CEO Search Partners & Strategic Food Partners

What CEO Search Partners & Strategic Food Partners does

CEO Search Partners & Strategic Food Partners Inc. is a privately held, founder-led retained executive search boutique founded in 1994 by Robin Copping and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm exclusively serves the food and food-related industries, placing senior and executive-level talent — including CEOs, Presidents, CFOs, CTOs/CIOs, CMOs/CCOs, COOs/CSOs, CHROs, R&D/NPD leaders, Quality & Regulatory executives, Operating Partners, and Board of Directors — into public companies, private equity-backed businesses, venture capital portfolio companies, family-owned firms, and Fortune 500 organizations. It is WBENC certified as a women-owned business and is a small operation of 11-50 employees operating in a single vertical, with active membership in 34 food and beverage trade associations and participation in more than 22 industry conferences per year.

The firm is organized around two service dimensions: functional Search Practices (eleven named practices including CEO, Board, CFO, CTO/CIO, CMO/CCO, COO/CSO, CHRO, R&D/NPD, Quality & Regulatory, Operating Partners, and Board Diversity) and Industry Specializations (more than 20 verticals covering CPG, foodservice, retail grocery, private equity, plant-based, natural & organic, flavor & ingredient, technology, CBD, pet, agriculture/vertical farming, and more). Its core methodology is a proprietary 30-Day Executive Search Timeline, marketed as filling searches in one-third the time of top global search firms, supported by curated CEO networking dinners, conference presence, and a claimed track record of 900+ senior and executive placements. The technology stack is non-existent or undisclosed; the value proposition is built on human relationships, trade-association access, and domain expertise rather than software platforms.

The revenue model is standard retained executive search: clients pay a placement fee, typically a percentage of the placed executive's first-year compensation, upon successful hire. The go-to-market motion is direct enterprise sales, with a dedicated team assigned to each engagement working consultatively with boards, CEOs, and hiring committees, including confidential searches (representing roughly one-third of assignments). The firm does not disclose revenue, headcount, or placement count; the combination of small headcount, niche single-vertical focus, and project-based fee model implies a low-double-digit million-dollar revenue range at most.

Name

CEO Search Partners & Strategic Food Partners

Legal name

CEO Search Partners & Strategic Food Partners Inc.

Website

https://ceosearchpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEO Search Partners & Strategic Food Partners is a Chicago-based retained executive search boutique founded in 1994 that exclusively places senior and C-suite leaders — including CEOs, Board directors, and functional C-level executives — into food, beverage, CPG, foodservice, and related industry companies, as well as private equity portfolio firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer & Retail Leadership Search (BPACAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Retained executive search
• Food industry recruitment
• Board of directors search
• C-suite executive placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search Services: Retained search firm specializing in senior and executive level placements within food and food-related industries. Revenue generated through placement fees typically based on a percentage of the placed executive's first-year compensation. Serves organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CEO Search Partners & Strategic Food Partners is a retained executive search firm that recruits senior and executive-level leaders — including CEOs, Presidents, CFOs, CTOs, CMOs, COOs, CHROs, R&D/NPD heads, Quality & Regulatory leaders, and Board members — exclusively for the food and food-related industries. Founded in 1994, the firm delivers placements via a consultative retained-search model supported by a 30-day accelerated timeline, deep food-industry networks, and active membership in 34 food and beverage trade associations.

