What Comites does

Comites GmbH is a Munich-headquartered, privately-held executive search boutique founded in 2004 by Dr. Andreas Föller and Stephanie Schorp. The firm places C-suite and senior leadership talent for enterprises undergoing transformation, combining more than two decades of top-management headhunting with psychological assessment expertise and an AI-supported candidate identification layer. Its core commercial offer consists of two search tiers — Executive Placement at 33% of first-year total cash compensation and a lower-cost Digital Hunting tier at 27% — backed by Diagnostics & Potential Analysis, Executive Coaching, and Senior Advisory services.

The operating model is a high-touch, consultative engagement delivered directly to enterprise decision-makers. Proprietary IT tooling is used to surface passive candidates through web-trace analysis, but final selection and client relationship remain human-led under the 'Personality Matters' positioning. Pricing is fee-based with a €35,000 project minimum, a €10,000 profile-change fee, and a deferred 8% component contingent on six-month placement performance, aligning firm revenue with client outcomes. Marketing is primarily content- and thought-leadership-driven through LinkedIn, YouTube (@comites4455), whitepapers, a company book, and an SEO-optimised German-language website.

The business is augmented by an eight-partner strategic alliance that adds HR transformation (freshHRminds), executive coaching (MagnoliaTree, Dr. Caroline Harth, Monika Matschnig), ethics/philosophy advisory (Dr. Rebekka Reinhard), integrated search-and-development (Connect & Develop), and digital tooling (VHG Ventures for the Digitale Audit, Onesome for a digital coaching platform). The firm is independent with no external investors, no parent company, and a single Munich office, and it has self-reported a 90% client repeat rate and a 95% placement satisfaction rate, supporting the claim of a relationship-driven, repeat-business revenue base rather than a high-volume transactional model.

Name

Comites

Legal name

Comites GmbH

Website

https://comites.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Comites GmbH is a Munich-based executive search boutique placing C-suite and senior leaders for enterprises in transformation, combining psychological diagnostics and AI-supported candidate sourcing with coaching and advisory services via a partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

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 Placement: Retainer-based executive search service with success-dependent fee structure. Fee is 33% of candidate's first annual salary (Total Cash Compensation), split: 25% upon contract signing and 8% after six months of employment if performance meets or exceeds expectations.
2. Digital Hunting: Candidate attraction service (not assessment-focused) with lower fee of 27% of first annual salary, due upon candidate contract signing. Excludes contract negotiation support and post-placement integration.
3. Executive Coaching: Transformative coaching services for sustainable leadership success, delivered through partnerships with certified coaches.
4. Senior Advisory & Workshops: Customized workshops and leadership development programs for high-performing teams.
5. Diagnostics & Audits: Diagnostic precision and potential analysis services, including Digital Audit offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Comites is a Munich-based executive search boutique that recruits senior executives and C-level leaders for client organizations. In addition to classic headhunting, the firm offers digital hunting, diagnostics and potential analysis (Potenzialanalyse), executive coaching, and senior advisory services for boards and management teams in transformation phases.

Product overview

Comites is a boutique executive services firm offering an integrated portfolio of services centered on executive search and leadership transformation. The core offering comprises Executive Placement (Head Hunting) and Digital Hunting for candidate identification and placement, complemented by Diagnostics & Potenzialanalyse for candidate evaluation, Executive Coaching for leadership development, and Senior Advisory services including customized workshops. The company also provides the Onesome digital coaching platform (via partnership with Swantje Benussi and Anouk Harde) and the Digitale Audit assessment tool (via VHG Ventures partnership). The product portfolio is unified around the 'Personality Matters' philosophy, combining psychological expertise with modern AI support for sustainable leadership placements and transformations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Placement / Headhunting Discrete search and recruitment of senior executives and C-level candidates for client companies, with end-to-end support from candidate identification through onboarding.
• Digital Hunting Online and digital-channel based identification and outreach of senior executives, including sourcing through professional networks, data platforms and AI-supported candidate search.
• Diagnostics and Potenzialanalyse Structured assessment of executive candidates' personality, leadership potential, and behavioral patterns, providing clients with a detailed analytical basis for selection decisions.
• Executive Coaching One-on-one executive coaching for newly placed leaders and existing senior executives, focused on onboarding success, leadership effectiveness, and personal development.
• Senior Advisory Strategic advisory services for supervisory boards, advisory boards, and executive committees on leadership succession, organizational transformation, and governance.
• Digital Audit (in partnership) Audit of an organization's digital maturity and capabilities, delivered through a partner network to complement executive search mandates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% client repeat rate - clients engage Comites for follow-up projects
• +1 more outcomes

