Friisberg and Partners

What Friisberg and Partners does

Friisberg & Partners International is a global management consulting firm specialising in executive search, founded in 1977 as an equity partnership of executive search professionals. The firm operates as a private partnership under Swiss holding company J. Friisberg International S.A., with each partner owning, running, or controlling locally registered entities across 34 offices in 22 countries in EMEA and the United States. Its core service lines are retained Executive Search (placing board directors, C-suite executives, and senior management with a focus on cultural fit and confidentiality) and Management Consulting (advisory on complex and sensitive business matters, including Assessment, Executive Coaching, Organisational Development, and Outplacement). Adjacent offerings include a partnership with the GatedTalent platform for private executive candidate sharing, an emerging suite of AI tools embedded in HR consulting, and thought-leadership content distributed via FPI Insights and LinkedIn.

The firm's business model is project-based professional services revenue from retained executive search mandates and consulting engagements, with bespoke pricing determined by scope, seniority, and geographic complexity; rates are not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led and partnership-driven: client acquisition comes through referrals, existing relationships, and the partner network, supplemented by partner conferences (the 121st was held in Vienna in 2024), Institute of Directors speaking engagements, and a UK Department for International Trade listing. Technology infrastructure is standard third-party tooling (RAIDBOXES hosting, Cloudflare CDN, Microsoft Teams, Google Analytics/Ads, Borlabs Cookie consent management); no proprietary platform beyond the GatedTalent partner channel is evidenced.

Friisberg serves enterprise clients across fashion, luxury, software, banking, energy, professional services, engineering, manufacturing, and life sciences. The firm reports 250+ professionals, an all-women Executive Committee led by Global Chair Zoltan Petho (elected July 2021), and #1 ranking in Hungary from Budapest Business Journal for multiple consecutive years (2022–2024). Recent strategic moves include the integration of V.E.R.A. Consulting into a new Milan office (January 2024), UAE office openings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (2021), and the appointment of Birgitte Olrik as Managing Partner in Copenhagen (June 2026).

Name

Friisberg and Partners

Legal name

J. Friisberg International S.A.

Website

https://friisberg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friisberg & Partners International is a partner-owned executive search and management consulting firm founded in 1977, operating 34 offices in 22 countries to place board directors, C-suite executives, and senior management for enterprise clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Management of Companies and Enterprises (55111)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Entity Setup & Expansion Advisory (Market Entry, Subsidiary Formation) (BPACAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI), Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Management consulting
• Board director placement
• Senior leadership recruitment
• Executive coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices19 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search: Friisberg operates on a retained search model placing board directors, executives, and senior management for clients. The firm is paid retainers for conducting thorough searches for senior-level positions, ensuring candidates match both experience requirements and cultural fit.
2. Management Consulting: Advisory services for complex and sensitive business matters. Partners leverage extensive industry knowledge to provide consulting beyond recruitment when clients have no immediate hiring needs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friisberg & Partners International provides retained Executive Search services to place board directors, C-suite executives, and senior management for client organizations, alongside Management Consulting advisory for complex and sensitive business matters. The firm operates a global equity partnership across 34 offices in 22 countries, with additional offerings in HR Consulting, Assessment, Executive Coaching, and Organisational Development.

Product overview

Friisberg & Partners International is a global executive search and management consulting firm established in 1977, operating as an equity partnership. The core offering comprises two integrated service lines: Executive Search (retained recruitment of board directors, C-suite, and senior executives) and Management Consulting (advisory on complex business matters, including HR consulting, Assessment, Executive Coaching, and Organisational Development). These are supported by the GatedTalent digital platform for private executive profile sharing. The firm has 34 offices across 22 countries and a team of 250+ professionals serving clients in nearly every sector of the global economy. The company was founded in 1977 and operates as a genuine equity partnership, with partner conferences held at least every six months to make collective decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search
• Management Consulting
• HR Consulting
• Outplacement & Workforce Reduction Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Friisberg named #1 Executive Search firm in Hungary by Budapest Business Journal for consecutive years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• V.E.R.A. ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2024Milan-based consulting firm that became part of Friisberg & Partners in Milan. Offers Executive Search, Assessment, Executive Coaching and Organisational Development Consultancy, strengthening Friisberg's Italian presence.
• Jim Hagemann SnabeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2020Keynote speaker at Friisberg Denmark's board requirements event. Prominent business leader (former CEO of SAP) who contributed insights on board reinvention and competencies.
• GatedTalentcoreTechnology or IntegrationGatedTalent is a global online platform where executives can share their profiles privately with selected search firms. Friisberg uses this platform to connect with potential candidates. Profiles cannot be seen by the public, providing privacy for executives considering opportunities.
• Dreams & Details AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish academy that co-hosted the 'Gå-Hjem Møde' event with Friisberg Denmark on new requirements for boards. Partnered on thought leadership around board governance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• PageGroup: Global recruitment firm listed on LSE, operating across multiple recruitment disciplines including executive search via Michael Page and Page Executive. Larger and broader than Friisberg but overlaps in mid-to-senior level search mandates.
• Robert Half: Global staffing and consulting firm listed on NYSE. Larger and broader than Friisberg, but overlaps in professional placement and consulting services, particularly through Robert Half Management Resources.
• Korn Ferry: Largest global executive search and organisational consulting firm, listed on NYSE. Overlaps with Friisberg across executive search, leadership development, and HR consulting but operates at significantly larger scale and across broader service lines including RPO and talent consulting.

Direct peers

• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with strong board and CEO placement practice. Directly comparable to Friisberg in retained senior-level search and leadership advisory services for large enterprise clients.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the world's leading global executive search firms, directly comparable to Friisberg in board and C-suite retained search services. Operates globally with similar partnership-driven model serving large enterprise clients across multiple sectors.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Closely comparable in partner-owned model and premium retained search positioning serving multinational enterprises across all major regions.
• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with strong EMEA presence and similar partner-driven model. Directly comparable in retained C-suite and board search across multiple sectors and geographies.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with similar retained search model. Directly comparable in board and C-suite placement services and also offers Heidrick Consulting for culture and leadership advisory.
• Boyden: Global executive search firm operating across 40+ countries with partner-led model. Directly comparable in senior-level retained search and leadership advisory, with similar international partnership structure.

Regional players

• Hays plc: Global recruitment firm listed on LSE with strong EMEA presence. Comparable to Friisberg in professional recruitment services across the region, though Hays operates at significantly larger scale across broader mid-market recruitment rather than premium retained executive search.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friisberg
• Xx.com/friisberg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Friisberg-Partners-Hungary-349682855434254

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Friisberg and Partners