Halo Consulting

What Halo Consulting does

Halo Consulting is a Chicago-based, certified minority-owned boutique executive search firm founded in 2020 by Douglas Brown (CEO & Co-founder) and Patrick Bulmer (Co-Founder & Partner), both veteran search consultants whose prior tenures span DHR International/Jobplex, Lucas Group, Hunt Club, and True Search. The firm targets two principal client segments: high-growth startups and SMBs that need retained-quality executive talent but lack budgets for traditional Big Five retainers, and enterprise organizations seeking process-oriented leadership hiring. Mandates concentrate in three functional areas: Human Resources, Go-to-Market, and Product & Engineering, with the firm's stated value proposition combining retained-search best practices with a no-risk, accessible fee model and an explicit diversity lens (the firm has disclosed that 46% of placements since inception are women, people of color, and/or U.S. military veterans).

The firm operates three core offerings. Executive Search uses a retained process for VP and C-Level mandates. Professional Search runs on an exclusive-but-contingent basis for managers, directors, and senior individual contributors. Halo International recruits and manages offshore development teams as an extension of the client organization, extending the firm beyond pure search into managed offshore staffing. Revenue is generated on a professional-services fee-for-placement model; specific fee structures are not publicly disclosed and require consultation. Distribution is entirely consultation-driven via website scheduling and direct outreach, with no self-serve, marketplace, or channel-based routes to market.

The go-to-market relies on thought-leadership content: The Halo Series (a virtual roundtable program with 19 episodes featuring executives from companies including Everspring, Brown-Forman, North Highland, and UpEquity), a YouTube channel, a LinkedIn newsletter, and active social profiles on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter/X. Community and ecosystem ties include NMSDC (core minority business certification), PAWS Chicago, City Colleges of Chicago, and the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. No revenue, funding, customer logos, or headcount growth figures are publicly disclosed; the firm appears to operate as a profitable, founder-controlled boutique without institutional capital, with named leadership comprising two founders, a Director of Search Operations, and a Director of Marketing & Events, consistent with the 1-10 employee firmographic range.

Name

Halo Consulting

Legal name

Halo Consulting, LLC

Website

https://haloconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Halo Consulting is a Chicago-based, certified minority-owned boutique executive search firm offering retained VP and C-level search, contingent professional search, and offshore team building for startups, SMBs, and enterprise clients across HR, Go-to-Market, and Product & Engineering functions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search & Recruitment Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Retained search firm
• Leadership recruitment
• Offshore team building
• Diversity talent sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: Retained process executive search for VP and C-Level positions using a retained fee model combined with an accessible no-risk fee structure. Professional search for managers, directors, and senior individual contributors executed on an exclusive but contingent basis. Also offers offshore team building through Halo International.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Halo Consulting is a boutique executive search firm that recruits senior talent for client organizations. It offers retained Executive Search for VP and C-Level roles, contingent Professional Search for managers, directors, and senior individual contributors, and Halo International for offshore development team building. The firm targets Human Resources, Go-to-Market, and Product & Engineering functions for startups, SMBs, and enterprise clients.

Product overview

Halo Consulting is a certified minority-owned boutique executive search firm offering a suite of talent acquisition services. The company provides three core offerings: Executive Search (retained process for VP and C-Level positions across Human Resources, Go-to-Market, and Product & Engineering), Professional Search (contingent basis for managers, directors, and senior individual contributors), and Halo International (offshore team building with recruited and managed development teams). The firm combines process-oriented best practices of global retained search firms with an accessible fee model for startups and high-growth companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% of placements were women, POC, and/or U.S. military veterans since inception

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PAWS ChicagominorOthersCommunity philanthropy partnership supporting animal welfare. Halo contributes to this community-based organization as part of its corporate social responsibility commitments.
• City Colleges of ChicagominorOthersEducational partnership supporting workforce development. As part of its community involvement, Halo supports the City Colleges of Chicago, the largest community college system in Illinois serving 77,000 students annually.
• Black Lives Matter Global Network FoundationminorOthersSocial justice advocacy partnership. Halo is a proud supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, which aims to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities.
• NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council)coreOthersCertified minority-owned business membership in NMSDC, the largest minority business development organization in the U.S. This certification validates Halo's minority-owned status and provides access to supplier diversity programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• True Search: Boutique executive search firm specializing in technology leadership, where Patrick Bulmer previously worked. Closely comparable in tech-vertical focus, PE/VC-backed client base, and boutique retained+contingent delivery model.
• Hunt Club: Tech-enabled executive and leadership recruiting platform that, like Halo, targets start-ups, mid-market, and enterprise clients for high-growth hires. Douglas Brown worked at Hunt Club prior to founding Halo, making it a near-direct comparable in both model and target customer.
• Jobplex (DHR International): DHR International's emerging-leader search practice where both Halo co-founders were Partners; Jobplex focuses on Director, VP, and emerging-leader searches — directly mirroring Halo's executive + professional search model and customer profile.
• Riviera Partners: Boutique executive search firm focused exclusively on technology leadership; comparable to Halo's Product & Engineering vertical depth with similar mid-market and growth-stage client base.
• Everspring Partners: Boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm featured on Halo's The Halo Series; operates in adjacent HR and GTM executive search verticals with comparable boutique scale and SMB/mid-market orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Lucas Group: Larger executive search firm where both Halo co-founders previously led practices; offers overlapping HR and technology search capabilities but across a much broader portfolio of industries and geographies.
• DHR International: Global retained executive search firm and parent of Jobplex; offers the same C-suite and emerging-leader search services as Halo but as part of a worldwide platform with significantly greater scale and resources.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Top-tier global retained executive search firm competing for the same C-suite and VP mandates that Halo targets at the high end of the market; offers far greater brand recognition and global research infrastructure.
• Spencer Stuart: Premier global executive search firm; competes for board, CEO, and senior leadership searches where Halo also plays, but with substantially deeper institutional relationships and 70+ years of brand equity.

Emerging players

• IQTalent Partners: Tech-enabled recruiting and talent sourcing partner for venture-backed and growth-stage companies; offers overlapping GTM and tech recruiting capabilities via a more productized, on-demand model than Halo's retained approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HALOConsulting_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCguWmujDfrDDmQzfO4W0Vgg/fea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/halo-consultingllc
• Instagraminstagram.com/haloconsulting1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Halo Consulting