Criterion Executive Search
Criterion Executive Search is a veteran-owned, Tampa-based executive search firm founded in 1981 that places insurance, IT, legal, finance, healthcare, transportation, construction, engineering, and consulting professionals nationally through industry-specialized recruiters with an average of ~15 years of vertical experience.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersTampa, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Criterion Executive Search does
Criterion Executive Search, Inc. is a privately held, veteran-owned executive search and direct-hire staffing firm headquartered in Tampa, Florida, founded in 1981. The firm specializes in the national recruiting and placement of professionals across nine verticals — Insurance, Information Technology, Legal, Finance/Accounting, Healthcare, Transportation/Logistics, Construction, Engineering, and Consulting Management — with the deepest bench in insurance (underwriting, marketing, claims, operations, employee benefits) and legal (attorneys, paralegals, compliance specialists). Service delivery is organized around 15 named industry-specialized recruiters, with average industry experience of nearly 15 years; placement capabilities include both executive and non-executive roles, and coverage extends to the United States, South America, and Europe, with a Cincinnati branch opened in 2007. The firm won Tampa Bay Business Journal's Largest Permanent Employment Firm award in May 2020 and a Gulf Coast Top 500 Businesses recognition.
Revenue is generated primarily through direct-hire placement services on a contingency or retained fee basis, structured per engagement; exact fees are not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market model is sales-led and relationship-driven: recruiters engage directly with hiring managers and candidates across verticals, supplemented by a self-serve job portal (cesfl.com) and organic social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter including dedicated insurance-focused handles). The firm runs no proprietary technology platform — sourcing, screening, and matching are performed manually by recruiter teams, with website infrastructure limited to a basic CMS, advertising cookies, and standard log analytics.
From a competitive positioning standpoint, the firm competes in a fragmented executive search market by leaning on recruiter tenure and vertical specialization rather than technology differentiation. No AI, automation, or proprietary matching tooling is present; no M&A, venture funding, or external ownership has been disclosed; and the firm operates as an independent, single-entity corporation registered in Florida. Headcount is in the 11–50 range per the firmographic record, and no revenue figures are publicly available.
Criterion Executive Search firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Criterion Executive Search
- Legal name
- Criterion Executive Search, Inc.
- Website
- https://cesfl.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Criterion Executive Search is a veteran-owned, Tampa-based executive search firm founded in 1981 that places insurance, IT, legal, finance, healthcare, transportation, construction, engineering, and consulting professionals nationally through industry-specialized recruiters with an average of ~15 years of vertical experience.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Criterion Executive Search industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF), Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO) (BPACAAAC), Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK)
Keywords
Where Criterion Executive Search is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tampa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Criterion Executive Search business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Hire Placement Services: Permanent placement and executive search services for employers, charging contingency or retained fees for successful candidate placements across Insurance, IT, Legal, Finance, Healthcare, Transportation, Construction, Engineering, and Consulting Management sectors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Criterion Executive Search product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Criterion Executive Search is a national executive recruiting and placement firm that delivers direct hire and search services across Insurance, Information Technology, Legal, Finance/Accounting, Healthcare, Transportation/Logistics, Construction, Engineering, and Consulting Management. The firm matches employers with executive and non-executive professionals through industry-specialized recruiter teams conducting contingency and retained searches.
Product overview
Criterion Executive Search operates as a single unified executive staffing and placement service, not a software platform. The company offers specialized recruiting teams organized by industry sector (Insurance, IT, Legal, Finance, and others) but does not provide distinct branded software products, modules, or technology offerings. Their core service is targeted job placement and talent acquisition, supported by a team of industry-specialized recruiters with extensive domain expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search and Placement Services
Companies that use Criterion Executive Search
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Criterion Executive Search technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Criterion Executive Search partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Criterion Executive Search competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Randstad North America: Global staffing and recruiting firm offering permanent placement, temp staffing, and RPO across multiple industries. Comparable in cross-vertical professional placement though at vastly larger scale.
- Hays plc: Global recruitment firm placing professionals across accounting, finance, IT, legal, and other specialties. Comparable in offering cross-vertical professional and executive placement services.
- Robert Half International: Major publicly traded staffing and recruiting firm placing professionals across finance, technology, legal, and administrative roles. Comparable in professional placement model but operates on a national platform with proprietary technology.
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large executive search practice plus broader HR consulting, RPO, and talent assessment. Comparable on executive search but operates at far greater scale across many verticals.
Direct peers
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm serving board, C-suite, and functional leadership needs across industries including insurance, financial services, and technology. Comparable in core service delivery though significantly larger in scale.
- DHR Global: Mid-sized global executive search firm with practice areas spanning financial services, insurance, technology, healthcare, and legal. Closely comparable to Criterion in offering cross-vertical executive search.
- Citadel Search Group: Boutique executive search firm focused on insurance, legal, and risk management placements. Direct competitor in the insurance vertical recruiting space where Criterion is most concentrated.
- Spencer Stuart: Premier executive search firm focused on C-suite, board director, and senior leadership placements. Overlaps with Criterion on senior leadership search across insurance and other verticals.
- The Jacobson Group: Insurance-focused executive search and recruiting firm with similar practice areas across underwriting, claims, and operations. Closely comparable given shared insurance-vertical specialization and mid-market positioning.
- Lucas Group: Executive search firm (now part of Korn Ferry) placing mid-to-senior-level professionals across accounting, finance, legal, IT, and operational roles. Highly comparable in placing both executive and non-executive professionals across multiple industries.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Criterion Executive Search social profiles
Digital presenceCriterion Executive Search financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Criterion Executive Search leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Criterion Executive Search funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Criterion Executive Search 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 Criterion Executive Search
What does Criterion Executive Search do?
Criterion Executive Search is a national executive recruiting and placement firm that delivers direct hire and search services across Insurance, Information Technology, Legal, Finance/Accounting, Healthcare, Transportation/Logistics, Construction, Engineering, and Consulting Management. The firm matches employers with executive and non-executive professionals through industry-specialized recruiter teams conducting contingency and retained searches.
Is Criterion Executive Search a public or private company?
Criterion Executive Search is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Criterion Executive Search founded?
Criterion Executive Search was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Criterion Executive Search based?
Criterion Executive Search is headquartered in Tampa, United States, in the North America region.
How does Criterion Executive Search make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct Hire Placement Services.
Who are Criterion Executive Search's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Randstad North America, Hays plc, Robert Half International and Korn Ferry. Direct peers are Heidrick & Struggles, DHR Global, Citadel Search Group, Spencer Stuart, The Jacobson Group and Lucas Group.
Does Criterion Executive Search have an API?
No public API is recorded for Criterion Executive Search.
What industry is Criterion Executive Search in?
Criterion Executive Search's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAF, Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt). Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.