, and senior interim placements. Less specialized in pure retained search but increasingly competing in adjacent executive interim and leadership advisory work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights1 record
Customer concentration
Leathwaite social profiles
Digital presenceLeathwaite compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Leathwaite financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Leathwaite leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Leathwaite subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Leathwaite funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Leathwaite 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 Leathwaite
What does Leathwaite do?
Leathwaite is an executive search and human capital advisory firm that places permanent C-suite, board-level, and corporate function leaders into client organizations worldwide through retained search mandates. It complements permanent search with executive interim placements, bespoke market analysis (MAP) and due diligence research, and a proprietary Executive Assessment built around the Mindset Advantage psychometric tool.
Is Leathwaite a public or private company?
Leathwaite is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Leathwaite founded?
Leathwaite was founded in 1999. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Leathwaite based?
Leathwaite is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Leathwaite make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Executive Search (Permanent Placements) is the primary driver. The others are executive Interim and data and Insights (MAP Reports).
Who are Leathwaite's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Spencer Stuart, Egon Zehnder, Russell Reynolds Associates, Heidrick & Struggles, Odgers Berndtson, Norman Broadbent, Page Executive and DHR International. Korn Ferry is listed as a broad incumbent. Alvarez & Marsal Talent Solutions is listed as an emerging player.
Does Leathwaite have an API?
No public API is recorded for Leathwaite.
What industry is Leathwaite in?
Leathwaite's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAK, Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search. Its NAICS code is 561312.