SRI Executive

What SRI Executive does

SRI Executive is a Dublin-headquartered, privately-held boutique executive search and strategy consulting firm specialising exclusively in the global development sector. Founded in 1997, the firm serves multilateral and intergovernmental organisations (UN agencies, Council of Europe), NGOs (Greenpeace, Jhpiego, World Medical Association), foundations (Gates Foundation), and development finance institutions (Caribbean Development Bank, Asian Development Bank), operating across 70+ countries with a stated 300+ client track record. Its core offerings are organised in two pillars: Executive Search (full-service, board recruitment, multiple hires, modular search, interim solutions, and an Exclusive Leadership Network database) and Consulting (strategy development and evaluation, organisational effectiveness, leadership development, and governance services). Service delivery is human-expertise-led and grounded in evidence-based search methodologies, with no proprietary technology platform; the firm relies on commodity tools (Invenias for candidate management, HubSpot for content) and a curated bench of senior advisors and consultants across global health, sustainability, and development finance.

The business model is professional-services retainer- and project-based fee income: search engagements are typically multi-year and quote-based, with retainer, day-rate, fixed-term, part-time, and fractional pricing options disclosed. Three revenue streams are identifiable — executive search fees, consulting services fees, and interim leadership solutions fees — all billed directly to enterprise clients (boards, CEOs, HR directors). Go-to-market is enterprise-direct with no intermediaries, marketplaces, or self-serve channels; demand is generated through a thought-leadership content engine anchored by the annual Governance Effectiveness Benchmarking Report, a dedicated insights blog, webinars, and LinkedIn-driven executive visibility. The firm differentiates through its domain specialisation, its 25+ year global relationship network, a 99% candidate placement success rate, a 12-month guarantee on permanent appointments, and a credentialed bench of senior advisors.

The firm is founder-led, with four members of the McGardle family in Managing Director-level roles (Helen McGardle as Founder/MD, Seamus McGardle as Executive Co-Chair, Jack McGardle and Alison McGardle as MDs). The leadership extends well beyond the family: notable senior advisors include Professor Peter Piot (former UNAIDS head, ex-LSHTM director), Tanja Havemann (Clarmondial co-founder), and Dr Alan Richter (QED Consulting founder). Geographic execution is supported by regional consultants across India/UAE, Eastern Europe, Southern Africa, North America, and Latin America, with the North America build-out under former Egon Zehnder partner Dan Perez indicating the most recent geographic investment. Certification posture is GDPR-compliant with data hosted in a UK data centre.

Name

SRI Executive

Legal name

SRI Executive

Website

https://sri-executive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SRI Executive is a Dublin-based boutique executive search and strategy consulting firm serving the global development sector, with a 300+ client base across 70+ countries spanning UN agencies, NGOs, foundations, and development finance institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search and Consulting Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Management Consulting Services (54161), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Management consulting
• Board recruitment
• Interim executive placement
• Leadership development advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Fees: Retainer-based and project-based fees for executive search services, including full search, board recruitment, and modular search offerings.
2. Consulting Services: Fees for strategy development, organisational effectiveness, leadership development, and governance consulting engagements.
3. Interim Leadership Solutions: Fees for interim executive placements on a day rate, fixed-term, part-time, or fractional basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SRI Executive provides retainer- and project-based executive search services (full-service, board, executive recruitment, multiple hires, and modular search) for C-suite and senior leadership roles within global social-impact organisations. The firm complements search with consulting engagements spanning strategy development and evaluation, organisational effectiveness, leadership development, and governance strengthening, plus interim executive placements on day-rate, fixed-term, part-time or fractional arrangements.

