ORESA

What ORESA does

ORESA Limited is a UK-headquartered executive search and leadership advisory firm founded in 2008 by Orlando Martins and based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The firm provides a tightly integrated suite of professional services — Executive Search (retained search for CEOs, C-suite, Board of Directors and NEDs), Leadership Advisory (assessment, psychometric profiling, board audits, executive coaching) and Strategy (organisational design, growth strategy, culture consulting) — marketed collectively as a 'Growth Architecture' methodology that combines a proprietary three-step Audit/Architect/Optimise process with a science-based fit assessment using hybrid psychometric, cultural and technical diagnostics. Interim executive and specialist consultant placement is offered alongside these services, and ORESA owns and operates the Growth Index, an annual independent ranking of the UK's 100 fastest-growing businesses that doubles as a marketing and lead-generation platform.

The firm is founder-owned, privately held and operates with a small core team (approximately 8–10 named staff) out of Harrogate with a second office in Leeds. Its customer base spans retail, consumer and technology businesses — from FTSE 100-scale names (JD Sports) to high-growth consumer brands (Gymshark reached a $1.45bn valuation during ORESA's engagement; Boohoo) and mid-market specialists (Joules, Boden, Figleaves, Dining Club Group, Baird Group) — with reported outcomes of 98% candidate retention at 12 months, an average 4-year placement tenure and a 77% average increase in client turnover over five years.

Commercially ORESA operates a high-touch, consultative engagement model: pricing is custom, project-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year contracts and direct outreach to founders, CEOs, chairs and investors as the primary GTM motion. Distribution is led by senior relationships, content marketing (insights, Growth Index, media features in WWD, Retail Week, Drapers and Business Insider) and direct consultation. The firm holds Certified B Corporation status from B Lab, positions itself globally (active work in EMEA, North America and APAC), and has no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or M&A activity.

Name

ORESA

Legal name

ORESA Limited

Website

https://oresa.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ORESA is a UK-headquartered, founder-owned executive search and leadership advisory firm founded in 2008, serving retail, consumer and technology businesses with retained C-suite, Board and senior leadership placements, leadership advisory and organisational strategy services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPACAJAA

HR Strategy & Operating Model Design

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/HR Consulting & Advisory (HR Strategy, Org Design, Change)

SECONDARYBPAHAGAH

People Analytics, Assessment & Psychometrics Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Human Capital & Organizational Consulting

SECONDARYBPAHAGAI

Culture, Engagement & Employee Experience (EX) Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Human Capital & Organizational Consulting

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Leadership advisory consulting
• Organizational strategy consulting
• Senior leadership hiring
• Board recruitment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrogate

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search: Retained executive search engagements for C-suite, Board, and senior leadership placements across global markets
2. Strategy Consulting: Organisational strategy, structure review, and growth architecture engagements
3. Leadership Advisory: Board audits, departmental appraisals, psychometric profiling, executive coaching, and leadership development services
4. Interim & Consulting: Interim executive placements and consulting engagements for urgent business needs and transitions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ORESA is an executive search and leadership advisory firm that provides integrated services including executive search for C-suite and Board placements, leadership advisory (assessment, coaching, board audits), and organizational strategy consulting. The firm uses a proprietary three-step 'Growth Architecture' methodology (Audit, Architect, Optimise) combined with science-based psychometric and cultural fit diagnostics to place senior leaders in retail, consumer, and technology businesses globally.

Product overview

ORESA is an executive search and leadership advisory firm offering integrated services through four core offerings: Executive Search (for identifying and placing senior leaders including CEOs, NEDs, and C-Suite), Leadership Advisory (assessment, development, and coaching services), Strategy (organizational design and consulting), and Growth Index (an annual ranking of UK's fastest growing companies). The company operates a 'growth architecture' approach combining organizational strategy, leadership advisory, and executive search to help clients transform and accelerate growth. ORESA specializes in Retail, Consumer & Technology sectors and focuses on placing leaders that 'fit' culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Growth Index: A definitive list of the top 100 fastest growing businesses in the UK, based on impartial analysis of financial data.

Products and services

• Executive Search Global executive search service for identifying and placing senior leaders including CEOs, Board of Directors, NEDs, and C-Suite executives who fit the client culture. Targeted at founders, CEOs, chairs, and investors in retail, consumer, and technology sectors.
• Leadership Advisory Leadership assessment and development services including individual appraisal, board and departmental audits, psychometric profiling, independent referencing, role definition, and executive coaching. Designed for organizations seeking to understand, develop, and coach their leadership teams.
• Strategy Organizational strategy services encompassing strategy review, competitor insight, organizational analysis, culture consulting, organizational design, and transitional planning. Aimed at businesses looking to audit and architect winning organizational strategies and structures.
• Interim & Consultants Provision of interim executives and specialized consultants for urgent leadership challenges, transitions, and technical expertise needs across client organizations.
• Growth Index Annual ranking and celebration of the top 100 fastest growing businesses in the UK, based on impartial analysis of financial data, combined with growth success stories. Functions as a thought-leadership platform and partnership-driven content offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of placed candidates remain in post after 12 months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 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.

• Growth IndexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORESA partners with Growth Index, the definitive list of top 100 fastest growing UK businesses based on impartial financial analysis. ORESA champions growth and created this independent ranking to highlight UK's growth stories and provide insights for business leaders.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pareto Law: UK-based executive search firm specialising in sales, marketing, digital and technology leadership. Comparable boutique positioning and sector adjacency to ORESA's tech/digital commerce practice.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership consulting firm serving consumer and technology clients. Heidrick's combination of retained search plus leadership advisory mirrors ORESA's 'Growth Architecture' offering at larger scale.
• Norman Broadbent: UK-listed executive search and leadership consulting firm offering retained search, interim, and leadership advisory services. Comparable in service mix to ORESA, with similar UK consumer/retail exposure.
• Tyzack Partners: London-based boutique executive search firm focused on senior appointments across consumer, retail and digital sectors. Closely matches ORESA's boutique positioning and UK-centric client base.
• Odgers Berndtson: UK-headquartered global executive search firm with strong consumer, retail and technology practices. Closest UK-based mid-tier competitor to ORESA in scale and sector focus.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the world's leading executive search and leadership advisory firms, with deep C-suite and Board practice overlap to ORESA's executive search service. Both compete for senior leadership mandates globally and emphasise cultural fit and assessment rigor.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on senior leadership across consumer, retail and technology sectors — directly overlapping ORESA's core verticals. Both compete for Board, CEO and C-suite assignments.
• Alderbrooke: UK boutique executive search firm covering digital, technology, consumer and retail sectors. Competes directly with ORESA for mid-market and growth-stage mandates in shared verticals.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong consumer/retail practice and proprietary assessment methodology. Directly comparable to ORESA on integrated search + leadership advisory positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm combining executive search, leadership development, and talent consulting. Overlaps with ORESA across all three service lines but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oresa-ltd
• Xx.com/OresaExecSearch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 ORESA