Raines International
Raines International is a privately held, retained executive search firm founded in 1969 that places C-suite and board-level executives for Private Equity firms and Fortune 500 companies across nine US offices, supported by a proprietary AI-enabled executive search infrastructure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersNy Tolstrup, Denmark
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Raines International does
Raines International is a privately held, retained executive search firm founded in 1969 that places C-suite and board-level executives for Private Equity firms and Fortune 500 companies. Headquartered in Miami with offices across the United States, the firm organizes its delivery around a matrix of functional practices (CEO & Board, CFO, CHRO, CMO, COO & Operations, Strategy & M&A, CISO & CSO) and industry practices (Consumer, Industrial, Private Markets, Services, Healthcare, Aerospace/Defense/Government Services, FinTech, Retail, Software & Technology, Alternative Asset Management). Its core product is retained executive search, sold through a high-touch consultative motion with dedicated specialists per engagement, supported by practices such as compensation benchmarking, backchannel referencing, and 45-day search check-ins.
Raines has built a proprietary AI-Enabled Executive Search Infrastructure that links internal systems to large language models, deploying custom GPTs and trained AI agents, automated market mapping, AI transcription across conversations, and proactive data surfacing for reporting and account management. Practically, the firm reports an average search completion time of 100 days and 98% client satisfaction with responsiveness, and positions these as differentiators versus traditional retained search. The firm has more than doubled headcount since 2019 under CEO Daniel Smith and added multiple new practices and US offices during that period.
The firm earns revenue exclusively through professional services fees on retained C-suite and board searches. Its customer base is exclusively enterprise: Private Equity sponsors (including Arcline, Blackstone, Centerbridge, Comvest, Sun Capital, Wynnchurch, Trivest, HGGC, MidOcean, Littlejohn) and Fortune 500 corporates (Carrier, US Foods, Fortive, Modine, IDEX, Anduril, JetBlue), with stated long-term relationship orientation rather than transactional volume.
Raines International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Raines International
- Legal name
- Raines International
- Website
- https://rainesinternational.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Raines International is a privately held, retained executive search firm founded in 1969 that places C-suite and board-level executives for Private Equity firms and Fortune 500 companies across nine US offices, supported by a proprietary AI-enabled executive search infrastructure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Raines International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO) (BPACAAAC)
Keywords
Where Raines International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ny Tolstrup
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Raines International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retained Executive Search Services: Raines International operates as a retained executive search firm specializing in C-suite talent identification, recruitment, and development. The firm charges fees for conducting executive searches for Private Equity and Fortune 1000 clients, placing CFOs, CEOs, and other senior executives.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Raines International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Raines International is a retained executive search firm that identifies, recruits, and places C-suite executives (CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CHROs, CMOs) and board directors for Private Equity firms, their portfolio companies, and Fortune 500 corporations. Services are delivered through specialized industry practices (Consumer, Industrial, Healthcare, Aerospace & Defense, FinTech, Retail, Software & Technology, Alternative Asset Management, Services) and functional practices (CEO & Board, CFO, CHRO, Marketing & Commercial Excellence, Operational Excellence & Supply Chain, Strategy & M&A, CISO & CSO). The firm operates from a network of U.S. offices and supports engagements with proprietary AI-enabled search infrastructure.
Product overview
Raines International is a retained executive search firm founded in 1969 that offers a unified executive search platform focused on C-suite and board-level talent identification, recruitment, and development. The core service is Executive Search, supported by a network of specialized industry practices (Consumer, Industrial, Healthcare, Aviation/Aerospace/Defense, FinTech, Retail, Software & Technology, Alternative Asset Management, and Services) and functional practices (CEO & Board, CFO, CHRO, CMO, Operations & Supply Chain, Strategy & M&A, CISO & CSO, Marketing & Commercial Excellence). The firm's proprietary AI-Enabled Executive Search Infrastructure integrates custom AI tools, workflow automations, and natural language processing capabilities to accelerate research, market mapping, and candidate identification across all practice areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Core retained executive search service identifying, assessing, and placing C-suite executives (CEO, CFO, COO, CHRO, CMO) and board directors for Private Equity firms, their portfolio companies, and Fortune 500 corporations across multiple industries and functions.
