Inkinen
Inkinen is a Honolulu-based executive search and career transition firm serving Hawaii-based organizations across nonprofit, healthcare, government, education, financial services, and enterprise sectors, delivering retained and contingent search plus outplacement coaching through a small team of consultants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersHonolulu, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Inkinen does
Inkinen & Associates LLC, operating as Inkinen Executive Search, is a Honolulu-based executive search and career transition firm founded in 1992 by Kathy Inkinen. The company specializes in retained and contingent executive search for Hawaii-based organizations, placing C-suite, board, and senior leadership talent across nonprofit, healthcare, government, education, financial services, and other sectors. Since July 2018, the firm has been owned and led by President Benjamin Ancheta Jr., with Kathy Inkinen continuing as Founder and Advisor. Inkinen operates as a boutique professional services firm with a team of approximately seven to eight executive search consultants, including senior consultants with 15-25+ years of recruiting experience drawn from organizations such as Deloitte, Four Seasons, Hawaiian Airlines, Disney, KPMG, and Hilton.
The firm's core offerings are Executive Search for Companies (both retained exclusive and contingent models), Executive Placement for Candidates, and Career Transition/Outplacement Services delivered through 3-month and 6-month coaching programs. It also operates a General Resume Submission pipeline and publishes exclusive search listings to attract candidates. Inkinen differentiates itself through a proprietary Hawaii candidate database built over more than three decades, deep community and cultural relationships across the islands, and a placement guarantee on retained engagements. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is personalized and consultative, executed by individual consultants.
Inkinen generates revenue through professional services fees on executive placements and outplacement coaching. Executive search engagements follow standard industry fee models—typically a percentage of the placed executive's first-year compensation—with retained searches paid on a phased basis and contingent searches paid on successful placement. Career transition programs are multi-month engagements with two tiers. The firm operates exclusively within Hawaii, reaches the market through direct engagement, a content-marketing website, LinkedIn, and recurring earned-media coverage in local publications and television, and has no outside institutional investment, subsidiaries, or public funding.
Inkinen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Inkinen
- Legal name
- Inkinen & Associates LLC
- Website
- https://inkinen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Inkinen is a Honolulu-based executive search and career transition firm serving Hawaii-based organizations across nonprofit, healthcare, government, education, financial services, and enterprise sectors, delivering retained and contingent search plus outplacement coaching through a small team of consultants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Inkinen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)
Keywords
Where Inkinen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Honolulu
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Inkinen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Retained Executive Search: Exclusive arrangement where Inkinen manages the entire search process from beginning to end, with clients paying a retained fee for dedicated service and guaranteed placement efforts.
- Contingent Executive Search: Arrangement where Inkinen supports the client's search by providing qualified candidates, with payment contingent upon successful placement.
- Career Transition/Outplacement Services: Programs for employees affected by position eliminations, including coaching, resume preparation, interview skills, and career guidance. Offered in 3-month and 6-month program tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | 3-Month Program - Comprehensive, personalized coaching and assessments for mid-level professionals |
| Other | Multi-year contract | 6-Month Program - Tailored for senior executives with focus on leadership development and strategies |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Inkinen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Inkinen is a Hawaii-based executive search firm that recruits and places C-suite, senior leadership, and management talent for Hawaii-based organizations through retained and contingent search engagements. The firm also provides career transition and outplacement services for employees affected by position eliminations, along with executive placement support for candidates seeking new leadership opportunities.
Product overview
Inkinen is Hawaii's premier executive search firm founded in 1992, offering a unified suite of talent acquisition services. The core offerings consist of Executive Search for Companies (both Retained and Contingent search models), Executive Placement for Candidates, and Career Transition Services with 3-month and 6-month program options. The company also maintains a pipeline of talent through its General Resume Submission service and showcases current exclusive search assignments. The services are delivered through a team of executive search consultants who leverage proprietary resources and databases to match leadership talent with organizational needs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search for Companies Retained and contingent executive search services that match Hawaii-based organizations with proven leadership talent who fit the organization's corporate culture and possess the requisite experiences and skills. Retained search is an exclusive arrangement where Inkinen manages the entire search process; contingent search provides qualified candidates with payment contingent on successful placement.
