Kerridge and Partners

What Kerridge and Partners does

Kerridge & Partners is a privately held executive search and leadership advisory firm founded in 2005 by Peter Kerridge, headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, with a regional office in Sydney, Australia. The firm specialises in placing C-suite executives, CEOs, and board directors, and in advising boards on CEO succession, governance, and leadership development. Over 20 years it has completed more than 800 executive appointments and advised on over 200 CEO successions, with reported placement and stick rates of 88% and 100% respectively for CEO mandates. Its client base spans ASX/NZX listed companies (50% of NZX20 are clients), private equity portfolio companies, Crown entities and government, family enterprises, and not-for-profit organisations, with 41% of placements being female candidates. The firm is the only New Zealand executive search provider with Deloitte-verified diversity practices.

The service portfolio comprises five integrated offerings: Executive Search, CEO Succession, Governance Advisory, Leadership Solutions (assessment, coaching, executive development), and the proprietary K&P Board Skills Matrix Tool. The underlying methodology is built on a proprietary Leadership Competency Framework (covering Organisational Context, Strategy, Execution, Leadership, and Cultural Competence) and internationally recognised psychometric tools such as Hogan Assessments, rather than on proprietary technology platforms. Revenue is generated through bespoke, quote-based professional services fees negotiated on a per-engagement basis, with multi-year contract cadences typical for succession advisory engagements. Go-to-market is relationship-driven, with partner-led engagement of board chairs, directors, and CEOs, supported by thought leadership publications, events, and webinars that establish authority in the executive leadership and governance space.

Name

Kerridge and Partners

Legal name

Kerridge & Partners

Website

https://kerridgepartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kerridge & Partners is a New Zealand-based executive search and leadership advisory firm placing CEOs, C-suite executives, and board directors for ASX/NZX listed companies, private equity firms, and public sector clients across New Zealand and Australia, with offices in Auckland and Sydney.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: Fees for placing CEOs and senior executives into leading businesses and organisations across New Zealand and Australia. The firm handles C-suite and board-level appointments with a rigorous assessment process.
2. CEO Succession Planning: Advisory and consulting fees for supporting boards through CEO succession processes, including internal talent assessments and external candidate market mapping, typically engaging 1-2 years ahead of transitions.
3. Governance Advisory Services: Board appointments, evaluations, director development, and governance advisory for ASX/NZX listed companies, private equity businesses, Crown entities, family businesses, and non-profits.
4. Leadership Solutions: Coaching, leadership assessment, executive and board development programs, succession planning assessments, and onboarding support for senior executives post-appointment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kerridge & Partners is a premium executive search and leadership advisory firm operating in New Zealand and Australia. It places CEOs, C-suite executives, and board directors, while also providing CEO succession planning, governance advisory, leadership assessment, and coaching services. The firm combines rigorous psychometric assessment with deep leadership character evaluation to identify and develop transformative leaders for ASX/NZX listed companies, private equity, Crown entities, and family businesses.

Product overview

Kerridge & Partners offers an integrated suite of leadership services across New Zealand and Australia. The portfolio comprises five core service offerings: Executive Search (for placing CEOs and senior executives), CEO Succession (for succession planning), Governance Advisory (for board appointments and evaluations), Leadership Solutions (for coaching and assessment), and the Board Skills Matrix Tool (for board capability assessment). These services are delivered through a single integrated approach, combining deep assessment of technical capabilities with evaluation of leadership character, supported by a globally experienced team with offices in Auckland and Sydney.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% placement rate for CEO appointments
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Play it StrangeminorOthersCommunity support recipient — Kerridge & Partners provides financial contributions and board participation support to Play it Strange, a charitable organisation focused on youth music and education in New Zealand.
• Graeme Dingle FoundationminorOthersCommunity support recipient — Kerridge & Partners supports the Graeme Dingle Foundation through financial contributions and advisory board participation, supporting youth development programmes across New Zealand.
• Rowing New ZealandminorOthersKerridge & Partners maintains an ongoing relationship with Rowing New Zealand through community support, with partner Vikki Maclean serving as a trustee for Karāpiro Rowing Inc and actively supporting the rowing community through commentary and organisational involvement.
• Tania Dalton FoundationminorOthersKerridge & Partners provides ongoing support to the Tania Dalton Foundation, a charitable foundation honouring the legacy of a celebrated New Zealand netball player, with partner Vikki Maclean serving as a trustee.
• Outward BoundminorOthersCommunity support recipient — Kerridge & Partners provides financial contributions and organisational support to Outward Bound New Zealand, supporting wilderness-based experiential education programmes.
• Stewardship Asia Centre (Temasek Holdings)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKerridge & Partners was responsible for collecting New Zealand research contributions for the Asia-Pacific-wide study 'Boards as Stewards of Sustainability' conducted by Stewardship Asia Centre, established by Singapore-based Temasek Holdings. The firm hosted a webinar to launch the study findings, contributing to regional thought leadership on ESG governance. This research collaboration positions the firm within a regional sustainability network spanning 12 countries.
• IMDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Vikki Maclean attended IMD's Orchestrating Winning Performances (OWP) Programme in Lausanne, Switzerland — a week-long leadership development programme. The firm's findings align with IMD's research on leadership in uncertain environments. This connection provides access to international leadership thought leadership that informs the firm's practice.
• Cornell UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVikki Maclean completed an intensive programme for executive search specialists at Cornell University in New York. Additionally, consultant Sam Webster completed Cornell's Family Business Leadership programme in 2025. These academic partnerships provide methodological rigour and international credentialing for the firm's leadership assessment practice.
• Duke Corporate EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCheewei Kwan serves as adjunct faculty with Duke Corporate Education since 2015, acting as lead facilitator for senior leadership programmes delivered across Asia with sessions in locations including Kazakhstan and South Africa. This relationship extends the firm's global leadership network and thought leadership reach.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sheffield Haworth: Global executive search boutique focused on financial services, PE/VC, and investment leadership — a close comparable given Kerridge & Partners' dedicated PE practice and financial services coverage led by Partner Tim Scanlan.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the top global executive search firms competing for the same CEO, board director, and C-suite mandates across ASX/NZX listed companies. Overlapping service model of search, succession, and board effectiveness advisory.
• Korn Ferry: Global executive search and organisational consulting leader with deep presence in Australasia, including a former Korn/Ferry senior consultant (Louise Thomson) on Kerridge & Partners' team. Directly comparable in offering CEO/board search, leadership assessment, and succession advisory.
• Hobson Leavy: New Zealand-founded executive search and leadership advisory firm and a direct in-market competitor. Overlapping services in executive search, board advisory, and leadership assessment across NZ and Australian clients.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a strong CEO/board practice. Directly comparable in servicing NZX/ASX-listed companies, PE portfolio companies, and family enterprises.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with established Australasia coverage. Competes directly for the same senior leadership mandates, particularly in financial services and PE — both flagged as strengths for Kerridge & Partners.
• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with one of the strongest Australasia footprints. Directly competes for CEO, board, and senior executive mandates across NZ and Australian listed companies, family businesses, and the public sector.
• Boardroom Appointments: Australian-based boutique executive search firm specialising in board, CEO, and senior executive appointments. Directly comparable in serving ASX-listed companies, family businesses, and the not-for-profit sector.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a partnership model and deep assessment-led methodology — a close analogue to Kerridge & Partners' integrated search, governance, and leadership solutions approach.
• Watermark Search International: Australian executive search firm focused on board, CEO, and senior executive appointments across listed, private, and government clients — a comparable boutique competitor in Kerridge & Partners' Australian growth market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kerridgepartners

Compliance1 record

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 Kerridge and Partners