Quest Energy Group

What Quest Energy Group does

Quest Energy Group is a privately held, founder-led executive search and talent acquisition firm headquartered in Katy, Texas (Greater Houston area), founded in 2011 by Jerred Hebert. The firm specializes in confidential retained and contingency recruitment for C-level, senior leadership, engineering, commercial, projects, accounting, and finance roles across the energy, oil and gas, maritime, logistics, industrial/manufacturing, refining/chemicals, LNG, renewables, midstream, aerospace/defense, and technology/data center sectors. The practice is built around a 500k+ continuously engaged candidate pipeline, an 8-day average candidate turnaround, a 90%+ offer acceptance rate, and a 95% success rate on executive retained and interim placements.

The service portfolio comprises six offerings: Executive & Retained Search (the flagship high-margin line, with a dedicated executive practice launched approximately 18 months ago), Contingency Search (pay-on-placement, no upfront commitment), Interim Leadership (fractional and temporary C-suite placements such as CFOs, COOs, CHROs, and VPs of Operations, typically onboarded in under 14 days), Contractor Placement (short- and long-term technical and professional staffing, offshore and onshore), Job Market Survey (compensation and market intelligence), and Personality Assessment (psychometric evaluation for fit). Revenue is generated through a mix of retained fees (percentage of placed candidate's first-year compensation, typically with upfront milestones), contingency placement fees, and interim/contractor billing, all delivered via direct enterprise sales.

The go-to-market is sales-led and field-driven, with no third-party distribution. Marketing is anchored by the Market Pulse monthly executive search newsletter, an Insights blog/podcast series, LinkedIn/Facebook/YouTube presence, niche industry conferences (Deepwater Topsides, Underwater Intervention, International Workboat Show, Americas LNG Summit), and Houston-focused SEO. The underlying technology stack appears limited to a Crelate ATS/CRM and conventional sourcing tools, with no disclosed AI capabilities, API, or proprietary models. The firm operates as a boutique consultancy serving enterprise and mid-market clients, with documented engagements ranging from a 3,000-employee energy organization to a 120-employee project services company.

Name

Quest Energy Group

Legal name

Quest Energy Group

Website

https://questenergygroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Quest Energy Group is a privately held, Houston-based boutique executive search firm founded in 2011 that places C-suite, senior leadership, engineering, and interim executives across the energy, oil & gas, maritime, logistics, industrial, and technology sectors for enterprise and mid-market clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Katy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Executive & Retained Search: High-value executive search engagements with a 95% success rate, typically on a retained basis where the firm is paid a portion of the fee upfront. This service focuses on securing C-level and senior leadership positions with guaranteed results.
2. Contingency Search: Lower-risk contingency-based recruitment where fees are only charged upon successful placement. Offers a dynamic and flexible approach with no upfront commitment required from clients.
3. Interim Leadership: Placement of fractional and interim executives to bridge organizational gaps, drive transformation, and maintain momentum during transitions. The firm achieves a 95% success rate in interim leadership placements.
4. Contractor Placement: Short-term and long-term contractor placement services covering both offshore and onshore assignments, spanning technical and professional roles.
5. Job Market Survey: Market intelligence services providing up-to-date compensation data and job market insights to enrich client decision-making.
6. Personality Assessment: Comprehensive personality assessment services to discover self-awareness and team dynamics for better hiring decisions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Quest Energy Group is a Houston-based executive search and talent acquisition firm that recruits executives and professionals for the energy, oil and gas, maritime, technology, and industrial sectors. Founded in 2011 by Jerred Hebert, the firm places senior leaders and specialized professionals in hard-to-fill roles across these industries, leveraging Houston's position as the U.S. energy industry hub.

Product overview

Quest Energy Group offers a unified executive search and talent acquisition service portfolio comprising six distinct offerings. The core services are Executive & Retained Search (full-cycle C-suite and senior leadership placement), Contingency Search (flexible, no-upfront-cost recruiting), and Interim Leadership (fractional/temporary executive solutions). Supporting these are Contractor Placement (project-based technical and professional staffing), Job Market Survey (market intelligence and salary benchmarking), and Personality Assessment (candidate fit evaluation). Together, these services span the full talent acquisition lifecycle—from confidential executive searches to temporary staffing solutions—serving energy, maritime, manufacturing, and industrial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search (Direct Hire) Retained or hybrid executive search service that identifies, vets, and places senior leaders and specialized professionals into permanent roles within energy, oil and gas, maritime, technology, and industrial companies. Targeted at hiring managers and HR leaders who need confidential, high-touch searches for hard-to-fill executive seats.
• Contingency Search Success-fee recruiting engagement in which Quest Energy Group is paid only upon successful placement of a candidate. Suited to mid-level specialized and individual contributor roles across the firm's energy, maritime, technology, and industrial verticals.
• Interim Leadership Placement Short-term placement of experienced executives and managers to fill leadership gaps during transitions, project ramp-ups, or executive absences at energy, oil and gas, maritime, technology, and industrial organizations. Used by clients that need immediate operational coverage while a permanent hire is being sourced.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8-day average turnaround to deliver hired candidate
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DHR International: Global executive search firm with strong industrial and energy practices. Closely comparable to Quest in operating model (retained C-suite search) and target clients (energy, industrial, and engineering leadership).
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search firm with deep practices across energy, industrial, and technology. Uses a similar retained search model focused on board, CEO, and senior leadership placements, making it a close comparable to Quest's core retained work.
• True Search: Mid-sized global executive search firm specializing in technology, digital, and growth-sector leadership. Comparable to Quest in retained search methodology and boutique-style senior engagement, though its verticals skew toward tech and life sciences.
• Lucas Group: North American executive search and talent advisory firm with strong energy, industrial, and manufacturing practices. Directly comparable to Quest in placing mid-to-senior level leadership across the energy value chain.

Broad incumbents

• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a long-standing Energy, Industrial, and Natural Resources practice. Competes for the same C-suite and senior leadership mandates in Houston energy as Quest, while also serving broader industries.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Energy & Resources practice serving oil & gas, utilities, and industrial clients. Directly comparable to Quest in its retained C-suite search model, but operates globally with vastly larger bench and broader sector coverage.
• Korn Ferry: Largest global organizational consulting firm combining executive search with talent management and RPO. Its Energy practice directly overlaps with Quest's retained C-suite work, though it also offers much broader HR consulting.
• Robert Half: Large publicly traded staffing and talent solutions firm with a dedicated executive search practice (Robert Half Executive Search). Comparable to Quest in placing finance, HR, and operational leaders, though it operates at much greater scale and broader industry coverage.

Emerging players

• Piper Maddox: Specialist executive search firm focused on clean energy, renewables, and climate tech. Comparable to Quest in retained search methodology and energy-sector focus, though it serves the renewables segment rather than traditional oil & gas.

Regional players

• The HBC Group: Houston-based executive search firm focused on the energy industry. A direct Houston market competitor to Quest, recruiting similar C-suite and senior leadership roles for oil & gas, petrochemical, and energy clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2yzBmv-Gs9jRBP62WaH7qw
• Facebookfacebook.com/questenergygroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/questenergygroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Quest Energy Group