ECA Partners
ECA Partners is a Santa Monica-based executive search firm placing C-suite and operating leaders into private equity firms and portfolio companies, differentiated by a PhD-led evidence-based methodology, proprietary CASCADE software platform, and a 96% placement success rate across 1,000+ clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ECA Partners does
ECA Partners is a specialized executive search firm founded in 2010 and headquartered in Santa Monica, California, that places senior leaders — primarily C-suite and operating executives — into private equity firms and their portfolio companies. The firm serves over 1,000 clients with a cumulative track record of more than 4,000 successful placements, a 96% search success rate, a 98% retention rate, and an average executive placement time under 85 days. Its service portfolio is anchored by three core offerings: full-service retained Executive Search, On-Demand Consultants for project-based engagements (Market Assessment, PMO, Due Diligence, Digital Transformation), and Interim Execs with average placement under 7 days.
The firm's underlying differentiator is an evidence-based, PhD-led methodology operationalized through its proprietary CASCADE software platform, which provides real-time KPI tracking, candidate pipeline visibility, and 3-stage assessment workflows. ECA has codified this approach in the founder Atta Tarki's published book "Evidence-Based Recruiting." The team is unusually credentialed for a search firm, with a deep bench of PhDs and former management consultants from Oliver Wyman, BCG, and Korn Ferry, and operators from Boeing, General Dynamics, and PE-backed companies.
ECA generates revenue through traditional professional-services fees — typically 30-33% of first-year compensation for C-suite retained search, with the bulk of fees paid upon successful placement and backed by a no-questions-asked guarantee. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting PE firms and Fortune 1000 companies through Managing Directors and Senior Directors organized around vertical practices (Healthcare & Life Sciences, Business Services, Industrials, Consumer & Retail, Technology, Financial Services) and functional practices (PE Value Creation, Strategy & Transformation, Finance). The firm is independently held and founder-led, with no disclosed institutional investment. In 2025 it earned the #40 position on Hunt Scanlon's Top 50 Recruiters and was named the third fastest-growing executive search company among Top 50 peers, driven by 38% year-over-year growth.
ECA Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ECA Partners
- Legal name
- ECA Partners
- Website
- https://eca-partners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ECA Partners is a Santa Monica-based executive search firm placing C-suite and operating leaders into private equity firms and portfolio companies, differentiated by a PhD-led evidence-based methodology, proprietary CASCADE software platform, and a 96% placement success rate across 1,000+ clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where ECA Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ECA Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Executive Search Fees: Traditional executive search fee structure where bulk of fees are paid upon successful placement. Search fees typically represent 30-33% of first-year compensation for C-suite roles.
- Interim Executive Placement: Short-term leadership deployment for urgent situations, with average placement within 7 days.
- On-Demand Consultants: Top-tier specialized expertise deployed for high-priority projects including Market Assessment, PMO, Due Diligence, and Digital Transformation consultants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Executive Search - Full-service retained search for C-suite and senior executive roles |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
ECA Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ECA Partners is a specialized executive search firm that places senior leaders — CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CROs, and Operating Partners — into private equity firms and their portfolio companies. It complements its retained executive search with two adjacent offerings: Interim Executives for short-term leadership deployments and On-Demand Consultants for project-based engagements such as Market Assessment, PMO, Due Diligence, and Digital Transformation. Its proprietary CASCADE software provides real-time search KPI tracking, candidate pipeline visibility, and transparent progress monitoring across engagements.
Product overview
ECA Partners operates as a specialized executive search firm offering three core service lines: Executive Search, On-Demand Consultants, and Interim Execs. The firm is distinguished by its proprietary CASCADE technology platform, which provides data-driven insights, real-time search metrics, and candidate assessment tracking to deliver speed, accuracy, and transparency. The company focuses on private equity firms and portfolio companies across industries including Healthcare, Business Services, Industrials & Manufacturing, Consumer & Retail, Technology, and Financial Services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Full-service retained executive search placing senior leaders such as CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CROs, and Operating Partners into private equity firms and their portfolio companies. Delivered by Senior Directors with dedicated practice areas and capped client loads, the service reports a 96% success rate and under 85-day average placement time.
