What One Search does

One Search is a specialist retained executive search firm founded in 2006 by Dan McCarthy, focused exclusively on the infrastructure and energy transition investment sector. The firm operates from four offices — London (headquarters), New York, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore — with a team of 35 search professionals working as a single global unit. Since inception, One Search has completed more than 2,000 senior placements, serving infrastructure investors, energy transition funds, asset managers, and project finance banks across the equity, credit, IR/fundraising, legal, and portfolio company leadership functions.

The firm's service offering is organized into four core practice areas: Private Equity Investment, Private Credit Investment, IR/Fundraising, and PortCo Leadership. It also operates a sister company, Infrassocs, focused on junior-to-mid-level hiring across the same vertical, and runs the Young Women Into Finance (YWIF) scholarship program as a not-for-profit social enterprise. The only underlying technology is a third-party CRM (Invenias, owned by Bullhorn) for candidate management; the firm's core IP is its proprietary market mapping — full market maps rebuilt at least every three months — and the sector relationships built over 18 years.

One Search makes money through professional services fees on a retained search basis. Clients engage the firm exclusively for individual senior mandates, with fees typically calculated as a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year compensation. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven: the firm positions itself as a long-term retained partner to a concentrated set of infrastructure investors rather than a high-volume transactional recruiter. Customer segments are exclusively enterprise — private equity funds, infrastructure debt platforms, asset managers, and institutional investors — with no SMB or consumer-facing exposure.

Name

One Search

Legal name

One Search

Website

https://one-search.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

One Search is a London-headquartered retained executive search firm founded in 2006, specializing in senior placements for infrastructure and energy transition investors across equity, credit, IR, and portfolio company leadership, with offices in London, New York, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Retained headhunting
• Infrastructure recruitment
• Energy transition hiring
• Senior placement services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 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: One Search operates as a retained executive search firm, charging fees for senior-level placement mandates. They are engaged by infrastructure and energy transition investors to fill positions across investment teams (equity & credit), portfolio management, IR/Fundraising, Legal, and PortCo leadership. The retained search model typically involves exclusive engagements where the firm is paid a fee to conduct a comprehensive search.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

One Search is a retained executive search firm that places senior leaders for infrastructure and energy transition investors worldwide. Its mandates span investment teams (equity & credit), portfolio management, IR/Fundraising, Legal, and PortCo leadership. The firm offers a one-stop shop for senior hiring across the global infrastructure investment value chain, with offices in London, New York, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore.

Product overview

One Search is a specialist retained executive search firm focused exclusively on the infrastructure and energy transition investment sector. Founded in 2006, the firm operates as a single unified service offering—executive search and leadership consulting—organized into four interconnected practice areas: Private Equity Investment, Private Credit Investment, IR/Fundraising, and PortCo Leadership. These practices collectively serve infrastructure investors across the full value chain, from fund-level investment teams to portfolio company leadership. The firm also operates complementary programs including the Young Women Into Finance scholarship program (a social enterprise) and its sister company Infrassocs for junior-to-mid-level hiring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young Women Into Finance (YWIF): One Search's own not-for-profit social enterprise scholarship program established in 2018 to provide a pathway into Infrastructure Finance and Investment for young women from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Products and services

• Private Equity Investment Practice Retained executive search practice focused on placing senior Investment and Asset Management professionals (Partners, MDs, Directors, VPs) into private equity and infrastructure equity funds globally, serving asset managers and institutional investors in the infrastructure and energy transition sectors.
• Private Credit Investment Practice Retained executive search practice specializing in infrastructure credit investment teams, partnering with institutional investors, project finance banks, and independent platforms to build competitive credit investment teams. Includes 100+ searches delivered across banks, debt funds, and institutional investors (per Nameesha Sharma's track record).
• IR/Fundraising Practice Retained executive search practice building Capital Formation and Investor Relations teams for infrastructure investment firms, covering mandates from first-time fund managers to established private equity platforms across EMEA, APAC, and Americas.
• PortCo Leadership Practice Retained executive search and leadership consulting practice for appointing portfolio company talent across C-Suite, Board Director/Non-Executive Director, Operating Partner, and senior management positions within infrastructure, energy transition, and industrial portfolio companies.
• People Moves Reports Semi-annual industry research publications documenting notable executive moves and promotions across the infrastructure and energy transition investment sector in Americas and EMEA regions. Available as downloadable content from One Search's news section, serving as thought-leadership content and market intelligence.
• Young Women Into Finance (YWIF) Scholarship Program Not-for-profit social enterprise sub-brand/program under One Search providing mentorship, CISI Corporate Finance & Capital Markets qualification, and two summer internships with leading banks and funds in London. Targets young women from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds at the start of A-Level studies, aimed at promoting gender diversity in infrastructure investment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ senior searches completed successfully since 2006
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Young Women Into Finance (YWIF)coreOthers · 1 January 2018One Search's own not-for-profit social enterprise established in 2018 to provide pathways into Infrastructure Finance and Investment for young women from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The program partners with UK schools to identify high-potential young women at the start of A-Level studies, offers mentorship, CISI Corporate Finance & Capital Markets Qualification, and two summer internships with leading banks and funds in London sponsored by partner organizations.
• Women's Infrastructure Network (WIN)minorOthersOne Search participates in the Women's Infrastructure Network, engaging with the community to help mid-level women think about achieving their longer term career goals. One of several diversity initiatives the firm supports.
• InfrassocscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company to One Search, Infrassocs is designed to revolutionize junior to mid-level hiring across infrastructure and energy transition. One Search identifies talented juniors and partners with them as they navigate their early career, while Infrassocs handles junior-to-mid level placement needs of clients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with a strong Investor Practice across alternatives and infrastructure. One Search Principal Daniel Marvin was previously a Principal at Odgers Berndtson, evidencing direct competition.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a deep Financial Services Practice covering asset management, alternatives and infrastructure investment leadership — directly comparable in serving senior investment-team and PortCo mandates.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a leading Financial Services practice covering private equity, infrastructure and credit investing — directly competing for the same senior mandates One Search serves. Pete Hughes at One Search previously worked at Heidrick & Struggles.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a strong financial services and infrastructure investor practice. One Search's project manager previously worked at Egon Zehnder London, evidencing direct competition for talent and clients.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm operating a Financial Services Practice that covers private equity, infrastructure and credit investment teams — directly competing with One Search for senior placements in alternative assets.
• Sheffield Haworth: Boutique global executive search firm specialized in financial services and investment management — directly competing with One Search for IR/Fundraising and investment-team senior mandates. One Search Principal Pete Hughes was previously at Sheffield Haworth.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: The largest global executive search and talent advisory firm with a dedicated Financial Services practice covering asset management, private equity and infrastructure — a broad incumbent competing for the same senior mandates, particularly at mega-funds.
• Page Executive: Senior-level executive search division of the PageGroup, with global coverage of financial services including investment management, private equity and infrastructure — a broader incumbent in the same senior search category.

Regional players

• Charterhouse Partnership: Asia-focused financial services search firm with strong presence in Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo — operating in the same asset management / alternatives hiring market One Search's APAC office serves.

Emerging players

• Infrassocs: Sister company to One Search specializing in junior-to-mid level hiring across infrastructure and energy transition — a related emerging player addressing the same client base at a different career stage and explicitly linked by shared ownership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/one-search
• Xx.com/onesearchny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 One Search