Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette
KBRS is a privately held, Halifax-based Canadian executive search and HR consulting firm founded in 1975, serving healthcare, academic, public sector, and private organizations nationwide with retained search, DEI advisory, leadership development, and outplacement services, plus the Meridia mid-level recruitment subsidiary.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersMoncton, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette does
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette (KBRS) is a privately held Canadian professional services firm founded in 1975 and headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The firm specializes in executive search, academic search, HR consulting, DEI advisory, leadership development and coaching, outplacement/career transition, and board advisory services, serving organizations across 13 sector verticals including healthcare and life sciences, academic and post-secondary institutions, public sector and government, financial services, energy and environmental, industrial and manufacturing, private equity and venture capital, technology, social impact, and membership associations. KBRS operates under a partnership governance model led by President Kevin Stoddart alongside Managing Partners Jennie Massey, Katherine Risley, Natalie Hand, and Andrea Forbes-Hurley, and holds membership in the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC).
KBRS generates revenue through professional service fees structured as retained search engagements, contingency-based placements, and project or retainer-based HR consulting engagements; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The firm extends its service tier through a wholly owned subsidiary, Meridia Recruitment Solutions, which provides expedited mid-level professional and technical recruitment. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, leveraging a 50-year national reputation, sector-specialized consultants, content marketing via an insights library, events, and direct partner engagement with enterprise clients across Canada.
The firm has no proprietary technology platform; its value proposition rests on human expertise, candidate networks, sector knowledge, and integrated talent solutions spanning the full employee lifecycle from executive recruitment through HR advisory, DEI consulting, leadership development, and outplacement. Named engagements span academic institutions (University of Guelph, Memorial University, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brandon University, Holland College), healthcare organizations (IWK Health, Northwood Homecare), public sector bodies (Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency, Charlottetown, Nova Scotia Independent Energy System Operator), and nonprofit and private sector clients across Canada.
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette
- Legal name
- KBRS and Meridia Recruitment Solutions
- Website
- https://kbrs.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- KBRS is a privately held, Halifax-based Canadian executive search and HR consulting firm founded in 1975, serving healthcare, academic, public sector, and private organizations nationwide with retained search, DEI advisory, leadership development, and outplacement services, plus the Meridia mid-level recruitment subsidiary.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search and HR Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Healthcare & Life Sciences Leadership Search (BPACAAAE)
Keywords
Where Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Moncton
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Executive Search and Recruitment Services: KBRS generates revenue through professional fees for executive search and recruitment services, including executive search, academic search, and Meridia recruitment solutions for mid-level professional and technical roles. Fees are typically structured as retained search engagements or contingency-based placements.
- HR Consulting and Advisory Services: Revenue from HR advisory, compensation consulting, organizational DEI assessment and advisory, leadership development coaching and assessment, and career transition/outplacement services. These are typically project-based or retainer engagements with clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Executive Search Services - Retained search engagements for senior leadership roles |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KBRS is a Canadian executive search and HR consulting firm that identifies, attracts, and selects senior leadership talent for organizations across 13 sector verticals. The firm supplements executive search with HR advisory, compensation consulting, DEI consulting, leadership development/coaching, academic search, board advisory, and outplacement services, and operates Meridia Recruitment Solutions as a subsidiary for expedited mid-level recruitment.
Product overview
KBRS is an integrated leadership solutions provider offering a portfolio of interconnected talent and human capital services. The core offerings include Executive Search (for identifying senior leaders across multiple sectors), HR Consulting (including compensation and board advisory), DEI Consulting, and Leadership Development programs. KBRS also operates Meridia Recruitment Solutions as a sub-brand focused on expedited mid-level professional and technical recruitment. Additional services include Academic Search, Outplacement/Career Transition support, and Board Advisory Services. Established in 1975, the company provides executive search services vetted by the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC) standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Retained executive search services to help organizations identify, attract, and select senior leadership talent across 13 sector verticals including academic, board, consumer and retail, energy and environmental, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, industrial and manufacturing, membership associations, private equity and venture capital, professional services, public sector, social impact, and technology.
- HR Consulting Comprehensive human resources advisory services including HR Advisory, Compensation Consulting, and Board Advisory Services, helping organizations strengthen people strategies and organizational effectiveness.
