Leaders International

What Leaders International does

Leaders International is a privately held Canadian executive search firm providing C-suite, board, and senior leadership placement services to private, public, and not-for-profit organizations. The firm operates from eight offices across Canada (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal) and delivers engagements across 16+ industry verticals including healthcare, government, education, financial services, energy, technology, manufacturing, non-profit, and private equity. The firm was formed in 2018 by consolidating three predecessor firms: Davies Park Executive Search (1989), Higgins Executive Search (1999), and Leaders & Co. (2008), giving it 37+ years of continuous operating history under a unified brand.

The firm's core product is bespoke executive search engagements delivered through a four-phase methodology (profiling, sourcing and recruitment, assessment, and integration), supported by a proprietary Leaders Report candidate-mapping deliverable and a 500,000+ contact proprietary database. The Indigenous Executive Search practice, in continuous operation for 25+ years and PAIR Gold-Level certified since 2008, is a specialized offering that the firm claims is the largest of its kind in North America. Technology infrastructure consists of secure databases with encryption, firewall and password protection, which is standard professional-services tooling rather than a differentiated platform. International reach is provided through a partnership with Rowe Global LLC rather than organic foreign offices.

The business model is professional services revenue earned on a custom, quote-based, per-engagement pricing model, with no publicly disclosed fee schedule and no productized subscriptions. Go-to-market is direct sales led by senior Partners who remain hands-on through every phase of the search, supported by a returning-client base that accounts for 84% of engagements. The firm employs 51-100 people and reports 96% placement retention past guarantee and 93% three-year retention, indicating outcome-driven but relationship-dependent revenue mechanics.

Name

Leaders International

Legal name

Leaders International

Website

https://leadersinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Leaders International is a privately held Canadian executive search firm operating from eight offices nationwide, placing C-suite, board, and senior executives across 16+ industries for public, private, and not-for-profit clients, with a specialized Indigenous search practice and global reach via affiliate partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector, Education & Nonprofit Leadership Search (BPACAAAI)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Leadership recruitment
• Board advisory services
• Succession planning
• C-suite placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: The firm generates revenue through conducting executive search engagements for clients seeking C-suite, board, and senior leadership placements. Services are tailored to client needs across multiple sectors and practice areas. The engagement model involves custom proposals and quote-based pricing for each search mandate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Leaders International is an executive search and advisory firm that identifies, assesses, and places C-suite, VP, and Board leaders for private, public, and not-for-profit organizations across Canada. The firm delivers a structured search methodology covering profiling, sourcing and recruitment, assessment, and integration, supported by its proprietary Leaders Report candidate mapping.

Product overview

Leaders International is an executive search and advisory services firm (not a software product company) offering a unified service portfolio centered on executive talent acquisition. The core offering is Executive Search Services, which includes specialized practices for Board of Directors Search, Leadership Succession, and Indigenous Executive Search (with Diversity & Indigenous Board Practice). The firm operates across Canada with 8 offices and serves multiple industry sectors including Healthcare, Financial Services, Technology, Manufacturing, Education, Energy & Resources, and Non-Profits. Their proprietary Leaders Report and comprehensive search methodology (Profiling, Sourcing & Recruitment, Assessment, and Integration) form the service delivery framework. No separate product modules, add-ons, or technology platforms are offered—all services are delivered through professional consulting engagements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leaders Report: A detailed mapping of all potential candidates within a given recruitment effort, provided to clients during the sourcing and recruitment phase.

Products and services

• Executive Search Services Core executive search and advisory services for identifying and placing senior leaders (C-suite, VP, Board) across private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in Canada.
• Board of Directors Search Specialized board governance and recruitment services including board composition assessment, director recruitment, and governance structure development.
• Leadership Succession Services
• Indigenous Executive Search
• Diversity & Indigenous Board Practice

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of placements stay past the guarantee period
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers39 records

Segments17 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Rowe Global LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal affiliate partner providing international executive search capabilities. Rowe Global LLC is headquartered in Dallas, TX with additional offices in Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, Washington DC, and Shanghai. William D. Rowe II serves as Chairman & CEO. This partnership extends Leaders International's reach beyond Canada for global executive search engagements.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search firm with partner-led model and strong board practice. Closely comparable in boutique culture, partner-driven engagement style, and emphasis on long-term client relationships over transactional volume.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on C-suite, board, and succession assignments. Competes head-to-head for board and senior executive placements across the same verticals as Leaders International, including healthcare, financial services, and public sector.
• Caldwell Partners: Canadian-headquartered executive search firm (Toronto) serving private and public sectors across North America. Closest geographic and scale peer to Leaders International, competing directly for CEO and board mandates in the Canadian market.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm specializing in C-suite, board, and Heidrick Consulting services. Directly competes for the same CEO, board, and senior executive mandates across sectors where Leaders International operates.
• Boyden: Global executive search firm with a partner-led model and strong public-sector and not-for-profit practice. Comparable in boutique engagement style, sector breadth, and focus on senior executive and board mandates.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep C-suite and board practice. Directly comparable to Leaders International in service model (boutique-style partner-led engagements) and target clients (CEOs, boards, succession), though materially larger and globally distributed.
• DHR International: Global executive search firm with strong practice in board, CEO, and functional leadership placements. Comparable in methodology, client mix (private and public sector), and emphasis on partner-led engagements.
• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with strong presence in Canada and a partner-led model. Directly comparable in private, public, and not-for-profit sector coverage and in mid-to-senior executive search engagements.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large executive search practice alongside broader talent, rewards, and strategy offerings. Overlaps with Leaders International in C-suite/board search but operates at materially greater scale and offers a much wider service portfolio.

Regional players

• IQ Partners: Canadian executive search and talent advisory firm based in Toronto. Comparable in regional focus and boutique service model, though with a somewhat different mix toward financial services and technology leadership mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leaders-int-executive-search
• Xx.com/LeadersExec

Compliance1 record

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 Leaders International