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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• freshHRminds (Brigitte Hirl-Höfer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrigitte Hirl-Höfer, founder of freshHRminds, brings over 25 years HR management experience including Head of HR Germany and Central Eastern Europe at Microsoft. Expert in future of HR work, AI integration in HR, and preparing leaders for change. Provides HR Transformation expertise and AI & Leadership Coaching.
• Dr. Caroline HarthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDoctor of law and expert in storytelling with over 20 years developing communication strategies for blue-chip companies, start-ups, and institutions. Offers interdisciplinary coaching format 'Own Your Story' for professional transformation. Provides Executive Coaching and Communications Consulting.
• Dr. Rebekka ReinhardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilosopher, publicist, and SPIEGEL-bestselling author expert on meaning and values. Editor of human-Magazin focusing on humanity, ethics, and AI. Inspires critical and future-oriented thinking through publications, lectures, and consultations.
• Monika MatschnigcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate psychologist, therapist, and coach with over 20 years experience inspiring thousands annually. Hall of Fame inductee of German Speaker Association. Expert in body language and impact excellence. Provides keynote speaking, consulting, and coaching for leadership presence.
• VHG Ventures (Verena Hauser & Heinrich Geywitz)coreTechnology or IntegrationKey cooperation partner for digital offerings. Developed Comites' Digital Audit providing companies instant overview of team strengths and development areas. Supports practical solutions for digital challenges through experience in digital transformation and innovation.
• Connect & Develop (Benussi & Benussi GmbH & Co. KG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCombines Executive Search and Leadership Development under one roof. Interdisciplinary team supports companies in filling leadership positions, evaluating existing teams, and developing high-potential individuals. Comprehensive approach integrating search, diagnostics, and development.
• MagnoliaTree (Sabine Gromer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Sabine Gromer is expert in leadership transformation with unique blend of science and practical experience. Co-author of 'Ready for Success', designs inspiring workshops for authentic and resilient leadership. Provides Executive Whisperer and Transformation Architecture services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Signium: Boutique international executive search and leadership advisory firm with a partner-led delivery model similar to Comites, focused on senior executive and board mandates globally.
• Stanton Chase: Global executive search firm with a partner-driven boutique culture and sector-focused practices, directly comparable in service scope and target buyer to Comites.
• Egon Zehnder: Global boutique executive search firm with a similarly high-touch, partner-led model and strong emphasis on leadership assessment and board-level mandates, making it the closest structural analogue to Comites.
• Odgers Berndtson: International mid- to senior-level executive search firm with comparable boutique positioning, operating across multiple European markets and competing with Comites for German and pan-European mandates.
• Horton International: International boutique executive search partnership operating across more than 40 countries, with a partner-led model and senior mandate focus that closely parallels Comites' boutique positioning.

Emerging players

• Page Executive: Executive search arm of PageGroup focused on senior leadership hiring across Europe, competing with Comites in the German and DACH mid-to-senior executive market with broader scale but lower boutique positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on senior leadership and board appointments, directly overlapping Comites' C-suite search focus and adding leadership advisory and assessment capabilities.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the largest global executive search and board advisory firms, competing with Comites for senior leadership and board mandates across Europe but operating at significantly greater geographic and research-team scale.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a broad C-suite and board practice, directly competing with Comites for senior leadership mandates while also offering talent assessment and culture services.
• Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm combining executive search with talent assessment, leadership development and RPO, competing with Comites for both search and the broader leadership-services wallet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@comites4455
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comites-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Comites