August Leadership
August Leadership is a global, partner-led boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm founded in 2020, serving Fortune 500 corporations, private equity firms, and boards with retained C-suite, board, and CEO placements plus advisory services across 30+ offices worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What August Leadership does
August Leadership is a privately held, founder-led global executive search and leadership advisory firm founded in 2020 and headquartered at 275 Madison Avenue, New York City. It serves Fortune 500 corporations, large multinational enterprises, private equity firms, and corporate boards, delivering senior executive placements (C-suite, board directors, CEO succession) alongside advisory services. The firm organizes coverage around industry verticals — including Consumer/Retail, Financial Services, Industrial, Life Sciences, Technology/AI & Digital Transformation, Legal & Compliance, Private Equity, Aviation & Mobility, Energy, Education, and Media/Sports/Entertainment — and positions itself as a boutique, partner-led alternative to legacy search firms, centered on identifying "force multipliers" (leaders it claims create disproportionate organizational value).
The firm's four integrated service lines are Executive Search, Leadership Advisory, Board & CEO Advisory, and Inclusion & Culture Advisory. It is a people/expertise business rather than a software company: it operates no proprietary technology platform or public API, instead relying on LinkedIn, cloud-based candidate management systems, and standard collaboration tools. Delivery is human-led through a network of partners spanning 30+ offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Reported operating metrics include a 96% placement success rate, 95% candidate retention after two years, and 60% inclusive (diverse) placements.
The business model is retained executive search billed on a take-rate basis at 33.33% of the placed candidate's first-year annualized total cash compensation (base, target bonus, signing bonus, and applicable allowances; excluding equity/relocation unless agreed), invoiced in three stages — at signing, at shortlist presentation, and at candidate acceptance — with a free replacement search if a placement departs within six months under qualifying circumstances. Go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise field-based: partners personally originate and lead engagements (reportedly 10–12 mandates each versus 30+ at larger firms) through direct relationships with boards, CEOs, and HR leadership, supplemented by partner and client referrals, LinkedIn, SEO, and paid search. There is no disclosed external funding, venture, or private equity backing; partners across offices hold equity consistent with a partnership structure.
August Leadership firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- August Leadership
- Legal name
- August Leadership LLC
- Website
- https://augustleadership.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- August Leadership is a global, partner-led boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm founded in 2020, serving Fortune 500 corporations, private equity firms, and boards with retained C-suite, board, and CEO placements plus advisory services across 30+ offices worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
August Leadership industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Business Services (7380), Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interim Executive & Fractional Leadership Placement (BPACAAAJ)
Keywords
Where August Leadership is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices27 records
Markets served
August Leadership business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Executive Search Retained Fees: The firm operates exclusively on a retained fee basis, charging 33.33% of the candidate's first-year annualized total cash compensation. Fees are invoiced in three stages: upon signing (1/3), upon shortlist presentation (1/3), and upon candidate acceptance (final 1/3). Additional fees apply for replacement searches if initial placement departs within 6 months under qualifying circumstances.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Retained executive search at 33.33% of candidate compensation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
August Leadership product offering
Product offeringCore offering
August Leadership is a global retained executive search and leadership advisory firm that identifies and places C-suite executives, board directors, and senior leaders for enterprise clients, private equity firms, and corporate boards. Beyond executive search, the firm delivers Board & CEO Advisory (succession planning and governance), Leadership Advisory (executive assessment and development), and Inclusion & Culture Advisory (diversity, belonging, and cultural transformation). Services are delivered through a partner-led engagement model across 30+ global office locations on a retained fee basis.
Product overview
August Leadership is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm operating as a single unified service offering. The company provides four integrated service lines: Executive Search (for C-suite and senior leadership placements), Leadership Advisory (performance and development services), Board & CEO Advisory (succession and governance), and Inclusion & Culture Advisory (DEI and cultural transformation). Rather than a software platform, the firm delivers human expertise through a network of partners across 35 global locations, helping clients identify 'force multipliers'—leaders who create disproportionate organizational value. The company emphasizes a retained search model with a 33.33% fee structure and guarantees placement outcomes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% candidate retention rate after 2 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use August Leadership
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
August Leadership technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
August Leadership partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
August Leadership competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Egon Zehnder: Premier privately held executive search and leadership advisory firm with global presence. Partner Arnaud Tesson was previously a Senior Partner at Egon Zehnder; directly comparable in board advisory and senior executive placement.
- Signium: Global executive search firm with partner-led boutique-style service model and international office network. Comparable in operating model and target client base to August Leadership.
- AltoPartners: International federation of retained executive search firms with partner-led boutique culture across 30+ markets. Closely mirrors August Leadership's partner-led, cross-border boutique model.
- Odgers Berndtson: Global mid-market executive search firm operating in 30+ countries. Most structurally comparable peer to August Leadership given its boutique global scale and board/C-suite focus.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with publicly disclosed financials. Multiple August Leadership partners (Marc Bartel, James Gathercole, Daanish Iqbal) previously served in senior roles there, making it one of the closest functional and competitive peers.
- DHR Global: Large global retained executive search firm with broad industry practice coverage. Directly competes with August Leadership for mid-to-senior executive mandates across multiple verticals.
- Korn Ferry: The largest publicly traded executive search and organizational consulting firm. Multiple August Leadership partners (Mary Macleod, Marc Bartel, James Gathercole, Santiago Silva) previously served at Korn Ferry, indicating directly overlapping capability and client relationships.
- Spencer Stuart: One of the largest pure-play executive search firms globally, with deep C-suite and board practice coverage. Directly comparable to August Leadership in core service offering (retained C-suite and board search) and target client base (Fortune 500, PE-backed companies).
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Major retained executive search firm focused on board, CEO, and senior executive appointments across industries. Direct competitor for August Leadership's core C-suite and board practice.
Emerging players
- N2Growth: Fast-growing executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong tech-forward positioning. Partial overlap with August Leadership on C-suite search, with a more marketing/brand-led growth style.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
August Leadership social profiles
Digital presenceAugust Leadership compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
August Leadership financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
August Leadership leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
August Leadership funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
August Leadership 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 August Leadership
What does August Leadership do?
August Leadership is a global retained executive search and leadership advisory firm that identifies and places C-suite executives, board directors, and senior leaders for enterprise clients, private equity firms, and corporate boards. Beyond executive search, the firm delivers Board & CEO Advisory (succession planning and governance), Leadership Advisory (executive assessment and development), and Inclusion & Culture Advisory (diversity, belonging, and cultural transformation). Services are delivered through a partner-led engagement model across 30+ global office locations on a retained fee basis.
Is August Leadership a public or private company?
August Leadership is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was August Leadership founded?
August Leadership was founded in 2020. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is August Leadership based?
August Leadership is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does August Leadership make money?
One revenue line is on record: executive Search Retained Fees.
Who are August Leadership's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Egon Zehnder, Signium, AltoPartners, Odgers Berndtson, Heidrick & Struggles, DHR Global, Korn Ferry, Spencer Stuart and Russell Reynolds Associates. N2Growth is listed as an emerging player.
Does August Leadership have an API?
No public API is recorded for August Leadership.
What industry is August Leadership in?
August Leadership's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAJ, Interim Executive & Fractional Leadership Placement. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7380.