- AI-Enabled Executive Search Infrastructure Proprietary AI-enabled infrastructure powering Raines' executive search across all practices, compressing multi-day manual research and reporting workflows into minutes via custom GPTs, trained AI agents on internal frameworks, workflow automations, AI transcription, and proactive data surfacing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Average executive search completed in 100 days
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Raines International
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Raines International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Raines International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Raines International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Acertitude: Private equity-focused executive search firm serving PE portfolio companies with CEO, CFO, and operating partner placements. Highly comparable to Raines given overlapping PE-centric go-to-market and similar scale.
- Diversified Search: Mid-sized executive search firm serving corporate, nonprofit, and PE clients. Comparable to Raines in offering retained C-suite search across multiple industries with similar scale and PE exposure.
- DHR International: Mid-sized retained executive search firm serving PE and Fortune 500 clients, including CFO and CEO searches. Comparable in scale and target market to Raines, with similar PE-focused positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep PE coverage. Directly competes with Raines in C-suite placements; multiple Raines VPs were hired from Egon Zehnder.
- Korn Ferry: Largest publicly traded executive search and organizational consulting firm with thousands of consultants globally. Directly comparable to Raines because it serves PE firms and Fortune 500 clients with C-suite retained search across all of Raines' core functions and industries; many Raines leaders were poached from Korn Ferry.
- Spencer Stuart: Privately held global executive search firm focused on board, CEO, and senior leadership placements. Comparable to Raines in serving PE and large corporate clients, with particular depth in CEO and board practice that overlaps Raines' CEO & Board Practice.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm serving Fortune 500 and PE clients. Direct competitor to Raines in C-suite retained search; comparable in target clients and search methodology, with broader global footprint.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm serving PE and corporate clients across functions including CFO, CEO, and CHRO. Direct competitor to Raines, with one Raines consultant having prior tenure at Russell Reynolds.
Emerging players
- Oxeon: Specialized executive search firm focused on healthcare services and technology, with growing PE-backed client base. Comparable to Raines in PE-driven C-suite search model, though narrower in industry focus.
- Berglass+Associates: Executive search firm with deep consumer and retail practice, including PE-backed clients. Comparable to Raines in C-suite search methodology and PE exposure, particularly for consumer sector placements.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Raines International social profiles
Digital presenceRaines International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Raines International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Raines International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Raines International 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 Raines International
What does Raines International do?
Raines International is a retained executive search firm that identifies, recruits, and places C-suite executives (CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CHROs, CMOs) and board directors for Private Equity firms, their portfolio companies, and Fortune 500 corporations. Services are delivered through specialized industry practices (Consumer, Industrial, Healthcare, Aerospace & Defense, FinTech, Retail, Software & Technology, Alternative Asset Management, Services) and functional practices (CEO & Board, CFO, CHRO, Marketing & Commercial Excellence, Operational Excellence & Supply Chain, Strategy & M&A, CISO & CSO). The firm operates from a network of U.S. offices and supports engagements with proprietary AI-enabled search infrastructure.
Is Raines International a public or private company?
Raines International is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Raines International founded?
Raines International was founded in 1969. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Raines International based?
Raines International is headquartered in Ny Tolstrup, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Raines International make money?
One revenue line is on record: retained Executive Search Services.
Who are Raines International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Acertitude, Diversified Search and DHR International. Broad incumbents are Egon Zehnder, Korn Ferry, Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles and Russell Reynolds Associates. Emerging players are Oxeon and Berglass+Associates.
Does Raines International have an API?
No public API is recorded for Raines International.
What industry is Raines International in?
Raines International's product category is Executive Search. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAC, Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO). Its NAICS code is 561312.