Vetted Solutions

What Vetted Solutions does

Vetted Solutions is a privately held, Washington DC-based executive search and leadership consulting firm that recruits board directors, CEOs, and senior executives for associations, nonprofits, and other purpose-driven organizations. The firm operates on a retained search model, with engagements typically priced on a quote basis and structured as multi-year contracts; its go-to-market is relationship-led, leveraging direct outreach through three U.S. offices (Washington DC headquarters, Chicago, Los Angeles), an active website, and deep involvement in industry bodies such as ASAE and AESC, where President Jim Zaniello serves as 2026 Vice Chair of the AESC Americas Council. Vetted differentiates through three trademarked offerings: Authentic Onboarding™, which supports placed executives through their first six to twelve months; Vetted Interim™, an interim executive placement program for leadership transitions; and Association Management Consulting, delivered through the February 2025 acquisition of BlochReed Association Advisors.

The firm is built around a small, senior team of approximately 12-15 professionals, many of whom are former association CEOs, senior staff, and board members (e.g., FASAE President Jim Zaniello, ex-ACA CEO Richard Yep, ex-Cargill VP Garland West, ex-CFP Board/AAUW leader Michele Warholic). This insider experience is core to the value proposition: clients hire Vetted for the firm's ability to assess cultural and mission fit, not just functional capability. Technology is described as standard professional services infrastructure supporting CRM and candidate tracking; there are no AI, API, or platform products, and no proprietary software beyond the branded onboarding and interim methodologies. The firm's revenue model is professional services fees from retained executive search engagements, supplemented by interim placement fees and association management consulting revenue from BlochReed. The company has earned four consecutive years on Forbes America's Best Recruiting Firms and is a member of Panorama, a global network of 24 offices and 50+ independent search partners providing international candidate reach.

Name

Vetted Solutions

Legal name

Vetted Solutions

Website

https://vettedsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vetted Solutions is a privately held executive search firm that recruits board directors, CEOs, and senior leaders for associations, nonprofits, and purpose-driven organizations across the United States via offices in Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Interim Executive & Fractional Leadership Placement (BPACAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Nonprofit leadership recruiting
• Interim executive placement
• Association management consulting
• Board director search

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

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: Full-cycle executive search services for board, CEO, and senior executive positions for associations, nonprofits, and purpose-driven organizations. Engagements include extensive research, recruitment, and onboarding support through Authentic Onboarding™.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vetted Solutions is a retained executive search and leadership consulting firm that recruits board directors, CEOs, and senior executives for associations, nonprofits, and purpose-driven organizations. The firm also places interim executives during leadership transitions through its Vetted Interim™ program and, through its acquired BlochReed subsidiary, provides association management company (AMC) selection consulting.

Product overview

Vetted Solutions offers a suite of executive search and leadership services primarily for associations, nonprofits, and purpose-driven organizations. The core offerings include Executive Search (for identifying and placing board, CEO, and senior talent), Vetted Interim™ (for interim executive placements during leadership transitions), and Association Management Consulting (delivered through BlochReed, a Vetted Solutions Company acquired in 2025). The company also offers Authentic Onboarding™ as a complementary module that supports executives through their critical first months post-placement. These services work together to provide end-to-end talent solutions from recruitment through successful onboarding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Identifying and selecting mission-critical board, CEO, and senior executive talent for associations, nonprofits, and purpose-driven organizations, with research-intensive search design and execution led by recruiters who are former CEOs, senior staff, and board members.
• Vetted Interim™ Delivers interim executive talent for transitional periods in the association and nonprofit sectors, providing stability and continuity while organizations search for permanent leadership.
• Association Management Consulting Through BlochReed Association Advisors (a Vetted Solutions Company), supports strategic selection of association management company (AMC) services by helping associations evaluate the AMC option, develop comprehensive requests for proposals, and manage the selection process.

Quantifiable outcome

• Forth consecutive year recognized by Forbes Media Group as one of America's Best Recruiting Firms

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BlochReed Association AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2025Acquired by Vetted Solutions in February 2025. BlochReed is a premiere association management company (AMC) selection firm. Acquisition strengthens Vetted's capacity to assist association boards with deeper expertise and more seamless experience in navigating change and growth.
• PanoramacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of independent executive search firms with 24 offices and over 50 partners across Europe, North America, and Asia. Partnership enhances Vetted Solutions' access to executive candidates globally and enables participation in broader industry research and insights.
• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive membership and Fellows participation. Leaders contribute to ASAE's research, publications, and thought leadership initiatives including Board Brief publication.
• Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive membership and leadership participation. President and CEO James Zaniello serves as 2026 Vice Chair of AESC Americas Council.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WittKieffer: Mid-sized executive search firm specializing in healthcare, education, and nonprofit leadership, with a mission-driven and association-heavy book of business that directly overlaps with Vetted Solutions' core market.
• DHR Global: Mid-to-large executive search firm with dedicated nonprofit, association, and higher education practices; closely comparable in scale and client mix to Vetted Solutions.
• Tuft & Associates: Boutique executive search firm focused exclusively on associations and nonprofit organizations; one of the closest direct competitors to Vetted in the association CEO search niche.
• Association Strategies Inc. Specialized search and consulting firm serving associations and nonprofit organizations; competes head-to-head with Vetted for CEO and senior staff searches in the trade and professional association market.
• The McCormick Group: Mid-sized executive search firm with a strong association, nonprofit, and trade group practice; provides retained CEO and senior leadership search services comparable to Vetted's core offering.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: The largest global executive search and organizational consulting firm; competes with Vetted in association and nonprofit CEO search via dedicated practices while offering a much broader portfolio of services.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a strong nonprofit and association practice; competes for high-profile association CEO searches and benefits from a much larger partner network.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with an established nonprofit and association practice; offers comparable retained CEO search services to large U.S. associations.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Social Enterprise practice serving associations and nonprofits; competes with Vetted on senior executive and CEO mandates in the mission-driven segment.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm; competes for senior leadership mandates at major associations and nonprofits, particularly at the board and CEO level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vetted-solutions-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Vetted Solutions