Kopplin Kuebler And Wallace

What Kopplin Kuebler And Wallace does

Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace (KK&W) is a specialized executive search and consulting firm serving the private club industry. Founded in 1996 by Richard Kopplin as Kopplin Search, Inc., the firm has operated continuously for 30+ years under the Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace name since Tom Wallace joined as the third partner. The firm is headquartered at 7349 Via Paseo Del Sur #202, Scottsdale, Arizona, and is organized as a privately held partnership (legal entity Kopplin & Kuebler, LLC) with no external institutional investment, parent company, or public listing.

KK&W's core offering is retained executive search, placing General Managers/COOs, Directors of Golf, Golf Course Superintendents, Executive Chefs, Racquet Sports Professionals, Fitness Directors, Clubhouse Managers, Food & Beverage Directors, and Community Association Managers at private clubs. Beyond search, the firm delivers consulting services spanning strategic planning, board governance retreats, club operational audits, agronomic and championship golf consulting, food and beverage training, HR/talent strategy, interim club management, and leadership coaching. Three sub-brands extend the platform: Financially Astute Clubs (financial benchmarking), Next Level (professional development), and Private Club Governance & Alignment Advisors (governance consulting). An international search team handles cross-border placements.

The business model is professional services revenue, generated through placement fees on successful executive searches and project-based consulting engagements. Go-to-market is sales-led, enterprise field sales targeting private club boards, search committees, and general managers, supplemented by an event-driven presence at CMAA conferences, BoardRoom magazine forums, and educational workshops, plus 25+ years of content marketing through BoardRoom magazine and a company blog with 200+ entries. Customer base is concentrated in the private club vertical — including The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Glenmoor Country Club, Desert Mountain, New York Athletic Club, Detroit Athletic Club, Baltusrol Golf Club, and Union League Club of Philadelphia — and the firm has been voted "Best Search Firm of the Year" by BoardRoom magazine consecutively since 2006. The firm is a founding member of the Club Leadership Alliance alongside McMahon Group and Club Benchmarking.

Name

Kopplin Kuebler And Wallace

Legal name

Kopplin & Kuebler, LLC

Website

https://kkandw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace (KK&W) is a Scottsdale-based, privately held executive search and consulting firm founded in 1996 that specializes exclusively in the U.S. private club industry, placing senior leadership (GMs, golf professionals, chefs, racquet sports and fitness directors) and delivering strategic planning, governance, and operational consulting to private clubs nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search & Management Consulting

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI), Compliance Technology, GRC Platforms & Controls Automation Advisory (BPAHAFAO)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Private club consulting
• Club management recruiting
• Golf course executive placement
• Club governance advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

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 Services: Placement of General Managers/COO, Directors of Golf, Golf Course Superintendents, Executive Chefs, Racquet Sports Professionals, Fitness Directors, Community Association Managers, and Assistant General Managers at private clubs. Revenue generated through successful placement fees.
2. Consulting Services: Strategic planning, governance retreats, club operational audits, agronomic consulting, championship golf consulting, F&B training, HR/talent strategy, interim management solutions, and leadership coaching for private clubs.
3. Industry Analysis and Advisory: Industry trends analysis and thought leadership publications for the private club sector, positioning the firm as the leading authority in the industry.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace (KK&W) is a specialized executive search and consulting firm serving the private club industry. The firm places senior leadership — General Managers/COOs, Directors of Golf, Golf Course Superintendents, Executive Chefs, Racquet Sports Professionals, Fitness Directors, and Clubhouse/F&B Directors — at private clubs, country clubs, golf courses, and resort properties. Complementing search, the firm provides consulting services including strategic planning, governance retreats, operational audits, agronomic consulting, F&B training, HR/talent strategy, and interim management solutions.

