Heller Search Associates

What Heller Search Associates does

Heller Search Associates is a privately held, women-owned executive search firm headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, founded in 2010. The firm specializes exclusively in placing technology leadership talent — CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CDOs, CAIOs, CPOs, and adjacent C-suite and VP-level technology roles — for organizations across industries. It operates through five dedicated practice areas: Enterprise IT, Cyber Security, Data & Analytics, Product & Engineering, and Private Equity, with a deliberate horizontal segmentation approach that organizes the go-to-market around role families rather than verticals.

The firm makes money through retained executive search engagements, a fee-for-service professional services model typical of boutique search firms. Its distribution is direct and relationship-led: senior recruiters engage hiring managers to scope leadership roles before formalizing searches. It maintains an installed stack of HubSpot and Salesforce for CRM and marketing automation, and Clockwork Recruiting for candidate tracking, indicating a moderate degree of operational tooling for a firm of its size. In parallel, it publishes The Heller Report, a weekly newsletter reaching thousands of senior technology executives, which functions as a top-of-funnel brand asset and candidate pipeline feeder rather than a standalone revenue stream.

Heller Search serves a heterogeneous enterprise and institutional client base that includes large public companies (e.g., AAM, Wynn Resorts, UNFI), private equity portfolio companies (via the PE Practice placing Operating Partners and Portfolio CIOs/CTOs/CISOs/CPOs), mid-market businesses, and non-profits (e.g., American Jewish Committee, Babson College). It holds WBENC certification as a women-owned business enterprise, which serves as a durable commercial differentiator for clients with supplier diversity mandates. The firm is led by CEO Martha Heller and runs with a lean team in the 11-50 employee band, consistent with a focused boutique practice rather than a scaled platform.

Name

Heller Search Associates

Legal name

Heller Search Associates, Inc.

Website

https://hellersearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heller Search Associates is a privately held, women-owned executive search firm that places CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CDOs, CAIOs, and other C-suite technology leaders for enterprise, mid-market, private equity, and non-profit clients across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO) (BPACAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Technology leadership recruiting
• CIO placement services
• Cybersecurity executive search
• Private equity talent

Headquarters

HQ city

Westborough

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: Retained executive search services placing technology leadership professionals including CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CDOs, CAIOs, CPOs, and other C-suite technology roles. The firm recruits for permanent executive placements across multiple specializations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Heller Search Associates is an executive search firm that places transformational technology leaders — CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CDOs, CAIOs, CPOs, and other C-suite technology roles — for organizations across all industries. The firm operates five specialized practice areas (Enterprise IT, Cyber Security, Data & Analytics, Product & Engineering, and Private Equity) and recruits for permanent executive placements using retained or contingency fee structures with a high-touch, consultative engagement model.

Product overview

Heller Search Associates is an executive search firm offering specialized technology leadership talent acquisition services through five distinct practice areas: Enterprise IT, Cyber Security, Data & Analytics, Product & Engineering, and Private Equity. The company recruits for C-suite and senior technology leadership roles including CIO, CTO, CISO, CDO, CAIO, CPO, and other executive positions. Their primary service offering is personalized executive search consulting, supplemented by The Heller Report, a weekly publication providing technology talent market insights and career advice. The company serves large public enterprises, mid-market businesses, private equity firms, and non-profits across all industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Enterprise IT Practice

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global executive search and organizational consulting firm with a large dedicated Technology practice placing CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and other senior technology leaders - directly comparable in target roles but vastly larger in scale and geographic reach.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Major global executive search firm with a strong Technology, Cybersecurity, and Data practice placing CIO, CTO, CISO, CDO, and CDO leaders across industries - the most direct comparable at the large-firm level.
• Spencer Stuart: Top-tier global executive search firm with a dedicated Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice that places CIOs, CTOs, and other technology executives; overlaps Heller's core mandate but at much larger enterprise scale.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with a Technology Officers practice placing CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and data leaders - directly comparable on target roles and client base, but with significantly broader international reach.
• Egon Zehnder: Global leadership advisory and executive search firm with a Technology and Digital practice serving enterprise clients seeking CIO, CTO, CDO, and senior technology leaders - directly comparable mandate, broader firm portfolio.
• DHR International: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Technology Practice placing CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and CISOs across enterprise and PE-backed clients; directly comparable client base but larger in headcount and geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• McCormack+Partners: Boutique executive search firm specializing in technology leadership placements including CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and senior engineering executives - highly comparable in size, niche specialization, and target roles.
• Riviera Partners: Boutique executive search firm focused on technology and product leadership placements for venture-backed and growth-stage companies - comparable niche specialization though more weighted toward venture-stage CTO/CPO roles.
• Pearson Partners International: Executive search firm with a dedicated Technology, Digital, and Cybersecurity practice placing CIO, CTO, CISO, and CDO leaders across enterprise and private equity clients - closely mirrors Heller's positioning.
• BTI Solutions: Boutique recruiting firm specializing in technology and digital transformation leadership placements, including CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, CDOs, and product leaders - comparable niche focus and client type.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heller-search-associates
• Xx.com/hellersearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/HellerSearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Heller Search Associates