Poulsen

What Poulsen does

POULSEN is a privately held, founder-owned ApS (Danish private limited company) with no disclosed institutional or external investment. Revenue is generated primarily through fee-for-service professional engagements with Danish mid-to-large enterprises across manufacturing, agriculture, municipal government, banking, energy, and economic development segments. Customer logos include VL Staal, DanePork, SINE, Project Zero, SAGRO, Sønderborg Kommune, Sparekassen for Nørre Nebel, OTV Plast, UdviklingVejen, and Rebild Kommune. Distribution is direct and consultative, with national TV advertising supplementing organic content marketing and LinkedIn presence. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; clients are invited to non-binding initial discussions.

Name

Poulsen

Legal name

POULSEN ApS

Website

https://poulsen-job.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Poulsen is a Danish founder-owned executive search and M&A advisory firm placing 110+ directors, managers, and specialists annually, with 25+ company transactions facilitated since 2005, using a proprietary behavioral profiling tool (S-V-O-T®).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Holsted

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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 / Rekruttering: POULSEN charges fees for executive search and recruitment services, placing directors, managers, and specialists across all industries for Danish companies. They handle more than 110 positions annually.
2. Virksomhedsformidling / M&A Advisory: Business brokerage and M&A advisory services, including company sales, acquisitions, and generational transitions. POULSEN acts as a neutral intermediary and has facilitated more than 25 company/production line sales internationally and in Denmark since 2005.
3. Outplacement: Outplacement services for employees being made redundant, helping them transition to new employment.
4. Leadership Development / Ledelsesudvikling: Leadership development programs and advisory services for existing management teams.
5. Business Valuation Services: Company valuation assessments ('Hvad er min virksomhed værd?') offered as a standalone or bundled product to prepare companies for M&A transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

POULSEN is a Danish executive search and business brokerage consultancy. Its core business is recruiting directors, managers, and specialists for Danish companies (more than 110 placements annually) and acting as a neutral intermediary for company sales, acquisitions, and generational transitions (more than 25 deals facilitated since 2005). Supporting offerings include the S-V-O-T® Adfærdsprofil behavioral profiling tool, outplacement, board recruitment, leadership development, and 360° business optimization for sale preparation.

Product overview

POULSEN is a Danish recruitment and business transfer consultancy based in Holsted, Denmark. The company operates two core service lines: (1) Rekruttering (Recruitment/Executive Search) for placing directors, managers, and specialists across all industries, and (2) Virksomhedsformidling (Business Transfer/M&A) for company sales, acquisitions, and mergers. The portfolio includes a proprietary assessment tool called S-V-O-T® Adfærdsprofil (behavioral profiling), supported by services such as outplacement, board recruitment, and management development. The company handles more than 110 recruitment assignments annually and has facilitated over 25 M&A transactions since 2005.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• S-V-O-T® Adfærdsprofil: A proprietary behavioral profiling tool developed by POULSEN that assesses four behavioral traits (Struktur/Vilje/Omsorg/Tanke) used in recruitment, team development, and leadership assessment.

