Kincannon & Reed

What Kincannon & Reed does

Kincannon & Reed is a global executive search firm founded in 1981 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, exclusively serving the food and agriculture industries. The firm operates a retained search model where engagements are led by principals who are themselves former industry executives, serving clients as peer advisors rather than external recruiters. K&R maintains a proprietary database of more than 100,000 executives across the food value chain and reports 240+ senior placements over the trailing two years, with 93% first-year retention and approximately 2x the industry-average 3-year retention rate. The firm serves nine vertical segments spanning ag technology and inputs, capital and investment, distribution and retail, food and beverage consumer products, processors, primary production, research and development, sustainable solutions, and industry associations and non-profits.\n\nThe firm's core service lines are Executive Search, Board Search, and the K&R EDGE Leadership Solutions division launched in July 2024. K&R EDGE adds executive coaching, leadership assessment, succession planning, executive onboarding, and executive performance services, extending the relationship beyond a single placement into a recurring talent lifecycle offering. All services are delivered through direct, relationship-based engagements; there are no reseller or channel partners. The firm is organized around a partner-led structure with Managing Partners, Managing Directors, and a network of executive coaches spread across the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, and Indonesia, enabling placements in 50+ countries.\n\nKincannon & Reed operates as a privately held professional services firm with no public revenue disclosure. In April 2026, the firm completed a full recapitalization to provide liquidity to legacy shareholders and capital to accelerate growth and broaden the business. Pricing is engagement-based and quote-driven, structured as retained search with milestone payments, alongside project-based coaching and assessment fees. The firm's revenue model, knowledge-intensive delivery model, and four-decade specialization in a hard-to-recruit vertical anchor a defensive competitive position supported by AESC membership, Forbes' Best Executive Recruiting Firms recognition, and consecutive inclusion in Hunt Scanlon's Top 50 since 2023.

Name

Kincannon & Reed

Legal name

Kincannon & Reed

Website

https://krsearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kincannon & Reed is a privately held, Arlington-based global executive search firm founded in 1981 that exclusively serves food and agriculture organizations, placing C-suite and senior leaders across nine industry verticals and, since 2024, also delivering coaching, assessment, and succession services through K&R EDGE Leadership Solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Waynesboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search: Retained search engagements for C-suite and senior executive placements across food and agriculture industries. The firm charges retainer fees for comprehensive search services including strategy development, candidate identification, assessment, and placement.
2. Leadership Development Solutions: K&R EDGE division provides executive coaching, leadership assessment, succession planning, and executive onboarding services on a professional services basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kincannon & Reed is a global executive search and leadership development firm exclusively serving food and agriculture organizations. The firm provides retained executive search for C-suite and senior leaders, board director recruitment, and leadership development solutions through its K&R EDGE division, including executive coaching, leadership assessment, succession planning, and executive onboarding services.

Product overview

Kincannon & Reed is a global executive search and leadership development firm exclusively serving food and agriculture organizations since 1981. The company operates as a service-based firm offering three core service lines: (1) Executive Search for placing C-suite and senior leaders; (2) Board Search for recruiting board directors; and (3) K&R EDGE Leadership Solutions, a division providing executive coaching, leadership assessment, succession planning, executive onboarding, and executive performance services. These offerings work together to provide end-to-end talent solutions—identifying and placing new leaders while also developing and supporting existing leadership teams through assessment and coaching programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• K&R EDGE: Leadership Solutions division offering executive coaching, leadership assessment, succession planning, and executive onboarding services for food and agriculture organizations.

Products and services

• Executive Search Global retained executive search services for placing C-suite and senior-level executives in food and agriculture organizations, leveraging deep industry knowledge and networks.
• Board Search Recruitment of advisory and fiduciary board members specifically for family, start-up, and growth organizations in the food and agriculture sectors.
• K&R EDGE Leadership Solutions Leadership development division offering executive coaching, leadership assessment, succession planning, and executive performance services for food and agriculture organizations.
• Executive Coaching Certified executive coaches partner with leaders using a strengths-based approach, typically involving twice-monthly 60-minute sessions over six to twelve months.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of candidates placed remain with the client through the first year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Seed World GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 March 2026Co-hosting a webinar on April 9 focusing on building effective leadership in the agricultural industry. The partnership emphasizes assessing leadership gaps, internal development, and strategic external hiring in agriculture.
• Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network (CFBN)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnering on events discussing how the pandemic is changing the workplace and how business is done in the food and beverage industry. Focus on workforce shifts and new employee expectations.
• Beyond AnimalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosting a global conversation on disruptive leadership with Beyond Animal, focusing on important leadership topics in today's unique business climate.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Consumer & Retail practice that includes food and agribusiness clients. Closely comparable to K&R as a direct competitor for C-suite mandates in food and agriculture, though broader in scope across multiple industries.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a Consumer & Retail practice that regularly serves food, beverage, and agribusiness clients. Competes with K&R for senior executive and board mandates in food and agriculture, with broader sector coverage.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm serving consumer, food, and agribusiness clients at the C-suite and board level. A direct competitor on retained mandates, though it operates as a generalist across many sectors.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable in private partnership structure and senior-level search focus, with overlap in consumer and food-related engagements.
• Boyden: Global executive search firm with a Consumer & Retail practice that includes food and agribusiness clients. Direct competitor for mid- to senior-level retained searches, with a partner-led model similar to K&R's.
• Hanold Associates: Boutique executive search firm specializing in HR, consumer, and food-related officer placements. Closely comparable as a specialized boutique with consumer-and-food focus, though it does not have K&R's pure food/agriculture exclusivity.
• Diversified Search Group: Executive search firm with a Consumer & Retail practice serving food and agribusiness clients. Direct competitor for retained C-suite searches, comparable in mid-size scale and sector specialization.
• Caldwell Partners: North American executive search firm with practices across consumer, industrial, and agribusiness. Comparable as a mid-size search competitor for senior-level food and agriculture mandates.
• DHR Global: Global executive search firm with consumer and agribusiness practices, including former CTPartners and DHR heritage. Comparable as a global mid-size retained search competitor to K&R.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Largest global organizational consulting firm with an executive search division serving food, beverage, and agribusiness clients. Comparable for senior executive search but operates at much greater scale and offers broader talent and advisory services beyond search.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KincannonReed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kincannon-reed
• Xx.com/kincannonreed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Kincannon & Reed