What Northbound Executive Search does

Northbound Executive Search is a privately held, NYC-based executive recruitment firm that connects employers with talent across Accounting & Finance, Financial Operations, Technology, Corporate Services (Office Support & HR), Legal & Compliance, and Consulting/Temporary functions. The firm operates from a single headquarters at 45 West 45th St in Midtown Manhattan, employing 11–50 people organized as Managing Partners, a President, Partners, Managing Directors, Senior Vice Presidents, Directors, and Vice Presidents. There is no proprietary technology platform; the business runs on a traditional relationship-driven executive search model where individual recruiters source, vet, and present candidates drawn from a claimed network of 50,000+ professionals.

The firm serves clients ranging from early-stage investment firms to Fortune 500 enterprises, with a stated client base of 250+ organizations concentrated in financial services sub-verticals including asset management, hedge funds, private equity (including $30BN+ and $40BN+ firms), investment banking, REITs, family offices, and Big 4 public accounting. Average starting salary for placed candidates is reported at $115K+, and the firm runs both a public-facing Open Positions job board and a Resume Submission portal to support candidate acquisition.

The revenue model is a transaction-fee structure, with recruitment fees charged as a percentage of placed candidates' first-year compensation on both permanent and consulting/contract placements, consistent with industry-standard contingency-based search. The GTM is sales-led and consultative, relying on direct employer engagement, recruiter-led candidate sourcing via LinkedIn, referrals, organic search, and a candidate-facing website; there is no marketplace, reseller, or digital distribution channel. The company is independently owned with no disclosed external investors, parent entity, M&A activity, or funding rounds.

Name

Northbound Executive Search

Legal name

Northbound Executive Search, LTD.

Website

https://northboundsearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Northbound Executive Search is a privately held NYC-based executive recruitment firm placing accounting, finance, financial operations, technology, legal, compliance, HR, and office support professionals on permanent and consulting bases for 250+ clients in financial services.

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-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA), Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)

Keywords

• Executive search
• Permanent recruitment
• Financial services staffing
• Executive placement
• Talent acquisition

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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

Revenue model

1. Executive Search/Recruitment Fees: Northbound generates revenue through contingency-based recruitment fees for placing candidates in permanent positions, as well as fees for consulting/temporary placements. The firm connects employers with talent across Accounting, Finance, Financial Operations, Legal, Compliance, HR, and Office Support functions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Northbound Executive Search is an executive recruitment firm that places high-performing professionals in Accounting, Finance, Financial Operations, Technology, Legal & Compliance, HR, and Office Support functions on both permanent and consulting/temporary bases. The firm partners with employers ranging from early-stage investment firms to Fortune 500 companies, primarily within financial services sectors such as asset management, hedge funds, private equity, investment banking, REITs, and family offices. Northbound supplements its search services with a candidate-facing job board and resume submission portal.

Product overview

Northbound Executive Search is a leading executive recruitment firm offering a unified platform of staffing and talent acquisition services. The core offering consists of six specialized recruitment divisions—Accounting & Finance, Financial Operations, Technology, Corporate Services (Office Support & HR), Legal & Compliance, and Consulting/Temporary placements—serving clients from early-stage investment firms to Fortune 500 companies across the New York metropolitan area. The firm supplements its recruitment services with a candidate-facing job board (Open Positions) and resume submission portal. The company leverages a rigorous, customized search process with access to over 50,000 candidates in their network, placing professionals in permanent and consulting roles across financial services, asset management, hedge funds, private equity, banking, and professional services industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• $115,000+ average starting salary for placed candidates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong Financial Services practice. Operates as a public broad incumbent providing C-suite and senior-level search across industries including asset management, investment banking, and private equity — directly overlapping with Northbound's core vertical.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a major executive search practice spanning Financial Services and related sectors. Direct functional overlap with Northbound on placing CFOs, controllers, and senior financial professionals in asset management and banking.
• Robert Half International: Large publicly traded staffing and recruitment firm with dedicated Financial Services and Accounting/Finance placement practices. Overlaps with Northbound on placing accounting, finance, and operational talent but operates at vastly broader scale across geographies and skill levels.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep Financial Services practice across asset management, banking, and private equity. Competes for the same senior finance and risk leadership mandates as Northbound, with stronger global brand.

Direct peers

• StevenDouglas: Executive search and interim staffing firm specializing in Accounting & Finance, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Technology. Closely comparable boutique-model competitor with similar practice area structure (accounting/finance, financial ops, technology) serving comparable client segments.
• Parker + Lynch (part of Adecco): Specialized direct-hire search practice focused on Accounting & Finance and Financial Operations roles. Backed by Adecco staffing, it competes head-on with Northbound for the same controller, CFO-track, and financial operations placements within financial services.
• Cowen Partners: Boutique executive search firm with strong financial services vertical; places senior finance, technology, and operational leaders. Closely comparable peer given its boutique scale, financial-services specialization, and senior-level placement model.
• Atlantic Group: NYC-based executive search and staffing firm serving the New York metro with Accounting/Finance, Financial Services, and Corporate Support practice areas. Directly comparable as a regional boutique in the same geography and verticals.
• Beacon Hill Staffing Group: Specialized staffing and executive search firm with practices in Financial Services, Accounting & Finance, and Technology. Overlaps substantially with Northbound's service portfolio and target client base in financial services.
• The Execu|Search Group: New York-based full-service recruitment firm with practices spanning Accounting & Finance, Financial Services, Legal/Compliance, Technology, and Office Support. Direct competitor in NYC financial services recruitment with overlapping service lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/northboundsearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northbound-executive-search
• Instagraminstagram.com/northboundsearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Northbound Executive Search