Product overview

SRI Executive is a unified executive search and consulting practice offering a portfolio of interconnected services for the global development sector. The core offering comprises Executive Search (full-service, board, executive, multiple hires, and modular search variants) and Consulting Services (strategy development, organisational effectiveness, leadership development, and governance). These are complemented by Interim Solutions providing on-demand executive talent for fixed-term mandates, and an Exclusive Leadership Network serving as a curated candidate database. The services share a common methodology built on evidence-based assessment, global talent networks spanning 70+ countries, and a 12-month placement guarantee for permanent appointments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Full-service executive recruitment for C-suite and senior leadership roles across global development organisations, multilateral agencies, NGOs, foundations, and development finance institutions.
• Board Recruitment Specialised search services for identifying and placing board members, including governance effectiveness benchmarking to identify board composition gaps.
• Executive Recruitment Targeted recruitment for senior executive positions including CEOs, managing directors, and other C-suite roles.
• Multiple Hires Bulk executive recruitment services for organisations requiring multiple senior appointments simultaneously.
• Modular Executive Search Flexible, component-based search approach allowing organisations to select specific stages of the executive search process rather than a full-service engagement.
• Interim Solutions On-demand interim executive talent for fixed-term mandates including leadership stabilisation, transformation, and bridging to permanent hires, with mobilisation support and interim-to-permanent pathways.
• Strategy Development and Evaluation Co-creation of organisational strategies and strategic reviews to drive sustainable impact and growth for social-impact organisations.
• Organisational Effectiveness Organisational design, development, and transformation services to strengthen institutional performance and capacity in development-sector organisations.
• Leadership Development Executive coaching and leadership development services including accredited coaching, psychometric assessments, and 360-degree feedback for senior leaders in social-impact organisations.
• Governance Services Board governance assessment and strengthening services for boards of global development organisations, supporting governance effectiveness and board composition.
• Exclusive Leadership Network A curated network of senior leaders available for interim and permanent placements, enabling rapid mobilisation of vetted executive talent for SRI Executive's clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% success rate in candidate placement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Korn Ferry: The world's largest executive search firm with a dedicated global nonprofit and social-sector practice. Directly comparable in serving foundations, NGOs, and development finance institutions; competes for the same C-suite mandates. SRI consultant Gabriela Behrend previously worked at Korn Ferry.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Major global executive search firm with dedicated practices across nonprofit, education, social enterprise, and international development sectors. Comparable in delivering CEO, board, and senior leadership searches for global social-impact clients, with similar evidence-based assessment methodologies.
• Dalberg Advisors: Global strategy and policy advisory firm dedicated exclusively to international development, humanitarian, and social-impact work. Directly comparable to SRI's consulting practice in serving multilateral agencies, foundations, and development finance institutions on strategy and organisational effectiveness.
• Bó Lè Associates: Boutique executive search firm specialising in international development, humanitarian, and social-impact sectors. The closest pure-play niche competitor to SRI Executive, with comparable focus on multilateral agencies, NGOs, and foundations across emerging and developed markets.
• Page Executive: Global executive search firm within PageGroup focused on senior leadership and board appointments across multiple sectors. Directly comparable in executive search delivery model and C-suite recruitment; SRI consultant George Beaumont previously worked at Page Executive.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong nonprofit, multilateral, and development-sector practices. Comparable in serving C-suite mandates for international organisations. SRI's Director for North America Dan Perez previously led engagements at Egon Zehnder, indicating direct competitive overlap.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with substantial nonprofit, social-impact, and international development practices. Comparable in board and CEO recruitment for foundations, multilaterals, and NGOs, with overlapping target client segments and similar retained-search delivery model.
• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with a strong nonprofit, public-sector, and international development practice. Comparable in placing C-suite leaders for global organisations, foundations, and multilaterals; similar retained search methodology and global office footprint.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the world's leading global executive search firms with a dedicated board and CEO practice. Directly comparable to SRI Executive in C-suite and board recruitment methodology, with comparable candidate assessment rigour and global reach. SRI's research manager Julia Botha previously worked at Spencer Stuart, evidencing direct talent flow between the firms.

Broad incumbents

• Teneo: Global CEO advisory and strategy consulting firm with offices in major markets and a strategy centre of excellence. Comparable to SRI's consulting arm in serving executive leaders and boards on organisational strategy; broader scope but overlapping in the social-impact segment. SRI's Alison McGardle previously worked at Teneo's Strategy Centre of Excellence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sri-executive-search
• Xx.com/SRIExecutive

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 SRI Executive