Urs Ledermann and Partner

What Urs Ledermann and Partner does

Urs Ledermann + Partner AG is a Swiss boutique personnel and corporate consulting firm specializing in executive search and specialist recruitment for private-sector companies. Founded in 1977 in Bern and specializing in executive and specialist selection since 1989, the firm operates as an owner-operated retained search boutique, serving mid-to-top management and highly specialized professional roles. The company is headquartered at Kramgasse 78, Bern, with a regional office in Zürich and additional presence in Thun and (via partner LWPH) in Lugano, covering both German-speaking and Italian-speaking Switzerland.

The firm's core product is mandate-based executive and specialist recruitment across functional areas including finance, controlling, IT, engineering, logistics and supply chain management, HR, marketing, and sales. Each mandate is treated as unique, with candidate assessment based on personality integrity, social competence, theoretical foundations, and practical track record, and typical mandate completion is reported at 2-3 months. Complementary services include candidate advisory (assessment, coaching, and confidential handling of applications). Underlying technology is limited to a professional website with active job listings, Google Maps location embedding, and LinkedIn/Xing social plugins; there is no proprietary platform, app, API, or AI/ML capability.

The business model is professional-services fee-for-placement on a retained mandate basis. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Client acquisition is overwhelmingly referral- and network-driven, leveraging the personal networks of the two owner-operators (Hannes Kienle, Managing Director; Annette Kienle-Gafner, Co-owner and Management Board Member) and a long-tenured consulting team, supplemented by the firm website and professional social channels. The firm holds SECO licensing as an authorized personnel placement agency in Switzerland. No external investors, funding rounds, parent company, or M&A activity are indicated in the available materials.

Name

Urs Ledermann and Partner

Legal name

Urs Ledermann + Partner AG, Personal- und Unternehmensberatung

Website

https://ledermannbern.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urs Ledermann + Partner AG is a Bern-based, Swiss boutique executive search firm (founded 1977) delivering mandate-based recruitment of mid-to-top management and specialist professionals to private-sector companies across multiple industries in Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search & Personnel Consulting

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Personnel consulting
• Specialist recruitment
• Mandate-based headhunting
• Talent acquisition

Headquarters

HQ city

Berne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Mandates: Retained search/mandate-based recruitment services for mid to top management positions and specialized professionals. The company charges fees for successfully placed candidates, typically on a retained mandate basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Urs Ledermann & Partner AG is a Swiss personnel and corporate consulting firm providing mandate-based executive and specialist recruitment for mid to top management positions in finance, IT, engineering, logistics/SCM, HR, marketing, and sales. Services are delivered as retained search mandates, typically completed within 2-3 months, and complemented by confidential candidate advisory, coaching, and assessment support. The firm operates from offices in Bern, Zürich, Lugano, and Thun, serving primarily private-sector companies in German-speaking Switzerland.

Product overview

Urs Ledermann & Partner AG is a Swiss personnel and corporate consulting firm offering executive and specialist recruitment services. The company operates a unified service portfolio centered on mandate-based recruitment of mid to top-level management and specialized professionals across finance, IT, engineering, logistics/SCM, HR, marketing, and sales sectors. The core offering combines executive search services with candidate advisory support, delivered through their offices in Bern, Zurich, Lugano, and Thun since 1977.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive and Specialist Recruitment (Kader- und Spezialistenrekrutierung) Core service offering the selection and recruitment of mid- to top-level executives and specialized professionals in functions such as Finance, IT, Engineering, Logistics/SCM, HR, Marketing, and Sales, targeted at private-sector companies in Switzerland.
• Mandate-Based Recruitment (Rekrutierung auf Mandatsbasis) Exclusive, retained mandate-based executive search service tailored to each individual client, typically completed within 2-3 months, leveraging the firm's candidate network and rapid candidate potential analysis. Intended for companies seeking a custom, exclusive recruitment engagement.
• Candidate Advisory Services (Für Kandidaten/innen) Career advancement consulting for executives and specialists, including professional assessment, coaching, and strictly confidential handling of applications, with no disclosure to third parties without the candidate's explicit consent. Targeted at individual executive and specialist candidates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mandate completion typically takes 2-3 months for executive and specialist positions

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LWPH (Lugano)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner office in Lugano operated under the LWPH brand, extending the company's geographic reach into Italian-speaking Switzerland (Ticino region).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Russell Reynolds Associates: Russell Reynolds Associates is a global executive search firm placing C-suite and senior functional leaders. Its boutique-style, sector-specialized search approach parallels Urs Ledermann's mandate-based executive recruitment.
• Egon Zehnder: Egon Zehnder is a Swiss-headquartered global executive search firm specializing in senior leadership placements across functions and industries, with deep roots in the Swiss market - directly comparable to Urs Ledermann's executive search model and Swiss heritage.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a retained search model focused on senior leadership roles - directly comparable to Urs Ledermann's executive search practice.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm combining executive search with talent advisory. Its retained executive search practice directly competes with Urs Ledermann in senior mandate placements.
• Spencer Stuart: Spencer Stuart is a global executive search firm focused on board-level and senior management placements. Its retained-search, relationship-driven model closely mirrors Urs Ledermann's approach to mid-to-top management mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Hays: Hays is a global professional recruitment firm with a strong DACH presence placing mid-to-senior professionals. Its Swiss operations overlap with Urs Ledermann's specialist recruitment across multiple functional verticals.
• Robert Walters: Robert Walters is a global professional recruitment firm placing mid-to-senior professionals across functions. Its Swiss operations overlap with Urs Ledermann's specialist recruitment in finance, IT, HR, and commercial roles.
• Robert Half: Robert Half is a global specialized staffing firm placing professionals in finance, accounting, IT, and administrative roles. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with Urs Ledermann's specialist recruitment in finance and IT functions.
• PageGroup (Michael Page): PageGroup operates a global network of professional recruitment brands including Michael Page and Page Personnel. While broader in scope and including mid-level roles, it overlaps with Urs Ledermann's permanent placement of professional and managerial talent.
• Adecco: Adecco is a Swiss-headquartered global staffing and workforce solutions leader. While focused on broader staffing rather than boutique executive search, it competes for Swiss talent placement mandates and is a relevant broad-based Swiss recruitment incumbent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urs-ledermann-partner

Compliance1 record

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 Urs Ledermann and Partner