Principal Partners
Principal Partners is a Madrid-based boutique executive search and HR consultancy, founded 2011, serving senior-level hiring across nine Spanish verticals through a 1-10 person team and the Friisberg & Partners international alliance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Principal Partners does
Principal Partners is a Madrid-based boutique executive search and HR consultancy operating under the legal name PRINZIPAL PARTNERS EXECUTIVE SEARCH S.L. The firm was founded in 2011 by Javier Uruburu and Emiliano Sacristán with 100% Spanish capital and operates with a headcount of 1-10 employees, positioning itself as a domestic specialist serving senior-level hiring decisions across nine verticals: Banking and Insurance, Life Sciences, Education, Energy, Industry, FMCG, Real Estate and Engineering, Professional Services, and Technology.
The firm's service portfolio spans Executive Search, HR Consultancy, Remuneration Studies, Cultural Transformation, and an Elevator Pitch Workshop, augmented by a technology-labeled sub-line called 'Smart People' that markets AI-enabled HR capabilities. Since 2013, Principal Partners has been a member of the Friisberg & Partners international executive search alliance, which provides access to 40+ offices, 150+ consultants, and 25+ countries, enabling cross-border mandate execution without standalone foreign infrastructure.
Revenue mechanics follow a project-quoted professional services model typical of retained executive search, with engagement structures visible across both single-project assignments and multi-year HR consulting relationships. The firm's customer base is implicitly enterprise-level given the seniority of positions handled and the regulated, capital-intensive verticals targeted, although no specific client logos, revenue splits, or contract values are publicly disclosed.
Principal Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Principal Partners
- Legal name
- PRINZIPAL PARTNERS EXECUTIVE SEARCH S.L.
- Website
- https://prinzipalpartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Principal Partners is a Madrid-based boutique executive search and HR consultancy, founded 2011, serving senior-level hiring across nine Spanish verticals through a 1-10 person team and the Friisberg & Partners international alliance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Principal Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF), Healthcare & Life Sciences Leadership Search (BPACAAAE), Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO) (BPACAAAC), Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB)
Keywords
Where Principal Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madrid
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Principal Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Executive Search Services: Retained executive search assignments for identifying and placing senior executives and middle management positions
- HR Consultancy Services: Strategic HR consulting including organizational development, leadership programs, and mentoring services
- Remuneration Studies: Compensation benchmarking and salary studies for client organizations
- Cultural Transformation Services: Organizational culture change and transformation consulting
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise engagements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Principal Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Principal Partners delivers executive search (headhunting) services for middle management and senior executive positions across nine industry verticals, alongside HR consultancy offerings covering remuneration studies, leadership development, cultural transformation, and an AI-enabled HR solution branded Smart People. The firm operates as the Spanish node of the international Friisberg & Partners network and uses an online Candidate Portal for CV intake.
Product overview
Prinzipal Partners is a unified HR consultancy offering five core executive search and consulting services: Executive Search (headhunting for mid-level and executive positions), Remuneration Studies (compensation benchmarking), Human Resources Consultancy (leadership and mentoring programs), Smart People – AI for Human Resources (AI-powered talent solutions), and Cultural Transformation (organizational change consulting). The firm also offers supplementary training workshops including Elevator Pitch training. All services are delivered through their network as partners of Friisberg & Partners International, enabling cross-border executive search capabilities across Europe, United States, and other regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smart People – AI for Human Resources: AI-powered HR solutions and services
Products and services
- Executive Search Retained headhunting service for middle management and senior executive positions across nine industry verticals: Banking, Insurance, Life Sciences, Energy, Industry, FMCG, Education, Real Estate and Professional Services. Targeted at organizations recruiting hard-to-fill leadership roles.
- Remuneration Studies Compensation benchmarking and remuneration analysis advisory for client organizations, structured as part of the firm's HR consultancy practice. Intended for HR leaders and executives designing pay structures.
- Leadership Development Advisory and program support for developing senior leadership capability within client organizations. Delivered as part of the firm's HR consultancy practice.
- Cultural Transformation Advisory engagement to support organizational culture change initiatives, delivered through the firm's HR consultancy practice alongside executive search.
- Smart People – AI for Human Resources AI-enabled HR solution branded Smart People, delivered as part of the firm's HR consultancy practice to bring artificial-intelligence tooling into human resources work for client organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2018 record year with new clients and recurring business from existing clients
Companies that use Principal Partners
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Principal Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Principal Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Friisberg & PartnerscoreSwiss executive search and HR consulting group with 150+ consultants and 40+ offices in Europe, United States, Asia and Africa. Prinzipal Partners has been a member since 2013, gaining access to cross-border capabilities, knowledge exchange, and best practices across markets. All countries are aligned in processes and quality standards through periodic internal audits.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Principal Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on senior leadership assignments across multiple sectors, directly comparable in business model to Prinzipal's executive search core service.
- Amrop: International executive search partnership network of independent firms — structurally analogous to Prinzipal's Friisberg model and competing for similar cross-border leadership mandates.
- Heidrick & Struggles: International executive search and leadership advisory firm with sector specializations similar to Prinzipal's vertical model, competing for senior-level placements in financial services, life sciences, and technology.
- Signium: Global executive search alliance of independent partners, very similar in operating model to Prinzipal's Friisberg & Partners membership approach for cross-border mandate delivery.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with deep C-suite and board practice across industries including financial services and life sciences — directly comparable to Prinzipal's senior executive search offering at a much larger international scale.
- Boyden: Global executive search firm operating through a partner-led model across multiple industry practices, comparable to Prinzipal in scale and vertical specialization approach.
- Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with strong mid-market and sector-specialized practices, comparable in positioning to Prinzipal as a multi-vertical boutique with cross-border capabilities.
- Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep industry practices, comparable to Prinzipal's boutique positioning and cross-border mandate delivery.
Regional players
- Catenon: Spanish-headquartered international executive search and talent solutions firm — the most direct domestic competitor to Prinzipal Partners in the Iberian market.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Large diversified organizational consulting firm combining executive search with broader talent, rewards, and consulting services — overlapping Prinzipal's integrated HR offering but at significantly greater scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Principal Partners social profiles
Digital presencePrincipal Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Principal Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Principal Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Principal Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Principal Partners
What does Principal Partners do?
Principal Partners delivers executive search (headhunting) services for middle management and senior executive positions across nine industry verticals, alongside HR consultancy offerings covering remuneration studies, leadership development, cultural transformation, and an AI-enabled HR solution branded Smart People. The firm operates as the Spanish node of the international Friisberg & Partners network and uses an online Candidate Portal for CV intake.
Is Principal Partners a public or private company?
Principal Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Principal Partners founded?
Principal Partners was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Principal Partners based?
Principal Partners is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Principal Partners make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Executive Search Services are the primary driver. The others are HR Consultancy Services, remuneration Studies and cultural Transformation Services.
Who are Principal Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Russell Reynolds Associates, Amrop, Heidrick & Struggles, Signium, Spencer Stuart, Boyden, Odgers Berndtson and Egon Zehnder. Catenon is listed as a regional player. Korn Ferry is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Principal Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Principal Partners.
What industry is Principal Partners in?
Principal Partners's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAF, Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt). Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 8742.