Berkeley Search Consultants

What Berkeley Search Consultants does

Berkeley Search Consultants is a privately held, full-service executive search firm founded in 1989, operating as an independently-owned member-office of the Sanford Rose Associates (SRA) network. Headquartered at 1990 N. California Blvd., Walnut Creek, California, the firm employs approximately 12 named professionals led by President + CEO Mark Howard, with practice-area Vice Presidents and Directors covering Banking + Financial Services, Consumer Packaged Goods, Healthcare, Public Sector, Technology, and Legal. The company places C-suite and senior executives through retained search engagements and, more recently, has extended into interim and contract staffing where it acts as employer-of-record, handling payroll and compliance for placed professionals.

The firm's core offering is retained executive search, supplemented by Talent Strategy consulting and Interim Staffing Solutions that delivers vetted professionals for transitions, special projects, and operational gaps. It reports performance metrics of a 95% client success rate and a 30-day average fill time across more than 1,000 completed assignments. GTM is sales-led and enterprise-focused: dedicated practice specialists engage HR and leadership teams via consultation request forms, direct outreach, and referrals originating from the SRA network. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery rests on recruiter networks, the company's 35-year brand, and SRA-affiliated cross-border reach.

Berkeley Search makes money through engagement-based fees on retained executive searches (C-suite and senior leadership placements across multiple industries) and through EOR-style markup on interim and contract staffing engagements. Pricing is quote-based and tailored per engagement, with multi-year contracts typical on the search side. No public pricing, financials, or funding activity are disclosed; the firm appears to be founder/management-owned with no VC or PE backing indicated. The company has received industry recognition via its affiliation with SRA, ranked among the Top 10 U.S. Search Firms by Executive Recruiter News.

Name

Berkeley Search Consultants

Legal name

Berkeley Search Consultants

Website

https://berkeleysearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berkeley Search Consultants is a privately held executive search firm founded in 1989, placing C-suite and senior leaders across Banking, CPG, Healthcare, Public Sector, Technology, and Legal verticals from its Walnut Creek, California headquarters as a Sanford Rose Associates member-office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: Retained executive search services placing C-suite and senior executives across multiple industries. Revenue generated through search engagement fees for identifying and placing leadership talent.
2. Interim Staffing Solutions: Temporary staffing and contract workforce solutions where Berkeley Search employs interim professionals and handles payroll, compliance, and management. Revenue generated through markup on employee costs or service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Berkeley Search Consultants is a full-service executive search and placement firm that places C-suite and senior leadership talent on a retained basis for employer clients, while also providing interim staffing and contract workforce solutions with employer-of-record and payroll services. Services are delivered through seven industry practices spanning Banking and Financial Services, Consumer Packaged Goods, Healthcare, Public Sector, Technology, Legal, and Interim Staffing, with the firm operating as a member of the Sanford Rose Associates executive search network.

Product overview

Berkeley Search Consultants offers a unified executive search and staffing service platform built around three core offerings: Executive Search (retained C-suite and senior leadership recruitment), Talent Strategy (strategic consulting on talent acquisition and succession planning), and Interim Staffing Solutions (flexible temporary staffing with payroll/EOR services). These core services are delivered through seven specialized industry practices—Banking + Financial Services, Consumer Packaged Goods, Healthcare, Public Sector, Technology, Legal, and Interim Staffing Solutions—which combine deep industry expertise with proven search methodologies to identify transformational leaders. The company operates as part of the Sanford Rose Associates elite network, providing global reach while maintaining personalized service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Full-service executive search and placement for C-level and senior executive roles across all industries and functions, from retained search to specialized leadership recruitment.
• Talent Strategy Strategic consulting on talent acquisition, succession planning, and organizational development to help clients build high-performing teams and enduring leadership.
• Interim Staffing Solutions Flexible temporary staffing providing experienced professionals within days for leadership transitions, critical projects, and specialized skill gaps, including payroll and employer-of-record services.
• Banking + Financial Services Practice Specialized executive search for banking and financial services organizations, including commercial banking, wealth management, risk management, and credit administration roles.
• Consumer Packaged Goods Practice Executive search for consumer packaged goods companies spanning C-suite to plant management roles in operations, R&D, supply chain, sales, marketing, finance, and HR.
• Healthcare Practice Executive search for healthcare organizations including hospitals, biotech companies, and medical device manufacturers, covering clinical leadership, healthcare administration, and C-suite positions.
• Public Sector Practice Executive search for government agencies and public organizations at city, county, state, and federal levels, including municipal leadership, public administration, and infrastructure roles.
• Technology Practice Executive search for technology organizations from startups to Fortune 500, specializing in CTO, CIO, VP of Engineering, VP of Product, and other senior technology leadership roles.
• Legal Practice Executive search for General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officers, and senior legal leaders across industries, focusing on legal expertise combined with strategic business acumen.
• Interim Staffing Placements Successful interim and contract placements supporting organizations with flexible workforce solutions, including support specialists, customer service, logistics, and supply chain roles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% client success rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• Sanford Rose AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkeley Search Consultants is a proud member of Sanford Rose Associates (SRA), an elite network of independently-owned executive search firms. SRA is ranked in the Top 10 U.S. Search Firms by Executive Recruiter News. The network has offices throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
• Kaye/Bassman InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation provides Berkeley Search clients access to unique industry insights and resources not available elsewhere in the search industry. This partnership enables specialized consulting and market intelligence capabilities.
• Next Level ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation providing specialized exchange and networking resources for executive search operations and client service delivery.
• Next Level Marketing CommunicationssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliation providing marketing communications resources and support for Berkeley Search's client acquisition and brand positioning efforts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DHR International: Mid-sized global executive search firm with similar multi-vertical practice structure (financial services, healthcare, technology, consumer) and retained search model that most closely matches Berkeley Search's positioning.
• WittKieffer: Executive search firm with deep healthcare, hospital systems, and public sector practices — a direct peer to Berkeley's Healthcare and Public Sector verticals in terms of client base and search focus.
• Sanford Rose Associates (other member offices): Independent member firms within the same Sanford Rose Associates network that offer the same Dimensional Search methodology and multi-vertical executive search coverage, sharing leads, brand, and methodology with Berkeley Search.

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a C-suite and board practice that directly overlaps Berkeley Search's executive search offering across multiple verticals including financial services, healthcare, and technology.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with sector practices spanning financial services, healthcare, consumer, and technology — directly comparable in scope and client profile to Berkeley Search.
• Korn Ferry: Major global organizational consulting firm with a large executive search practice covering all of Berkeley's verticals — banking, healthcare, technology, CPG, and public sector — and significantly broader scale.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with deep financial services, healthcare, and technology practices that compete directly with Berkeley Search for senior leadership mandates at large enterprises.
• Robert Half International: Large staffing and talent solutions firm that competes with Berkeley's interim staffing offering and provides executive search-adjacent services, though at much larger scale and across broader geographies.
• Kforce Inc. U.S. staffing services firm with technology and finance specialty staffing lines that overlaps with Berkeley's interim staffing and Technology/Banking practices at the contract and project-based layer.
• Spencer Stuart: Privately-held global executive search firm with a board and CEO practice that competes for the same C-suite mandates Berkeley targets, particularly in financial services, healthcare, and technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/markhowardberkeley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Berkeley Search Consultants