- Executive Placement for Candidates Executive placement and career matching services for candidates, where consultants work closely with executives to understand skills, experience, career goals, and leadership attributes to match them with appropriate opportunities.
- Career Transition Services Outplacement services for employees affected by position eliminations, including one-on-one consultations, professional resume preparation, interview and presentation skills coaching, and career guidance. Offered in 3-month (mid-level professionals) and 6-month (senior executives) program tiers.
- Exclusive Searches Featured exclusive executive search assignments for specific Hawaii-based organizations across C-suite, board, and senior leadership positions.
- General Resume Submission Resume submission service that allows candidates to submit credentials for consideration for current and future executive opportunities that may arise.
Companies that use Inkinen
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Inkinen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Inkinen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Inkinen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DHR International: Mid-sized global executive search firm serving consumer, industrial, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors. Comparable retained search model to Inkinen with similar mid-market positioning, though with broader geographic footprint.
- WittKieffer: Executive search firm with strong specialization in healthcare, education, and nonprofit leadership — overlapping directly with several of Inkinen's key verticals (Queen's Health Systems, Kamehameha Schools, East-West Center). Closest mid-sized peer in terms of mission and client type.
- Marcum Search: Executive search practice under Marcum LLP providing C-suite and senior leadership placements across multiple industries. Comparable retained/contingent search model and middle-market positioning.
- Isaacson, Miller: Executive search firm focused exclusively on nonprofit, education, and public-sector leadership. Directly comparable to Inkinen's nonprofit placement work (YMCA, Hawaii Community Foundation, Hawaii Appleseed, Aloha United Way) but with national scope rather than Hawaii-only.
Broad incumbents
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm serving C-suite and board-level placements across industries. Directly comparable service offering to Inkinen's retained executive search, though operating at significantly larger scale and with global reach.
- Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable focus on C-suite and board-level retained search, with non-compete practices that emphasize long-term client relationships similar to Inkinen's model.
- Heidrick & Struggles: International executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable core service in retained executive search, with additional leadership consulting and on-demand talent offerings beyond Inkinen's scope.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on senior leadership and board placements. Overlaps directly with Inkinen's retained search practice but operates at substantially greater scale across global markets.
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm combining executive search with talent management, assessment, and RPO services. Broader portfolio than Inkinen's pure executive search, but directly competitive on senior-level placements.
Regional players
- Bishop & Company: Hawaii-based executive search and staffing firm. The most direct Hawaii peer to Inkinen, competing in the same regional market for similar C-suite and senior management placements.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Inkinen social profiles
Digital presenceInkinen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Inkinen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Inkinen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Inkinen 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 Inkinen
What does Inkinen do?
Inkinen is a Hawaii-based executive search firm that recruits and places C-suite, senior leadership, and management talent for Hawaii-based organizations through retained and contingent search engagements. The firm also provides career transition and outplacement services for employees affected by position eliminations, along with executive placement support for candidates seeking new leadership opportunities.
Is Inkinen a public or private company?
Inkinen is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Inkinen founded?
Inkinen was founded in 1992. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Inkinen based?
Inkinen is headquartered in Honolulu, United States, in the North America region.
How does Inkinen make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retained Executive Search is the primary driver. The others are contingent Executive Search and career Transition/Outplacement Services.
Who are Inkinen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DHR International, WittKieffer, Marcum Search and Isaacson, Miller. Broad incumbents are Spencer Stuart, Egon Zehnder, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates and Korn Ferry. Bishop & Company is listed as a regional player.
Does Inkinen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Inkinen.
What industry is Inkinen in?
Inkinen's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAC, Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare). Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.