Pearl Executive Search

What Pearl Executive Search does

Pearl Executive Search is a Paris-headquartered executive search firm founded in 2008, structured as a SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) and operating nationally and internationally. The firm specializes in retained search for senior leadership roles — presidents, general directors, board members, and director-level positions — across seven primary verticals: innovative industries, digital and French Tech, energy and green economy, luxury/cosmetics/travel retail, e-commerce/FMCG/distribution, construction/real estate, and professional services. The team is described as approximately 15 specialists, many with prior in-sector operating experience (e.g., former Accenture, ESN, CAC40/SBF120, and listed-company roles), supporting a consultative, relationship-led go-to-market targeted at large groups, mid-caps (ETIs) and growth-stage companies.

The core service is executive search, augmented by a Management de Transition (interim management) line for urgent leadership needs. Sourcing is supported by Akoya©, a proprietary AI-powered sourcing technology developed by the affiliated Lorenz & Hamilton group, marketed as providing greater exhaustiveness and reactivity in identifying candidates; Pearl does not develop this technology in-house. Pricing is custom, quote-based, and engagement-by-engagement, with multi-year contracts and no public rate card. Distribution is direct enterprise engagement, with the firm also operating a candidate portal (Espace Candidat) and a client dashboard (Espace Client) alongside LinkedIn and its corporate website as marketing surfaces. Ownership is founder/management-controlled, with President Ludovic Bourg and no disclosed institutional or PE/VC backing.

Name

Pearl Executive Search

Legal name

Pearl Executive Search, SAS

Website

https://pearl-executivesearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Pearl Executive Search is a Paris-based executive search firm founded in 2008, placing presidents, directors and senior leaders across digital, energy, luxury and other innovative verticals for large groups, mid-caps and SMEs in France and internationally, supported by proprietary AI sourcing tool Akoya©.

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

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO) (BPACAAAC), Consumer & Retail Leadership Search (BPACAAAG), Industrial & Engineering Leadership Search (BPACAAAD), Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Leadership recruitment
• Interim management
• Senior executive placement
• Board member recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

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 Services: Core executive search and recruitment services for identifying and selecting high-level leaders and managers. The firm places presidents, general directors, board members, and various director-level positions across multiple industries. Services include management de transition (interim management) for urgent leadership needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Pearl Executive Search is an executive search and leadership solutions firm that identifies, evaluates, and places senior leaders for organisations operating in innovative industries. Its core offering covers the recruitment of presidents, general directors, board members, and director-level executives, supplemented by interim management (management de transition) services for urgent leadership needs. The firm operates nationally and internationally from Paris, leveraging proprietary AI-based sourcing technology (Akoya©) inherited from affiliated group Lorenz & Hamilton to deliver engagements across digital, tech, energy, luxury, e-commerce, construction, and services sectors.

Product overview

Pearl Executive Search is an executive search and leadership solutions firm operating since 2008. The company offers a unified service portfolio centered on executive search, supported by proprietary AI-based sourcing technology called Akoya© (owned by parent group Lorenz & Hamilton), and extends into interim management services. The core offering combines human expertise with technology-enabled sourcing across multiple innovation-accelerating industry sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Core executive search and leadership solutions service connecting organisations with presidents, general directors, board members, and director-level leaders nationally and internationally since 2008.
• Recruitment Solutions Specialised recruitment services spanning innovation-accelerating industries including Digital, French Tech, Energy, IT/Telecom, E-Commerce, Luxury, Cosmetics, Construction, and Services sectors.
• Management de Transition (Interim Management) Interim management service providing immediately available expert managers and leaders to address urgent business transformation and transition needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful integration of placed leaders through rigorous matching of candidate motivations and expectations with organizational culture

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lorenz & Hamilton GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPearl Executive Search is part of the Lorenz & Hamilton group. The group provides proprietary Akoya© AI-powered sourcing technology that Pearl uses for candidate identification. This parent company relationship provides technological and strategic support to Pearl's executive search operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boyden: Global executive search firm with strong presence in Europe and a partnership-driven model similar to Pearl. Competes for senior executive searches in technology, consumer, and industrial sectors.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global executive search firm with deep presence in France. Competes head-to-head with Pearl for senior executive searches across innovative industries and offers comparable practice-area specialization.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with significant Paris operations. Direct competitor for C-suite and senior leadership roles across the same verticals Pearl covers, including technology and consumer.
• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with strong European heritage and a Paris office. Closely comparable to Pearl in serving mid-cap and large-cap clients across innovative industries for senior leadership hires.
• Alexander Hughes: Paris-headquartered international executive search firm with a comparable boutique-to-mid scale and similar sector exposure. One of the most direct French-market competitors to Pearl.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with established French practice. Directly competes for senior leadership assignments in technology, financial services, and consumer — sectors where Pearl also positions itself.
• Eric Salmon & Partners: European-headquartered international executive search firm with a Paris presence. Directly comparable boutique-scale competitor focused on senior leadership searches across multiple sectors.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with strong European practice. Directly competes with Pearl for C-suite and senior leadership mandates in France and internationally, with comparable sector specialization in technology, consumer, and industrial.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half: Large global staffing and talent solutions firm with executive search capabilities (including Protiviti). While operating at a much larger scale and broader scope than Pearl, it competes for some senior-level talent mandates and provides industry benchmarks.
• Korn Ferry: Larger organizational consulting firm with a significant executive search division. Overlaps with Pearl in senior search but operates at significantly greater scale with broader service portfolio (RPO, consulting, assessment).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pearl-executivesearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Pearl Executive Search