What Whitney Partners does

Whitney Partners is a privately held executive search firm founded circa 1984 by Gary Goldstein (CEO) and Alicia Lazaro (President), with the Whitney Partners, LLC entity formed in New York and an operating history of over 40 years focused exclusively on the financial services industry. (The firmographic record also lists a 2008 date, which likely corresponds to a corporate restructuring or the LLC formation, given the multiple sources consistently reference a 35-40 year track record.) The firm operates from a New York headquarters at 747 3rd Avenue and runs three practice areas: Banking & Capital Markets, Asset Management, and C-Suite & Senior Management, serving investment banks, hedge funds, private equity firms, asset managers, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and PE portfolio companies. Through the Whitney SZ&J partnership, the firm has extended a board advisory and executive search offering across Switzerland, Germany, and the United Kingdom, covering board governance, CEO succession, and digital/technology placements.

The firm's core service is retained executive search for senior-level roles, delivered through a direct enterprise sales motion in which the CEO, President, and senior Managing Directors personally manage client engagements. The team of 11-50 employees includes a Senior Managing Director, multiple Managing Directors, a COO, a Partner-level Whitney SZ&J team, and research and marketing functions led by a Vice President of Research. Supporting the search practice, the firm publishes market intelligence (newsletters, white papers on DEI and sector trends) and runs a DEI consulting service that conducts capability assessments and talent diagnostics for clients. Revenue is generated through professional services fees on retained search mandates, with specific fee structures not publicly disclosed. The firm is owned by its co-founders, with no disclosed external equity investors, parent company, or funding history.

Name

Whitney Partners

Legal name

Whitney Partners, LLC

Website

https://whitneypartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whitney Partners is a private, 40-year-old executive search firm specializing in senior-level placements for the financial services industry, serving investment banks, asset managers, hedge funds, private equity firms, and PE portfolio companies from offices in New York, London, Zurich, and Munich.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: Retained executive search engagements for placing senior-level executives in financial services organizations. The firm conducts searches for C-level, managing director, and other senior leadership positions across banking, capital markets, and asset management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Whitney Partners is a global executive search firm exclusively dedicated to the financial services industry, conducting retained searches for C-suite, managing director, and senior management positions. The firm operates specialized practices covering Banking & Capital Markets, Asset Management, and C-Suite & Senior Management, with a European arm (Whitney SZ&J) focused on board advisory. The firm supports clients in talent identification, market entry, product development, and strategic alliance formation.

Product overview

Whitney Partners operates as an executive search firm specializing exclusively in the financial services industry. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected services organized into practice areas: the Banking & Capital Markets Practice and Asset Management Practice form the core recruitment offerings, complemented by the C-Suite & Senior Management Practice for executive placements. The firm also maintains a European presence through Whitney SZ&J, which specializes in Board Advisory and Executive Search for European clients. Supporting these recruitment services, the Media & Market Intel division produces industry publications including white papers and newsletters, while the DEI Consulting practice provides diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory services to clients. The firm has over 40 years of experience in executive search and does not offer a software or technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Banking & Capital Markets Practice Retained executive search services for banking and capital markets organizations, covering corporate finance, financial sponsors, infrastructure finance, leveraged finance, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, restructuring, debt capital markets, and equity capital markets. Targets investment banks, corporate finance divisions, and capital markets firms seeking senior-level talent.
• Asset Management Practice Retained talent acquisition services for asset management firms including hedge funds, private equity, real estate, fund of funds, traditional long-only funds, family offices, wealth management platforms, RIAs, sovereign wealth funds, foundations, endowments, insurance companies, and pension plans. Focuses on placing portfolio managers, fundraisers, and digital experts.
• C-Suite & Senior Management Practice Recruitment of executive talent for organizations and private equity portfolio companies, covering C-level positions and leadership teams in general management, corporate & business development, corporate strategy, marketing & sales, finance, information technology, human resources, operations, supply chain, and restructuring.
• Whitney SZ&J (Board Advisory and Executive Search - Europe) Strategic partner firm providing Board Advisory and Executive Search services to listed and privately owned companies, entrepreneurs, family businesses, public sector and non-profit organizations, and private equity investors across Europe. Covers Board Governance, Succession Planning, CEO searches, and top-level executive recruitment in private equity, financial services, digital, and technology sectors.
• DEI Consulting Services Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consulting services including DEI capability assessments, talent diagnostics, and tailored solutions for embedding DEI best practices into organizational culture, internal management, and client recruiting engagements. Advises financial services clients on transformative individual hires and strategic partnership introductions.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Schulthess Zimmermann & Jauch (SZ&J)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSZ&J is a strategic partner in Board Advisory and Executive Search operating in Switzerland, Germany, and the UK. The partnership specializes in top-level appointments for private equity, financial services, digital and technology sectors, and not-for-profit organizations. SZ&J focuses on board advisory, CEO succession planning, and executive search with coverage areas including private equity investors, portfolio companies, foundations, logistics, hospitality, life sciences, healthcare, and consumer sectors.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sheffield Haworth: Direct competitor specializing in executive search for financial services, covering investment banking, asset management, risk and compliance, and fintech. Whitney employees (e.g., Bennett Jordan) previously worked at Sheffield Haworth, confirming direct overlap in mandates and client base.
• David Barrett Partners: Boutique executive search firm focused on financial services and asset management senior leadership placements. Whitney's Jana Byrne previously served as Consultant and Chief Knowledge Officer at David Barrett Partners, indicating near-identical service offering and target client base.
• Options Group: Global executive search and talent management firm focused exclusively on financial services, including capital markets, investment banking, and quantitative analytics. Highly comparable niche specialist competing for similar FS mandates.
• Glocap Search: Boutique executive search firm focused on investment management, private equity, and alternative investments talent. Highly comparable niche specialist with overlapping client base in hedge funds, PE, and asset management.

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Large global executive search firm with a dedicated Financial Services practice covering investment banking, asset management, and fintech. A scaled incumbent that competes for the same senior FS mandates but offers broader functional and geographic coverage.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large Financial Services executive search practice. Competes with Whitney for senior FS mandates and has substantially more resources, brand recognition, and integrated consulting/advisory offerings.
• Spencer Stuart: Leading global executive search firm with deep financial services expertise, particularly in asset management and investment banking board and CEO placements. A major incumbent competing for Whitney's C-suite and board-level mandates.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a strong financial services practice, including asset and wealth management. A scaled competitor operating across many sectors but with overlapping FS client relationships.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Financial Services practice and capabilities in board advisory and CEO succession planning — areas where Whitney SZ&J directly competes for European mandates.
• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with strong UK and European financial services practice, competing with Whitney SZ&J for board, CEO, and senior FS appointments across London, Zurich, and continental Europe.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whitney-partners-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Whitney Partners