What Morgan Samuels does

Morgan Samuels Company is a privately held, veteran-owned executive search firm headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1975 and led by Chairman and CEO Bert Hensley, who acquired a controlling interest in 1997. The firm provides retained executive search services placing C-suite and senior leadership talent — including CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, COOs, and other functional leaders — for private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies, corporate organizations, and family-owned businesses across at least eight industry verticals: Aerospace & Defense, Business Services, Consumer Products, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials, Life Sciences, and Technology. Named placements include CFO, CEO, and CMO searches for PE-backed companies such as Outpatient Imaging Affiliates (Cranemere), Avon Machining and Baycast (Auxo), Horizon Family Brands (Platinum Equity), Capital Machine Technologies and U.S. Waterproofing (Rotunda Capital), Charge Infrastructure (Arena Investors), Western States Water (Strength Capital), and John To Go (Caldicot Capital).

The firm's core offering is built on a proprietary Search Process Methodology structured as a six-stage engagement (Clarify Opportunities, Validate Alignment, Scour the Market, Analyze Candidates, Uncover Unique Insights, Accelerate Impact), grounded in Lean Six Sigma principles and supported by custom assessment tools designed to evaluate leadership capability, motivation, values, and cultural fit. The firm reports a median cycle time of 79 days, an average of 14 days to identify the placement candidate, a requirement for clients to interview only about four candidates per hire, a 97% placement retention rate beyond the guarantee period, and an 83% repeat-client rate. The delivery model is multi-disciplinary, with at least five professionals assigned per search and a leadership team that includes former operators (CFO/COOs), ex-McKinsey consultants, and senior executives from Fortune 500 brands.

Morgan Samuels generates revenue through professional-services retainers for executive search engagements, with pricing not publicly disclosed and engagements structured on a quote basis that varies by scope, role seniority, and search complexity. Leadership advisory services, including succession planning and leadership alignment, are bundled alongside search engagements. Go-to-market is direct enterprise relationship selling targeting PE firms, portfolio company boards, and corporate leadership teams, supplemented by thought-leadership content marketing via the firm's Market Insights blog, LinkedIn presence, and PR/earned media placement announcements. The firm operates exclusively in the United States, is privately controlled by Bert Hensley, and has no disclosed institutional investors or parent company.

Name

Morgan Samuels

Legal name

Morgan Samuels Company

Website

https://morgansamuels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Morgan Samuels is a privately held, veteran-owned executive search firm founded in 1975 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, placing C-suite and senior leaders for private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, and corporate clients across eight industry verticals using a proprietary Lean Six Sigma methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), Industrial & Engineering Leadership Search (BPACAAAD), Healthcare & Life Sciences Leadership Search (BPACAAAE)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Leadership advisory
• Senior talent acquisition
• Board of directors recruiting
• Retained executive recruiting

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: Retained executive search engagements for C-suite and senior leadership placements across multiple industries. Clients include private equity portfolio companies, corporate organizations, and family-owned businesses seeking transformative leaders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Morgan Samuels is a retained executive search and leadership advisory firm that identifies, evaluates, and places senior executives (CEO, CFO, COO, board directors) for client organizations. The firm also provides leadership advisory and board services, applying a proprietary Lean Six Sigma methodology to deliver senior-level talent across eight industry verticals including Aerospace & Defense, Healthcare, Technology, and Financial Services.

Product overview

Morgan Samuels is a veteran-owned executive search and leadership advisory firm offering a single, unified service: placing transformative executive talent for private equity, portfolio companies, and corporate clients. The core offering is Executive Search Services, supported by a proprietary Search Process Methodology based on Lean Six Sigma principles and custom assessment tools. Leadership Advisory Services are bundled with search engagements to address succession planning and leadership alignment needs. The firm operates across eight industry verticals (Aerospace & Defense, Business Services, Consumer Products, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials, Life Sciences, and Technology) and emphasizes a median 79-day cycle time and a 97% placement retention rate beyond guarantee periods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Retained executive search service identifying, assessing, and placing senior executives (CEO, CFO, COO, and other C-suite roles) for client corporations. Uses a proprietary Lean Six Sigma methodology and serves clients across Aerospace & Defense, Business Services, Consumer Products, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials, Life Sciences, and Technology.
• Leadership Advisory

Quantifiable outcome

• Median cycle time of 79 days (outperforms industry standards)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Veteran-Serving OrganizationsminorOthersMorgan Samuels supports veteran-serving organizations through executive search expertise and financial contributions, helping amplify the reach and effectiveness of missions that directly support veterans and military families. Partnerships reflect the firm's core values of dedication, resilience, and patriotism.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global retained executive search firm placing C-suite and board-level talent across industries, including dedicated private equity and consumer & industrial practices. Direct competitor to Morgan Samuels for senior executive mandates serving PE sponsors and large corporates.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the largest privately held executive search firms globally, with deep coverage of board, CEO, and functional leadership searches. Competes head-to-head with Morgan Samuels for C-suite placements across the same industrial and consumer verticals.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on senior leadership across consumer, financial services, industrial, and technology sectors. Mirrors Morgan Samuels' cross-vertical C-suite placement model with comparable board and CEO engagements.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a board, CEO, and functional leadership practice. A direct competitor to Morgan Samuels for senior executive and advisory mandates, with a similar premium, boutique-style positioning.
• True Search: PE-focused executive search firm placing executives into private equity-backed companies, with strong technology and growth verticals. Closely comparable GTM motion to Morgan Samuels and a frequent candidate-share competitor for the same PE portfolio mandates.
• ON Partners: Boutique retained executive search firm built specifically around private equity and growth company C-suite placements across technology, consumer, and industrial portfolios. Operates with an almost identical PE-centric mandate profile to Morgan Samuels.
• DHR Global: Retained executive search firm with offices across North America, Europe, and Asia serving consumer, industrial, financial services, and life sciences clients. Overlaps directly with Morgan Samuels on multi-vertical C-suite searches for PE and corporate buyers.
• Witt/Kieffer: Executive search firm focused on healthcare, life sciences, and education leadership, including C-suite placements for hospitals, payers, and biotech companies. Directly comparable to Morgan Samuels' Healthcare and Life Sciences vertical practices.
• Caldwell Partners: Retained executive search firm placing board, CEO, and functional leaders across consumer, industrial, financial services, and technology sectors. A comparable boutique-scale competitor for senior executive mandates serving PE and mid-to-large corporate clients.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: The largest publicly traded talent advisory firm, combining retained executive search with broader HR consulting, RPO, and assessment offerings. Competes with Morgan Samuels on executive search but operates at significantly greater scale across all HR services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Morgan_Samuels
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/21775

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 Morgan Samuels