Product overview

Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace (KK&W) operates as a specialized executive search and consulting firm for the private club industry, offering both a unified service platform and branded sub-products. The core offering consists of executive search services placing senior leadership at private clubs, complemented by consulting services spanning strategic planning, governance retreats, HR/talent strategy, and operational assessments. Three sub-brands extend the core offering: Financially Astute Clubs (financial benchmarking), Next Level (professional development), and Private Club Governance & Alignment Advisors (governance consulting). International search capabilities are also provided through a dedicated team.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Services Placement of General Managers/COOs, Directors of Golf, Golf Course Superintendents, Executive Chefs, Racquet Sports Professionals, Fitness Directors, Community Association Managers, Assistant General Managers, and Clubhouse/F&B Directors at private clubs.
• Consulting Services & Solutions Comprehensive consulting services including agronomic consulting, championship golf consulting, club operational audits & assessments, executive candidate assessment, F&B training, governance retreats, HR/talent strategy, interim club management, leadership & coaching, management & team training, and racquets facility consulting.
• Strategic Planning Services Strategic planning consulting engagements for private clubs focused on long-term planning and board/management governance alignment.
• International Executive Search Global executive search services for private clubs with international operations, delivered by an international team including Michael Herd, Deborah Houwing, Emily McCarvill, and Tim Nelson.
• Financially Astute Clubs Financial advisory and benchmarking sub-brand (Powered by KK&W) focused on helping private clubs achieve financial acumen and sustainability.
• Next Level Professional development and leadership advancement sub-brand (Powered by KK&W) helping club professionals reach higher levels in their careers.
• Private Club Governance & Alignment Advisors Governance and leadership alignment consulting sub-brand (Powered by KK&W) helping private clubs improve board-management partnerships and organizational structure.
• Governance Retreats Facilitated governance retreats for private club boards to address board-management alignment, strategic direction, and operational governance (1,000+ retreats conducted).

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ board governance retreats and strategy sessions conducted
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Club Leadership AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKK&W is a founding member of Club Leadership Alliance, a partnership with McMahon Group and Club Benchmarking. Through this alliance, the three firms work together to effectively serve private clubs in all their operational, financial, staffing, strategic, and facility aspects.
• McMahon GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClub Leadership Alliance partner providing club governance and strategic planning expertise alongside KK&W's executive search capabilities.
• Club BenchmarkingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClub Leadership Alliance partner providing financial benchmarking and operational analytics services to complement KK&W's executive search and consulting.
• BoardRoom MagazineflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner25+ year advertising and content partnership with BoardRoom magazine. KK&W has advertised in every issue since the magazine's founding and contributes regular thought leadership articles on governance, leadership, and industry trends.
• Club Management Association of America (CMAA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive engagement with CMAA through educational presentations at chapter meetings and World Conference; contributes to Business Management Institute (BMI) education programs.
• Professional Tennis Registry (PTR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with PTR to provide members, clubs, and employers with education and connection opportunities in the tennis industry through Len Simard's racquet sports searches.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McMahon Group: McMahon Group is a club-focused consulting and management advisory firm serving private clubs, country clubs, and golf clubs across the U.S. It is KK&W's most direct comparable — and also its Club Leadership Alliance partner — offering governance, strategic planning, and operational consulting that overlaps with KK&W's consulting practice.
• Club Benchmarking: Club Benchmarking provides financial benchmarking, operational analytics, and strategic insights to private clubs. It is the third founding member of the Club Leadership Alliance with KK&W and McMahon Group, and overlaps with KK&W's Financially Astute Clubs sub-brand.
• GSI Executive Search: GSI Executive Search is an executive search firm specializing in the private club and hospitality industry, placing general managers, golf professionals, chefs, and other club leaders. Directly comparable to KK&W's core executive search offering and serves many of the same customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep expertise in C-suite and board placements across industries. While not a club specialist, it competes for senior hospitality and leisure mandates and could enter the private club niche with greater resources than KK&W.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm with a large executive search practice covering hospitality, leisure, and consumer sectors. It represents a broad incumbent that could pursue the private club search market as it expands industry specialization.
• Spencer Stuart: Spencer Stuart is a leading global executive search and leadership advisory firm with expertise across consumer, hospitality, and leisure industries. It is a broad incumbent competitor for senior leadership mandates at premium club and resort properties.
• Egon Zehnder: Egon Zehnder is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm serving consumer, hospitality, and leisure clients. As a broad incumbent, it represents an indirect competitive threat for senior leadership mandates in the premium club and resort segment.

Others

• Club Managers Association of America (CMAA): CMAA is the primary professional association for private club managers in the U.S., providing education, certification, and networking. It is an ecosystem partner for KK&W rather than a competitor, but its BMI education programs and member directory shape how clubs source executive talent.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kkandw
• Xx.com/KKW_Update

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Kopplin Kuebler And Wallace