What contec does

contec, legally Contec Gesellschaft für Organisationsentwicklung mbH, is a German private limited company headquartered in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, that operates primarily through its conQuaesso® brand as a specialized executive search and personnel consulting firm focused exclusively on the German healthcare and social welfare sector. The firm places senior executives (Vorstand, Geschäftsführung), mid-level managers, and specialists into welfare associations (Caritas, Diakonie, AWO, DRK, Lebenshilfe, SOS-Kinderdorf, Malteser), private operators (carpe diem, BeneVit, Kplus), and municipal carriers, bundling search with succession planning (Nachfolgeplanung), aptitude diagnostics (Eignungsdiagnostik), and compensation consulting (Vergütungsberatung).

The company earns revenue on a per-placement fee basis typical of executive search engagements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Its underlying technology stack is modest: standard web-based portals including the conQuaesso.de job board, the conQuaesso Connect candidate membership platform, the careerCenter application management system, the nytroo specialist recruitment portal, and a Customer Dashboard for client-side workflow — none of which are described as proprietary AI-enabled technology. The firm is ISO 9001:2008 certified, privately held with three managing directors (Detlef Friedrich, Dietmar Meng, Dr. Thomas Müller), and operates through three wholly-owned operating units: conQuaesso (core executive search), educaro (international ethical education and migration for healthcare workers, established 2014), and nytroo (specialist healthcare recruitment).

Go-to-market is consultative and direct, driven by personal relationships between in-house Personal- und Managementberater*innen and both client welfare organizations and candidates, supplemented by a content marketing job portal, monthly newsletter, and social media presence (LinkedIn, XING, Facebook, Instagram). The firm does not use resellers or third-party distributors. With 51–100 employees and no external funding or parent company, contec operates as a self-sustaining professional services firm whose primary assets are nearly four decades of sector relationships, a proprietary candidate pipeline, and brand recognition as the self-described leading personnel consultancy in the German health and social economy.

Name

contec

Legal name

Contec Gesellschaft für Organisationsentwicklung mbH

Website

https://conquaesso.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

contec operates the conQuaesso brand as a specialized German executive search firm placing senior leaders, managers, and specialists into welfare associations, private healthcare operators, and municipal carriers across Germany's health and social economy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bochum

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

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 / Personnel Consulting: conQuaesso places senior executives and specialists (management, mid-management, and specialist-level positions) within healthcare and social welfare organizations, earning fees for each successful placement. Services include succession planning, aptitude diagnostics, and compensation consulting bundled with placements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Contec is a German consulting firm that provides executive search, succession planning, aptitude diagnostics, and compensation consulting services primarily to organizations in the healthcare and social welfare sectors. Its flagship brand conQuaesso is recognized as a leading executive recruitment brand for healthcare and social welfare in Germany, serving welfare associations, private operators, and municipal providers.

Product overview

conQuaesso is a leading executive recruitment brand under contec, operating as a unified platform for staffing solutions in the healthcare and social economy sector. The offering consists of the core conQuaesso recruitment brand supplemented by specialized sub-products: conQuaesso Connect for candidate career management, nytroo for specialized healthcare professional recruitment, careerCenter for application management, and a Customer Dashboard for client-side placement process management. Core services include executive staffing (Personalbesetzung Management), strategic succession planning (Nachfolgeplanung), specialist recruitment (Fachkräftegewinnung), aptitude diagnostics (Eignungsdiagnostik), and compensation consulting (Vergütungsberatung).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• educaro: International education institution for ethical educational and employment migration in healthcare, established 2014.
• nytroo

Named customers24 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.

• educarominorOthersSince 2014, educaro has operated as the first international educational institution for ethical education and employment-based immigration in the healthcare sector. educaro is referenced on conQuaesso's website as a related entity, potentially referring qualified international candidates to German healthcare employers — though the exact nature of the formal relationship is not clearly described as a formal commercial partnership.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Kienbaum Consultants International: Largest German-headquartered executive search and management consulting firm, with dedicated practices serving healthcare and public-sector clients. Comparable as a direct domestic competitor for executive search mandates in welfare associations and municipal operators, though Kienbaum operates across all sectors rather than specializing.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search firm with significant German presence and a dedicated Healthcare and Public & Social Sector practice. Competes for senior executive mandates in German hospitals and welfare organizations; comparable in serving mission-driven institutions but operates globally and across industries.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with offices in Germany and a dedicated Healthcare & Life Sciences practice. Competes for senior healthcare leadership mandates; comparable in placement of executives to hospitals and care organizations, though broader sector coverage.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Healthcare, Life Sciences and Social Enterprise practice. Comparable in placing C-suite executives into German and European healthcare/social organizations; serves similar senior-level roles across the welfare sector.
• Hays Deutschland: Major UK-origin recruitment firm with significant German operations across multiple sectors including healthcare. Comparable in specialist and executive recruitment for healthcare organizations in Germany, though broader industry coverage and larger scale than the niche-focused conQuaesso.
• PageGroup (Michael Page): Global recruitment firm with a strong German footprint, placing professionals into healthcare, social, and public-sector clients. Comparable in mid-management and specialist placement into welfare organizations; competes for Fachkräftegewinnung mandates served by nytroo.
• Robert Half Deutschland: Global staffing and recruitment firm with German operations serving finance, healthcare, and office roles. Comparable in placing mid-level professionals into German organizations including healthcare providers; broader industry coverage and larger scale.

Direct peers

• Rochus Mummert: German executive search firm with a strong healthcare and non-profit practice, placing executives for hospitals, welfare organizations, and care providers. Closest direct competitor in the German healthcare/welfare executive search niche, with similar specialization and client types.
• Baumann Unternehmensberatung: German executive search boutique focused on healthcare, hospitals, and social economy organizations. Closely comparable niche competitor with similar specialization in welfare-sector executive placements and succession planning engagements in Germany.
• Dr. Heimeier & Partner: German executive search firm specializing in healthcare, social economy, and non-profit organizations. Comparable niche competitor serving Caritas, Diakonie, AWO and similar welfare associations for senior leadership placements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/conquaessojobs
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/contec-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/contec_gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 contec