Harris Search Associates

What Harris Search Associates does

Harris Search Associates is a privately held retained executive search and talent advisory firm founded in 1997 by Jeffrey Harris and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. The firm specializes exclusively in senior leadership recruitment for higher education institutions, academic medical centers, research universities and institutes, and healthcare organizations. Its client base spans research universities, medical schools, children's hospitals, hospital systems, national laboratories, and federal agencies across the United States, with international reach enabled through its membership in IIC Partners (44 offices across 33 countries).

The firm delivers services through four practice areas (Higher Education, Academic Medicine, Research, and Healthcare Administration) and four capability lines (Executive Search, Leadership Advisory Consulting, Board Advisory and Governance Consulting, and Organizational Cultural Advisory). Its consulting model combines traditional retained search professionals with former university presidents, provosts, deans, and physician executives, providing clients with operational credibility alongside search execution. A 2021 integrated partnership with NuBrick Partners extends the offering into leadership assessment, coaching, development, and succession planning. The firm reports 1,100+ completed assignments, a 94% placement rate, a 110-day average engagement duration, and 4.6-year average tenure for placed candidates, with 68% of placements drawn from historically underrepresented groups and 70% of assignments sourced from repeat clients.

The business model is professional services-based: revenue is generated through negotiated, retainer-based fees per executive search assignment, supplemented by advisory and consulting engagements. The firm operates three U.S. offices (Dublin, Dallas, San Francisco) with a team of 20+ consultants and staff, and is founder-owned and operated by Jeffrey Harris and Jodi Harris. Go-to-market is primarily referral-driven (70% of assignments) and supported by thought leadership content including the Innovators Podcast, white papers, and active social media presence.

Name

Harris Search Associates

Legal name

Harris Search Associates

Website

https://harrissearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harris Search Associates is a retained executive search and talent advisory firm founded in 1997, serving universities, academic medical centers, research institutions, and healthcare organizations across the United States with global reach via IIC Partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search & Talent Advisory

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA), Healthcare & Life Sciences Leadership Search (BPACAAAE), Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Higher education recruiting
• Academic medicine search
• Leadership advisory consulting
• Board governance consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search Services: The firm conducts retained executive search engagements for universities, academic medical centers, research institutions, and healthcare organizations, placing senior leadership including presidents, provosts, deans, vice presidents, and department chairs. Revenue is generated through consulting fees tied to successful placements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Harris Search Associates is a retained executive search and talent advisory firm that recruits senior leadership — including presidents, provosts, chancellors, deans, vice presidents, department chairs, CEOs, CFOs, and physician executives — for research universities, academic medical centers, research institutions, and healthcare organizations. The firm supplements search with leadership advisory consulting, board governance consulting, and organizational cultural advisory services, and operates an Integrated Talent Management offering in partnership with NuBrick Partners.

Product overview

Harris Search Associates is a retained executive search and advisory consulting firm offering a portfolio of services including Executive Search, Leadership Advisory Consulting, Board Advisory and Governance Consulting, and Organizational Cultural Advisory. The firm specializes in higher education, academic medicine, research, and healthcare administration executive searches. Services are delivered through specialized practice areas focused on academic medicine, higher education (presidents, provosts, deans, department chairs), research leadership, and healthcare administration. The company also offers an Integrated Talent Management Approach in partnership with NuBrick Partners, combining search with assessment, coaching, and succession planning. The Innovators Podcast extends the firm's thought leadership content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Innovators Podcast: Podcast featuring conversations with global thought leaders in higher education, research, and the health sciences.

Products and services

• Executive Search Retained executive search services for senior leadership roles including presidents, provosts, deans, vice presidents, department chairs, and other executive positions in higher education, academic medicine, and research institutions.
• Leadership Advisory Consulting Leadership assessment, coaching, development programs, succession planning, and executive transition support services for institutional leaders.
• Board Advisory and Governance Consulting Board governance evaluation, composition and recruitment, CEO succession planning, and stakeholder engagement strategies for academic institutions.
• Organizational Cultural Advisory Cultural diagnostics, transformation programs, leadership alignment, diversity equity and inclusion strategies, and sustainability assessments for client institutions.
• Integrated Talent Management Approach Collaborative service combining Harris Search Associates' executive search with NuBrick Partners' leadership advisory services — assessment, coaching, development, and succession planning across the leadership lifecycle.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of assignments result in successful placement
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IIC PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Harris Search Associates is a shareholder/member firm of IIC Partners, one of the top 10 largest retained executive search organizations with offices in 44 offices across 33 countries worldwide. This partnership provides global access to trans-national talent pools and enables international search assignments.
• NuBrick PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated partnership combining Harris Search Associates' executive search expertise with NuBrick Partners' leadership advisory services including assessment, coaching, development, succession planning, and team effectiveness. NuBrick provides psychologists, former senior leaders, and leadership consultants who complement the search process.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Isaacson, Miller: Executive search firm specializing in education, nonprofit, and social-impact sectors, with overlapping practice areas in higher education leadership, advancement, and academic administration searches.
• AGB Search: The executive search affiliate of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, focused exclusively on higher education presidential and senior leadership searches—a direct competitor on university board mandates.
• Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates: Specialist higher education executive search firm focused on presidents, chancellors, provosts, and other senior university leaders, with direct overlap in practice and customer base.
• WittKieffer: The leading direct competitor in higher education and healthcare executive search, with deep practice overlap across academic medicine, research institutions, and university leadership—Harris Search's closest head-to-head rival on marquee assignments.
• Greenwood/Asher & Associates: Boutique executive search firm dedicated exclusively to higher education leadership, placing presidents, provosts, deans, and senior administrators at colleges and universities.

Broad incumbents

• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search leader with a dedicated Education, Nonprofit, and Social Impact practice serving major universities and academic medical centers, often competing for the same marquee presidential and provost searches.
• Korn Ferry: The world's largest executive search firm with a Higher Education and Academic Medicine practice serving universities, health systems, and research institutions at the most senior levels.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with a Healthcare, Education, and Life Sciences practice that regularly competes for academic medicine, hospital system, and university leadership mandates.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Education & Social Enterprise practice covering higher education leadership, frequently engaged for president, chancellor, and dean searches at major institutions.

Others

• NuBrick Partners: Leadership advisory and consulting partner integrated with Harris Search, providing assessment, coaching, and succession planning that complements the firm's search engagements and reinforces the integrated talent management offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HarrisSearch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFFOoGTo6dBEcFchT5R1yoQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Harris-Search-Associates-350567995025362
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harris-search-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Harris Search Associates