- On-Demand Consultants Provides top-tier specialized consultants on a project basis for engagements such as Market Assessment, PMO, Due Diligence, and Digital Transformation. Targets PE sponsors and Fortune 1000 companies needing specialized expertise for strategic initiatives, transformations, and operational improvements.
- Interim Execs Critical short-term executive leadership deployed in urgent situations to reshape organizations under accelerated timeframes. Average placement is completed in under 7 days, providing interim CEOs, COOs, CFOs, and other operators during transitions or value-creation sprints.
- CASCADE Proprietary software platform that provides real-time search KPIs, candidate tracking, and assessment dashboards, giving clients transparency and full visibility into candidate pipeline status throughout each executive search.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4,000+ successful placements
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use ECA Partners
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ECA Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
ECA Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ECA Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DHR Global: Mid-to-large executive search firm with explicit PE/portfolio company practice and sector verticals; serves many of the same mid-market PE sponsors as ECA Partners.
- Diversified Search Group: U.S.-focused executive search firm with a dedicated PE practice and similar size to ECA; competes directly for PE-backed CEO, CFO, and operating partner placements.
- Odgers Berndtson: Global mid-market executive search firm with PE practice focused on mid-sized portfolio companies; comparable in size and PE-sponsor-led business model to ECA.
Emerging players
- Onset (executive search): Executive search firm focused on technology, digital, and consumer executive placements with overlap into PE-backed leadership roles - similar scale and target customer profile to ECA Partners.
- WittKieffer: Executive search firm specializing in Healthcare & Life Sciences leadership; directly comparable to ECA's growing Healthcare & Life Sciences practice and competing for the same PE-backed healthcare executives.
Broad incumbents
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a meaningful PE and CEO/COO placement business; one of the most direct competitors for senior-led PE-sponsor engagements like those ECA targets.
- Spencer Stuart: Iconic C-suite executive search firm with strong PE practice and board advisory business; competes for the same PE Value Creation, CEO/COO engagements that anchor ECA's book of business.
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with significant PE-backed CEO and functional leader placements; competes for the same C-suite engagements ECA targets.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Established global executive search firm serving PE sponsors and large-cap companies across Healthcare, Industrials, and Technology - directly overlaps ECA's vertical coverage.
- Korn Ferry: One of the largest global executive search and organizational consulting firms, with deep PE practice and C-suite placement capabilities - ECA's senior director Evan Markgraf previously worked at Korn Ferry, evidencing direct overlap in PE-focused retained search.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ECA Partners social profiles
Digital presenceECA Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ECA Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
ECA Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ECA 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 ECA Partners
What does ECA Partners do?
ECA Partners is a specialized executive search firm that places senior leaders — CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CROs, and Operating Partners — into private equity firms and their portfolio companies. It complements its retained executive search with two adjacent offerings: Interim Executives for short-term leadership deployments and On-Demand Consultants for project-based engagements such as Market Assessment, PMO, Due Diligence, and Digital Transformation. Its proprietary CASCADE software provides real-time search KPI tracking, candidate pipeline visibility, and transparent progress monitoring across engagements.
Is ECA Partners a public or private company?
ECA Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ECA Partners founded?
ECA Partners was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is ECA Partners based?
ECA Partners is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does ECA Partners make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Executive Search Fees are the primary driver. The others are interim Executive Placement and on-Demand Consultants.
Who are ECA Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DHR Global, Diversified Search Group and Odgers Berndtson. Emerging players are Onset (executive search) and WittKieffer. Broad incumbents are Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Egon Zehnder, Russell Reynolds Associates and Korn Ferry.
Does ECA Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for ECA Partners.