- Meridia Recruitment Solutions Expedited recruitment solutions for mid-level professional and technical roles, created to address client requirements for faster hiring of managerial, technical, and administrative positions. Meridia operates as a KBRS company.
- DEI Consulting Diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory services including Organizational DEI Assessment & Advisory, Inclusive Talent Attraction, and DEI Training & Development to advance workplace DEI goals for clients.
- Leadership Development Leadership capability building services including Coaching, Assessment, and Leadership Development Programs to help organizations develop a pipeline of leaders and create seamless leadership transitions.
- Outplacement Services Career transition support services for departing employees, including Support for Individuals and Support for Organizations to ensure future success and seamless workforce transitions.
- Academic Search Specialized executive search services for academic institutions, helping universities and colleges identify and recruit academic leaders (presidents, vice-presidents, deans), faculty members, and administrative executives.
- Board Advisory Services Advisory services supporting board composition, governance effectiveness, and leadership transitions at the board level, integrated with KBRS's HR Consulting offerings.
- REIGNITE Leadership Development Program REIGNITE is a leadership development program for women designed to help participants grow in clarity and lead with confidence, recently launched by KBRS.
Quantifiable outcome
- Clients successfully placed include executives at healthcare organizations, academic institutions, government agencies, nonprofits, and private sector companies across Canada
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Meridia Recruitment SolutionscoreMeridia Recruitment Solutions is a KBRS company created to address client requirements for expedited recruitment processes for mid-level professional and technical roles. The teams share the same commitment to excellence in recruitment and people strategy, offering complementary service tiers under unified leadership.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DHR International: Executive search firm focused on senior leadership and board placements across multiple industries. Comparable to KBRS in mid-to-senior executive search engagements and partner-led delivery.
- Boyden: Global executive search firm with a partner-led model and presence across the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Comparable to KBRS in cross-vertical senior executive search with a relationship-driven delivery model.
- Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with a strong Canadian presence providing C-suite and board-level search. Directly comparable to KBRS in senior leadership search and similar cross-vertical coverage in Canada.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with offices across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Direct competitor for executive search mandates, especially cross-border leadership roles from multinationals operating in Canada.
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Competes with KBRS for senior executive and board mandates, particularly in healthcare, public sector, and professional services.
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm combining executive search with talent advisory, compensation, and leadership development. Most analogous to KBRS in offering an integrated talent lifecycle portfolio spanning executive search to HR advisory.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on senior-level executive and board director placements. Comparable to KBRS in cross-sector senior search, with a larger international footprint.
- Caldwell Partners: Toronto-headquartered executive search firm serving clients across North America with a focus on board, CEO, and senior executive placements. Most direct Canadian-headquartered competitor to KBRS in C-suite and board advisory.
- Spencer Stuart: One of the world's leading executive search consulting firms with a long-standing Canadian practice. Closely comparable to KBRS in C-suite, board, and CEO succession engagements for enterprise clients.
Broad incumbents
- Robert Half: Large publicly traded staffing and talent solutions firm. Not a direct C-suite competitor but overlaps with KBRS/Meridia in mid-level professional and technical recruitment services across Canada.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette social profiles
Digital presenceKnightsbridge Robertson Surrette financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette
What does Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette do?
KBRS is a Canadian executive search and HR consulting firm that identifies, attracts, and selects senior leadership talent for organizations across 13 sector verticals. The firm supplements executive search with HR advisory, compensation consulting, DEI consulting, leadership development/coaching, academic search, board advisory, and outplacement services, and operates Meridia Recruitment Solutions as a subsidiary for expedited mid-level recruitment.
Is Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette a public or private company?
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette founded?
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette was founded in 1975. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette based?
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette is headquartered in Moncton, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Executive Search and Recruitment Services are the primary driver. The others are HR Consulting and Advisory Services.
Who are Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DHR International, Boyden, Odgers Berndtson, Heidrick & Struggles, Egon Zehnder, Korn Ferry, Russell Reynolds Associates, Caldwell Partners and Spencer Stuart. Robert Half is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette have an API?
No public API is recorded for Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette.
What industry is Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette in?
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette's product category is Executive Search and HR Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAE, Healthcare & Life Sciences Leadership Search. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.