What CIO Partners does

CIO Partners is a privately held, US-based retained executive search firm founded in 2001 and headquartered in Marietta, Georgia. The firm operates with 100% focus on the technology sector, placing leaders at the C-suite (CIO, CTO, CISO, CDO), Vice President, and Director levels for enterprise clients across healthcare, retail, hospitality, financial services, manufacturing, government, technology, food & beverage, and transportation. Its core offering is a modified retained search engagement model built on a proprietary "CIO RightHire" assessment process—developed by a former CIO and applied to over 10,000 candidate assessments since 2001—that combines behavioral-based testing with individually tailored candidate narratives, supported by a curated national network of more than 2,000 sitting technology and digital leaders.

The business generates revenue from three primary streams: retained executive search (the core), interim technology leadership placements, and customized recruitment strategy consulting. The firm does not publicly disclose pricing, but engagement terms include a standard 1-year placement guarantee. CIO Partners reports operational metrics including a 21-day slate presentation, 6-8 candidates per search, 8-12 week average search completion, and an 80% completion rate from the initial candidate slate, alongside an NPS of +73 (44 points above the B2B average).

Beyond the core search practice, CIO Partners operates four wholly owned affiliate brands: Talentric (a no-placement-fee search augmentation service priced at 8-15% of base salaries), IT LeaderBoard (a technology-leadership job board with 12,000+ leaders), The National CIO Review (a CIO/CTO/CISO-written publication), and CIO Professional Network (a private online community for technology executives). The firm is led by Joe Gross (President and Managing Partner, in role since 2015) and Michael T. Pierce (CAO and General Counsel), with H. Michael Burgett serving as founder and Executive Chairman. It has been recognized 7 times on the Inc. 5000 list and 4 times on Forbes' America's Best Executive Recruiting Firms.

Name

CIO Partners

Legal name

CIO Partners, Inc.

Website

https://ciopartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIO Partners is a US-based retained executive search firm founded in 2001 that exclusively places technology leaders at the CxO, VP, and Director levels for enterprise clients across multiple industries. It pairs a proprietary CIO RightHire assessment with a national network of 2,000+ sitting technology executives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (56133)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services (BPACAHAB)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Technology leadership recruitment
• Retained search firm
• CIO placement services
• Interim technology leadership

Headquarters

HQ city

Marietta

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

Revenue model

1. Executive Search (Retained Search): Modified retained engagement model for technology executive search at CxO, VP, and Director levels. Provides dedicated staff of search project resources focused on recruiting passive candidates.
2. Interim Technology Leadership: Provides access to interim CIOs/CTOs and technology leaders to assist with organizational strategy evaluation, best practices establishment, and project execution.
3. Recruitment Strategies: Customized solutions for recruiting top talent across the enterprise, including best practices development and candidate evaluation assistance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CIO Partners is a retained executive search firm that specializes exclusively in technology leadership hiring at the CxO, VP, and Director levels. The firm operates a modified retained engagement model focused 100% on the technology sector, leveraging a proprietary CIO RightHire assessment process and a national network of more than 2,000 sitting technology leaders to place passive executive candidates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Retained executive search service that places technology leadership (CIO, CTO, CISO, CDO, VP, and Director level) using a modified retained engagement model and proprietary CIO RightHire assessment process, targeting enterprise organizations from Fortune 100 to emerging companies.
• Interim Leadership Placement of interim CIOs, CTOs, and technology leaders to bridge leadership gaps, evaluate organizational strategy, establish best practices, and execute key technology initiatives for client partners.
• Recruitment Strategies Customized talent recruitment solutions designed and developed in partnership with clients to attract top technology talent across the enterprise, including best practices development and candidate evaluation assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average search completed in 8-12 weeks (not months)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers38 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 and supporting.

• TalentriccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTalentric is an On-Demand Talent Acquisition Partner operating with no placement fees. Works directly with client partners to assist in hiring multiple individual performer roles across the enterprise. Offers Search Augmentation to complement internal recruiting efforts. Services delivered at 8-15% of base salaries, below traditional contingent search rates.
• IT LeaderBoardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Premier Job Site for Technology Leadership Talent with exclusive access to 12,000+ established and emerging tech leaders. Only job board with 100% focus on technology leadership talent, trusted by national brands. Serves as platform for posting CIO Partners active search engagements.
• The National CIO ReviewsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent online community and crowd-funded publication for technology leaders driven by technology leaders. Articles written by sitting CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs with contributions from knowledgeable staff and reporters. Provides curated content, thought leadership, and technology news through the Early Morning Byte newsletter.
• CIO Professional NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFastest growing online community for technology executives seeking to Connect, Collaborate, and Contribute. Established by a former CIO, member-driven, member-led, and member-supported community for technology executives seeking networking, mentoring, and growth opportunities in a private, trusted environment.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: International retained executive search firm with a strong technology, media, and telecommunications practice. Directly overlaps with CIO Partners on CIO, CTO, and CISO placements at enterprise and Fortune 500 clients.
• DHR Global: Global executive search firm with a dedicated technology officers practice. Competes with CIO Partners for senior tech executive placements while offering broader cross-industry coverage.
• Korn Ferry: Global executive search and organizational consulting giant with a dedicated technology officers practice. Competes with CIO Partners for senior tech leadership mandates at the largest enterprises but offers broader functional and geographic coverage.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep technology and digital leadership practices. Competes for enterprise CIO, CTO, and CDO mandates with a comparable high-touch retained model.
• Spencer Stuart: Premier global executive search firm with a dedicated Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice. Competes for the same C-suite tech talent pool as CIO Partners, with broader industry and international reach.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global leadership advisory and executive search firm with a strong technology officers practice and digital transformation focus. Comparable to CIO Partners in targeting CIO/CTO/CISO searches for Fortune 1000 clients.

Emerging players

• IQTalent Partners: On-demand talent acquisition partner offering search augmentation and project-based recruiting. Comparable to CIO Partners' Talentric affiliate, providing tech hiring support without traditional retained fees.

Direct peers

• Heller Search Associates: Specialized retained executive search firm focused on technology officer and CISO placements. Closely comparable niche specialist competing in the same CIO/CTO/CISO talent market as CIO Partners.
• Riviera Partners: Executive search firm specializing in technology leadership and engineering executive placements. Most directly comparable niche player to CIO Partners, with similar focus on CxO and VP-level tech roles.

Regional players

• Glocomms: Global recruitment firm with a strong technology executive search division. Comparable in technology leadership focus but with materially stronger international (EMEA/APAC) presence than CIO Partners' U.S.-centric footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 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 CIO Partners