The Leadership Group

What The Leadership Group does

The Leadership Group (TLG, also operating as LGES) is a privately held boutique retained executive search firm founded in 1992 and headquartered at 228 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California, with additional offices in San Francisco (550 Montgomery St) and New York (405 Lexington Ave). The firm specializes in recruiting C-suite, VP, SVP, and EVP-level executives for industry-leading enterprises across eight dedicated practice areas: Communications & Mobile Technology, Media & Entertainment, Consumer, SaaS/Internet of Things, Health Technology, Board of Directors, Omni-Channel Retail, and Energy & Clean Technology. Its partners are former CEOs and operating executives (e.g., ex-CMOs of Royal Caribbean and the IndyCar Racing League, former Korn/Ferry Principal, Navy SEAL platoon commander) who take on a limited number of concurrent searches and conduct their own research and candidate sourcing.

TLG operates a pure retained executive search revenue model in which clients pay an upfront retainer (typically one-third of the candidate's estimated first-year total compensation) with the remainder due upon successful placement. The firm reports a nearly 100% completion success rate sustained over more than a decade and a customer base that includes Levi Strauss & Co., Williams Sonoma, PUMA, WeWork, Bolthouse Farms, Best Buy, FAO Schwarz, ChargePoint, Barnes & Noble, Sungevity, and Good Technology, alongside VC- and PE-backed growth companies (NS1, Jobvite, ServiceMax, Front, Turo, TransUnion). With 11-50 employees and a partnership-led, no-technology-platform structure, TLG competes on partner credibility, domain specialization, and repeat-client relationships rather than on scale, automation, or technology tooling.

Name

The Leadership Group

Legal name

LGES: Leadership Group Executive Search

Website

https://lges.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Leadership Group is a privately held boutique retained executive search firm, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Palo Alto, that places C-suite, VP, and SVP-level executives for industry-leading enterprises across Communications, Media, Consumer, SaaS/IoT, Health Tech, Retail, Board, and Energy practices via offices in Silicon Valley and New York.

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

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB), Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Retained executive search
• Leadership consulting
• C-suite talent acquisition
• Senior executive recruiting

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search Services: TLG provides retained executive search services to clients seeking to fill senior executive positions (C-suite, VP, SVP, EVP level). The retained model means clients pay a retainer fee upfront, typically one-third of the estimated first-year compensation, with the remainder due upon placement completion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Leadership Group provides retained executive search services to recruit C-suite, VP, SVP, and EVP-level executives for industry-leading companies across eight dedicated practice areas. Services are delivered via a boutique partner-led model where former CEOs/executives personally conduct research, sourcing, and calibration interviews under a retainer-based engagement structure. The firm places senior leaders for large public/private enterprises and VC/PE-backed growth companies primarily in the United States.

Product overview

The Leadership Group (TLG) is a boutique retained executive search firm that provides professional executive recruitment services. The company does not offer software products or technology platforms. Their service offering consists of retained executive search across multiple industry practices including Communications & Mobile Technology, Media & Entertainment, Consumer, SaaS/Internet of Things, Health Technology, Board of Directors, Omni-Channel Retail, and Energy & Clean Technology. TLG differentiates itself through a partner-led approach where each partner maintains dedicated focus within specific industries, delivering executive candidates to industry-leading companies primarily in technology sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retained Executive Search (Communications & Mobile Technology) Retained senior-level executive search for communications, mobile technology, networking, and wireless sector clients. Designed for companies seeking CEOs, VPs, and SVPs with deep domain expertise.
• Retained Executive Search (Media & Entertainment) Retained senior-level search for media, entertainment, and internet content companies, targeting leaders for digital transformation and content monetization.
• Retained Executive Search (Consumer) Retained senior-level executive search for consumer products, CPG, and consumer-facing businesses across marketing, digital commerce, and supply chain leadership.
• Retained Executive Search (SaaS / Internet of Things) Retained senior-level search for software, SaaS, and Internet of Things companies requiring technical leadership and product organization scaling.
• Retained Executive Search (Health Technology) Retained senior-level search for healthcare technology, digital health, and health analytics firms requiring leaders with clinical technology and healthcare regulatory expertise.
• Retained Executive Search (Board of Directors) Retained placement of independent directors and board composition consulting, addressing diversity, independence and skill gap needs of public and private boards.
• Retained Executive Search (Omni-Channel Retail) Retained senior-level search for retailers navigating digital transformation and omni-channel strategies, with focus on digital retail, e-commerce, and customer experience leadership.
• Retained Executive Search (Energy & Clean Technology) Retained senior-level search for renewable energy, clean technology, utilities, and sustainability sector clients, providing leaders with technical and regulatory expertise for emerging energy technologies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100% completion success rate for over a decade

Named customers20 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DHR International: Global executive search firm with technology, consumer, and healthcare practices — competes with TLG for mid-to-senior executive placements, particularly at the VP/SVP level.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with dedicated technology, consumer, and health practices — directly overlaps with TLG's practice areas but offers broader international coverage and integrated leadership consulting.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong technology and consumer practices — competes with TLG for senior executive mandates, particularly at the CEO and board level.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with established technology, consumer, and healthcare practices — directly competes for senior executive and board placements that TLG also pursues.
• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with US offices and dedicated technology, consumer, and energy practices — overlaps with TLG's practice mix and targets similar senior executive roles.
• Korn Ferry: The largest global executive search firm with dedicated technology, consumer, and healthcare practices — competes across all of TLG's verticals but at significantly greater scale with integrated RPO and consulting offerings.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep technology, consumer, and healthcare practices — competes for the same C-suite mandates as TLG but at materially greater scale and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Riviera Partners: Boutique retained executive search firm focused on technology, digital media, and consumer companies with offices in San Francisco and New York — directly comparable to TLG's tech/consumer practice specialization and Silicon Valley footprint.
• True Search: Boutique retained executive search firm focused on venture-backed and growth-stage technology companies — closely aligned with TLG's VC/PE-backed client segment and SaaS/IoT practice.

Emerging players

• Benchmark Executive Search: Boutique retained search firm focused on venture-backed technology companies — smaller-scale direct peer in the tech/VC-backed segment that overlaps with TLG's SaaS/IoT and consumer practices.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/richard-henley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 The Leadership Group