Product overview

CEO Search Partners & Strategic Food Partners is a retained executive search firm specializing in the food and food-related industries since 1994. The firm operates as a unified service offering organized around two main pillars: (1) Search Practices covering functional specializations (CEO/President, Board of Directors, CFO, CTO/CIO, CMO/CCO, COO/CSO, CHRO, R&D/NPD, Quality & Regulatory, Operating Partners) and (2) Industry Specializations covering market sectors (Consumer Package Goods & Retail, Foodservice Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Technology & Analytics, Natural & Organic, Plant Based, Flavor & Ingredient, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Agriculture & Vertical Farming, and others). The core differentiator is a 30-day accelerated executive search timeline that claims to complete searches in one-third of the time of other top global search firms. The firm also hosts top-to-top CEO networking events and maintains membership in over 34 food industry trade associations. It is WBENC-certified as a women-owned business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CEO, President & General Management Search Practice Retained executive search services for placing CEOs, Presidents, and General Management leaders in food industry and related sectors. The firm has been serving as trusted advisors since 1994, filling positions in one-third of the time of other top global search firms.
• Board of Directors Search Practice Executive search services for recruiting chairmen and directors for public companies, private equity-backed companies, family-owned companies, startups, and nonprofit organizations with a focus on diversity recruitment.
• CFO & Financial Executives Search Retained search for Chief Financial Officers and Financial Executives, recruiting candidates with experience in transactional, technical, auditing, public and cost accounting, including Corporate Controllers and FP&A executives.
• CTO & CIO – Technology and Analytics Executives Search Specialized executive search for Chief Technology Officers and other senior technology leadership positions in the food industry. The firm claims to be the only executive search firm in North America with a Consumer Packaged Goods Technology Specialty Practice.
• Consumer Packaged Goods Technology & Foodservice Technology Specialty Practice A dedicated practice area for recruiting technology leaders in the CPG and foodservice technology sectors, recognized as a strategic partner to technology firms.
• CMO & CCO – Marketing and Sales Executives Search Executive search for Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Commercial Officers, placing senior marketing and sales leadership across the food industry.
• COO & CSO – Supply Chain and Operational Executives Search Retained search for Chief Operating Officers and Chief Supply Chain Officers, focusing on manufacturing operations and supply chain leadership.
• Operating Partners and Executive Chairman Placement Search services for operating partners and executive chairman roles, particularly for private equity and portfolio companies.
• CHRO – Human Resources Leadership Search Executive search for Chief Human Resources Officers and senior HR leadership positions.
• R&D & NPD Leadership Search Executive search for Research & Development and New Product Development leadership in the food and beverage industry.
• Quality & Regulatory Leadership Search Search services for quality assurance and regulatory compliance executives in the food industry.
• Board Diversity Practice Dedicated practice focused on recruiting diverse board members and directors to meet diversity and inclusion objectives for corporate boards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fills executive searches in one-third of the time of top global search firms
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AFS TechnologiescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic co-hosting partner for IFMA Board Dinners and COEX networking events since 2013. AFS Technologies provides food industry technology leadership. Co-sponsored multiple annual Presidents Conference dinners and industry events.
• DatassentialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2014 IFMA Board of Directors dinner. Datassential provides food industry market intelligence and data services.
• HAVI Global SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosted 2016 COEX Board of Directors dinner. HAVI provides food industry technology and supply chain solutions.
• Fuchs North AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2014 Presidents Conference dinner. Fuchs North America is a flavor and ingredient company.
• Fiji WaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2016 Presidents Conference dinner. Featured as event sponsor.
• Wonderful CitrusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2016 Presidents Conference dinner along with Wonderful Pistachios.
• Wonderful PistachiosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2016 Presidents Conference dinner.
• PROSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2016 Presidents Conference dinner. PROS provides pricing and revenue management solutions.
• Regal SpringsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2016 Presidents Conference dinner.
• Blacksmith ApplicationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2018 Presidents Conference dinner along with the food group.
• McCain FoodsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2018 Presidents Conference dinner.
• Love & QuichesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2018 Presidents Conference dinner.
• CraftMark BakeryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored 2018 Presidents Conference dinner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Mansueto Group: Boutique retained executive search firm specializing in senior leadership placements within the food and consumer products industries, competing for the same food/CPG CEO and Board mandates as CEO Search Partners.
• McTammany Partners: Boutique retained executive search firm focused on the food and beverage industry; directly comparable in vertical specialization and target client profile to CEO Search Partners.
• Kincannon & Reed: Kincannon & Reed is a retained executive search firm focused exclusively on the food, agribusiness, and life sciences industries, making it the most direct comparable to CEO Search Partners in vertical specialization, retained-fee model, and food-industry client base.

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Consumer and Retail practice serving large food and beverage clients; broader portfolio and larger research bench make it a primary large-firm competitor for premium food industry mandates.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a substantial Consumer Goods practice; competes for the same senior food/CPG mandates but as part of a much broader practice portfolio spanning all major industries, offering global reach CEO Search Partners cannot match.
• Korn Ferry: Large-scale executive search and organizational consulting firm with consumer goods coverage; competes on full-service C-suite and Board mandates across the food industry value chain.
• Egon Zehnder: Global leadership advisory and executive search firm serving consumer and food clients; competes on C-suite and Board mandates at the same senior level as the subject firm.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with a Consumer practice that regularly places food, beverage, and consumer products leaders; deep PE relationships overlap directly with the firm's PE-focused mandate flow.

Emerging players

• ON Partners: Executive search firm with a Consumer & Industrial practice that places senior leaders across food and CPG; emerging mid-market competitor overlapping with the firm's technology and operations mandates.
• Diversified Search: Mid-sized executive search firm with consumer and life sciences practices; partial overlap in food/CPG mandates, with a notable focus on diverse board recruitment that parallels the firm's Board Diversity Practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceo-search-partners-strategic-food-partners

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CEO Search Partners & Strategic Food Partners