Products and services

• Rekruttering (Recruitment) Executive search and recruitment service for directors, managers, and specialists across all industries in Denmark. Combines competency profiles and cognitive tests with human consultancy to deliver more than 110 placements per year.
• Virksomhedsformidling (Business Transfer/M&A) Business brokerage service covering sales preparation, valuation, and the full transaction process from start to closing, acting as neutral intermediary between sellers and buyers of Danish companies.
• S-V-O-T® Adfærdsprofil (Behavioral Profile) Proprietary behavioral profiling instrument that assesses four traits: Structure (Struktur), Will (Vilje), Care (Omsorg), and Thought (Tanke). Used in recruitment, onboarding, and team development, with a free online self-test available as a publicly accessible lead magnet.
• Outplacement Career transition support service for employees being made redundant, helping them move into new employment and offering career-development guidance.
• Rekruttering til Bestyrelsen (Board Recruitment) Specialized recruitment service for board-level positions and governance roles in Danish companies.
• Ledelsesudvikling (Management Development) Leadership development service designed to strengthen the capabilities of existing management teams within client organizations.
• 360° Virksomhedsoptimering og Modning til Salg Comprehensive business optimization and preparation service for companies planning to sell, including valuation and guided process management from start to closing.
• Virksomhedsformidling M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory) M&A advisory service staffed by experienced consultants, handling mergers and acquisitions for Danish and international counterparties, with more than 25 completed deals since 2005.
• Virksomhedsvurdering (Business Valuation) Standalone company valuation assessment offered as a standalone product or bundled with M&A advisory engagements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% retention rate on placements (2021)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Folkekirkens Uddannelses- og VidenscenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference and cooperation partner of POULSEN, listed among collaborative partners on the website.
• AOFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference and cooperation partner of POULSEN, listed among collaborative partners on the website.
• Landdistrikternes FællesrådminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference and cooperation partner of POULSEN, listed among collaborative partners on the website.
• Nelson Garden A/SminorOthersReference and cooperation partner of POULSEN, listed among collaborative partners on the website.
• VL Staal a/sminorOthersPOULSEN facilitated VL Staal's recruitment of a Factory Manager. VL Staal provided a testimonial citing professionalism, punctuality, and credibility. Listed as reference and cooperation partner.
• DanePork A/SminorOthersPOULSEN recruits on selected positions for DanePork. Testimonial cites confidential collaboration with thorough analysis and qualified candidates fitting the organization. Listed as reference and cooperation partner.
• SINEminorOthersPOULSEN helped recruit a new director for SINE. Listed as reference and cooperation partner.
• Project ZerominorOthersPOULSEN recruited a technical specialist for Project Zero. CEO Peter Rathje provided a testimonial citing high professionalism and insight. Listed as reference and cooperation partner.
• Sønderborg KommuneminorOthersPOULSEN collaborates with Sønderborg Kommune on recruiting managers and chiefs and on larger staff events. Listed as reference and cooperation partner.
• Rebild KommuneminorOthersPOULSEN collaborated with Rebild Kommune on recruiting managers for Center Sundhed and team development tasks. Listed as reference and cooperation partner.
• UdviklingVejenminorOthersPOULSEN recruited for UdviklingVejen. CEO Carina Christensen provided a testimonial citing efficiency, seriousness, and personal approach. Listed as reference and cooperation partner.
• OTV Plast A/SminorOthersPOULSEN helped OTV Plast recruit a production manager, a planner, and a buyer over 1.5 years. All three remained with the company. Listed as reference and cooperation partner.
• Network of lawyers, accountants, and bankscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPOULSEN has a large network of external lawyers, accountants, and banks that they collaborate with on M&A transactions. This network supports their business brokerage and M&A advisory services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half: Global specialized staffing and consulting firm placing finance, accounting, technology and administrative professionals, with established operations in Denmark — directly comparable to POULSEN's specialist and director-level search mandates at larger scale.
• Hays: Global recruitment and workforce solutions firm with an active Denmark practice across executive search, professional staffing and accountancy & finance hires — directly comparable to POULSEN's recruitment line but with vastly larger candidate databases and international reach.
• Right Management (ManpowerGroup): Global outplacement, career transition and talent advisory provider within ManpowerGroup — directly comparable to POULSEN's outplacement service line and adjacent to its leadership development offerings, but operating at significantly larger scale.
• Michael Page: PageGroup-owned professional recruitment firm operating across multiple disciplines in Denmark — competes head-to-head with POULSEN for mid-to-senior specialist and management mandates with broader sector coverage and international sourcing.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a Nordic practice — directly comparable on senior executive and board-level search, with broader cultural-fit assessment capabilities than POULSEN can deploy.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a Nordic presence — competes with POULSEN on board and CEO-level mandates while extending into leadership advisory beyond pure search.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm combining executive search, leadership development and talent consulting — overlaps with POULSEN across recruitment, leadership development, and assessment, but at a vastly larger scale and footprint.

Direct peers

• Badenoch + Clark: Hays-owned executive search brand focused on senior, specialist and board-level hires across functions — closest in business model and target segment to POULSEN's executive search and board recruitment services.
• Mercuri Urval: Swedish-origin global executive search and talent advisory firm with strong Nordic operations — comparable to POULSEN on cross-functional executive search and leadership consulting mandates in the Nordic SME and mid-market segment.
• Nigel Wright Group: Nordic-headquartered executive search and recruitment firm focused on senior, specialist and interim management hires in Scandinavia — a natural regional peer to POULSEN given similar geographic focus and mandate types.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/poulsen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Poulsen