Cerius Executives

What Cerius Executives does

Cerius Executives (legal entity Cerius, Inc.) is a privately held executive talent firm headquartered at 100 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 900, Irvine, California. Founded in 2005 by co-owners Pamela Wasley (Chief Executive Officer) and Kristen McAlister (President), the firm provides executive placement across three engagement models: (i) Interim — full-time temporary executives available to start within one week; (ii) Part-Time/Fractional — as-needed executive support at lower cost than full-time hires, including virtual CFO/CMO/CTO roles; and (iii) Direct Hire — permanent executive search leveraging relationships with the firm's pre-vetted network. The company maintains a pool of 'thousands' of vetted executives spanning CEO/President, Finance (CFO, Controller), Operations (COO), Marketing (CMO), Sales, Technology (CIO/CTO), Human Resources (CHRO), and Advisory/Board disciplines.

The firm operates a sales-led go-to-market model driven by inbound phone (949-867-7119) and website lead capture, supplemented by an extensive thought leadership content library (548+ articles, 159+ audio pieces) used for SEO-driven demand generation. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; engagements are positioned as carrying 'no up-front investments' and 'no long-term obligations.' Select named engagements include Corus International (interim CFO), LDX Solutions (Controller), and a Swedish manufacturing company where an interim HR Manager secured $5 million in economic incentives tied to a facility relocation. Quantified client outcomes cited include 90% reduction in returns, $7 million IT budget reduction for a $2.6 billion healthcare provider, and 24% sales growth without additional hires.

Through a partnership with Interim Management Worldwide (IMW) — a global alliance founded in 2004 — Cerius extends its reach to 175,000+ independent executives across 50+ countries and participates in an alliance-level track record of 11,000+ completed multinational assignments. The firm has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no acquisitions, no subsidiaries, and no public-company comparables; ownership remains with the two co-founders. Revenue and full-time headcount are not publicly disclosed, though the firm lists 5,001-10,000 'employees' on its website — a figure that almost certainly captures the contingent executive network rather than internal W-2 staff.

Name

Cerius Executives

Legal name

Cerius, Inc.

Website

https://ceriusexecutives.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cerius Executives is a privately held Irvine, California-based executive talent firm that places interim, fractional, and direct-hire executives (CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, CTO, CHRO, Controller) from a vetted network of thousands into small and mid-sized businesses, with global reach via the IMW partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Staffing Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Interim Executive & Fractional Leadership Placement (BPACAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)

Keywords

• Interim executive staffing
• Fractional executive services
• Executive search
• Management consulting
• Executive placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Interim Executive Placement: Placement of experienced executives on an interim basis for temporary leadership needs, providing companies with executive-level talent without long-term commitments.
2. Fractional/Part-Time Executive Services: Part-time or fractional executive engagement where executives work a limited number of days per week, offering senior leadership at reduced cost compared to full-time hires.
3. Direct Hire Executive Search: Permanent executive placement services to identify and place executive-level talent into full-time roles within client organizations.
4. Virtual CFO and Remote Executive Services: Virtual or remote executive services, particularly for CFO roles and other remote leadership positions, leveraging technology to provide executive oversight without physical presence.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cerius Executives is an executive staffing firm that connects companies with vetted senior leaders on an interim (full-time temporary), part-time/fractional, or direct-hire (permanent) basis across all management disciplines including Finance, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Technology, HR, and CEO/President roles. The firm maintains a network of thousands of pre-vetted executives and matches clients to executives typically within one week, with additional specialty offerings for advisory/board, international, and remote/virtual executive placements.

Product overview

Cerius Executives is a single-source executive staffing and management consulting firm that provides three core engagement models: Interim (full-time temporary executives), Part-Time/Fractional (as-needed executive support at reduced cost), and Direct Hire (permanent executive search). The company maintains a network of thousands of vetted executives across all major management disciplines including Finance (CFO, Controller), Operations (COO), Marketing (CMO), Sales, Technology (CIO/CTO), Human Resources, and CEO/President roles. They also offer specialized services including Virtual CFO, Advisory/Board Services, International placements through their IMW partnership, and Remote/Virtual Executive options. The service portfolio is delivered through their proprietary executive matching platform and is guaranteed to deliver measurable business results.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interim Executive Services Full-time temporary executive placement providing experienced leaders (CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, CTO, CHRO, etc.) available to start immediately for defined periods to address leadership gaps, turnaround situations, or project-based needs.
• Part-Time/Fractional Executive Services As-needed executive support on a long-term or short-term basis, providing part-time or fractional senior leadership (including Virtual CFO, Virtual CMO, Virtual Controller) at reduced cost compared to full-time hires.
• Direct Hire Executive Search Permanent executive recruitment service utilizing relationships with thousands of vetted executives to quickly identify and place full-time executive leaders in client organizations.
• Advisory Services Single or multi-member advisory board and board member placement providing strategic guidance, industry insights, and mentorship for companies navigating growth, transitions, or strategic decisions.
• International Executive Services Global executive placement through the Interim Management Worldwide (IMW) partnership, providing access to vetted executives across 50+ countries for cross-border leadership needs.
• Remote/Virtual Executive Services Virtual executive placement including Virtual CEO, Virtual CFO, Virtual CMO, Virtual CTO, and other remote leadership roles for organizations seeking full-time remote leadership or cost-effective fractional executive support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved profitability by third month with break-even in two months for family manufacturing company
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Interim Management Worldwide (IMW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Cerius Executives is a member of Interim Management Worldwide (IMW), the longest-running and most successful alliance of interim management providers worldwide. Founded in 2004, IMW has partners across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. The partnership provides access to over 175,000 qualified interim managers and enables completion of assignments in almost any market globally. The alliance has completed over 11,000 assignments with multinational companies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heidrick & Struggles: Public executive search and leadership advisory firm specializing in senior-level placements across industries. Directly comparable to Cerius in executive search services, but operating primarily at the executive/director level for larger enterprises rather than interim/fractional.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable to Cerius in senior executive placement and leadership advisory, with overlapping service lines including board and CEO advisory.
• Spencer Stuart: Private executive search firm with a long-standing global footprint, focused on board, CEO, and senior executive placements. Comparable to Cerius as a direct peer in executive talent, with similar proprietary-matching and relationship-driven delivery.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm placing C-suite and senior leaders across industries. Comparable to Cerius in core executive placement, with similar vertical expertise across finance, operations, technology, and HR.

Emerging players

• Toptal: Online marketplace connecting companies with top freelance talent including executive-level and fractional leadership. Comparable to Cerius as an emerging fractional-talent platform, particularly competing for part-time/fractional executive engagements.
• Catalant (now Built In): Marketplace for independent business consultants and executives. Comparable to Cerius as an emerging player in the fractional executive/consultant space, with a digital-first matching model.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half: Public staffing and consulting firm placing professionals across finance, accounting, technology, and legal, including interim and project-based engagements. Comparable to Cerius as a broad staffing incumbent offering interim executive placement as part of a wider portfolio.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering executive search, talent assessment, and leadership consulting. Comparable as a large incumbent addressing the same executive-talent needs as Cerius, though at the enterprise/Fortune 500 tier with broader advisory services.
• Hays plc: Global recruitment and workforce solutions firm, including executive search and interim management across multiple geographies. Comparable to Cerius as a broad incumbent offering similar interim and permanent executive placement.

Regional players

• Interim Partners: UK-based interim management specialist placing senior executives on temporary assignments across Europe. Comparable to Cerius as a regional interim-management peer, sharing the same core model of placing vetted executives on time-bound engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GetCerius
• Facebookfacebook.com/cerius2020

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Cerius Executives