Westwood & Wilshire

What Westwood & Wilshire does

Westwood & Wilshire is a privately held, boutique executive search firm founded in 2003 by Alan Cullen and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm specializes in retained executive search for the life sciences sector, placing C-suite executives (CEO, CMO, CSO, CFO, COO), VP-level leaders, and board members at VC-backed biotech, healthtech, and MedTech companies from seed stage through exit. Its stated operating philosophy centers on a passive-talent model that surfaces senior leaders who are not actively on the market, supported by a curated network of relationships cultivated over more than 20 years rather than reactive database sourcing.

The firm's underlying delivery model is human-expertise driven rather than technology platform based; there is no proprietary software product, AI/ML system, or data flywheel described in the source material. Core operational assets are the firm's recruiter bench, its scientific fluency with research teams and boards, and embedded relationships with portfolio companies of nine top-tier life sciences venture firms including a16z, GV, Flagship Pioneering, Third Rock Ventures, Atlas Venture, 8VC, OrbiMed, RA Capital, and Thrive Capital. The firm reports 250+ cumulative executive placements, a 91% repeat client rate, a 38 average business days to candidate identification, and an 87% offer acceptance rate. A sister company, AccelPeople, extends the offering into interim/fractional leadership, embedded recruiting, and temporary staffing.

Commercially, Westwood & Wilshire operates a quote-based retained search engagement model with no public pricing, targeting enterprise buyers (VC-backed portfolio companies) through a direct, high-touch enterprise sales motion. Inbound engagement is initiated via website contact forms and direct VC portfolio introductions. The firm has no disclosed external funding, operates as a founder-controlled independent entity, and has headcount in the 11-50 range.

Name

Westwood & Wilshire

Legal name

Westwood & Wilshire

Website

https://westwoodwilshire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Westwood & Wilshire is a Los Angeles-based boutique executive search firm founded in 2003 that places C-suite, VP, and board leaders at VC-backed biotech, healthtech, and MedTech companies, serving portfolio companies of top-tier life sciences venture firms through a retained search model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

akta.pro primary industry

Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Life sciences recruiting
• Retained executive search
• Biotech leadership placement
• C-suite talent acquisition

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search: Traditional retained search model for C-suite and VP-level executive placements in biotech, healthtech, and medtech. Engagements include search design, targeted sourcing, rigorous assessment, and offer management through onboarding. High-value engagements with dedicated focus on precision matching.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Westwood & Wilshire is a boutique executive search firm that places C-suite, VP-level, and board leaders for biotech, healthtech, and medtech companies, primarily those backed by top-tier life sciences venture capital firms. Engagements follow a retained search model covering search design, targeted sourcing of passive senior talent, rigorous candidate assessment, and offer management through onboarding, from seed-stage startups through IPO and exit.

Product overview

Westwood & Wilshire is a premier executive search firm that operates as a unified service offering rather than a software platform. The core service is specialized executive recruitment for life sciences companies, placing C-suite and VP-level leaders across biotech, healthtech, and medtech. A sister company, AccelPeople, extends the portfolio to include flexible talent solutions such as interim leadership, fractional executives, embedded recruiting, and temporary staffing. Together, these offerings provide a comprehensive talent acquisition continuum from executive search to operational staffing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Services Premier retained executive search services placing C-suite executives (CEO, CMO, CSO, CFO, COO), VP-level leaders, and board members for biotech, healthtech, and medtech companies from seed stage through exit. Practice areas are organized vertically into Biotech, Healthtech, and MedTech with deep domain expertise in each vertical.
• AccelPeople (Sister Company Talent Solutions)

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ executive searches completed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers32 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AccelPeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccelPeople is a sister company to Westwood & Wilshire providing flexible talent solutions including interim/fractional leadership, embedded talent/contract recruiting, and temp staffing. Together, the two companies provide comprehensive talent solutions from inception through scaled growth.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spencer Stuart: One of the largest global retained executive search firms with a prominent Life Sciences Practice placing CEOs, CMOs, CSOs, and board leaders at biotech, medtech, and healthtech companies — the most direct large-scale competitor to W&W in the same customer segment.
• Caldwell Partners: Retained executive search firm with a Life Sciences & Healthcare practice placing senior leaders at biotech, pharma, and healthtech companies — competes with W&W for VC-backed life sciences C-suite mandates.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global retained executive search and leadership advisory firm with a strong Life Sciences practice serving biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device clients on C-suite and board mandates — overlaps directly with W&W's biotech/healthtech/medtech focus.
• Diversified Search Group: Mid-sized retained executive search firm with a dedicated Life Sciences practice placing executive leaders at biotech, pharma, and medical device companies — directly comparable in retained-search services and customer overlap.
• Whitney Partners: Boutique retained executive search firm covering life sciences, pharma, and medical device leadership placements; directly comparable to W&W in boutique positioning and life-sciences client mix.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global retained executive search firm with a Health Services and Life Sciences practice placing C-suite and board executives across biotech, pharma, and digital health — directly comparable in client base and search-seniority focus.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep health and life sciences coverage, competing head-to-head for C-suite biotech and medtech mandates of the kind W&W serves.
• Slone Partners: Boutique executive search firm exclusively focused on life sciences, diagnostics, and digital health — the closest sized and positioned competitor to W&W in placing biotech C-suite and board executives at VC-backed companies.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Largest global organizational consulting firm combining retained executive search with broader talent advisory and RPO services; its Life Sciences practice serves many of the same biotech and medtech clients as W&W, though search is one offering among many.

Emerging players

• Bridge Partners: Boutique retained executive search firm focused on life sciences and healthcare technology placements; competes for similar VC-backed biotech and healthtech C-suite mandates but with a smaller footprint than W&W.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westwood-&-wilshire-llc
• Xx.com/westwoodwilshir

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Westwood & Wilshire