Willing to Hunt

What Willing to Hunt does

Willing to Hunt, LLC is a privately-held, founder-owned boutique executive recruiting firm headquartered at 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 2001 by A. Gregory Hunt, the firm specializes in retained and contingency searches placing experienced professionals into the U.S. banking and financial services industry across retail banking, commercial banking, mortgage, credit, SBA lending, and compliance roles. Its core product is an end-to-end recruitment engagement that includes employer needs assessment, candidate sourcing through a private "naturally DEI" talent network, interviews, pre-screening, offer negotiation, and reference/background checks, supported by a 180-day placement guarantee and an 85%+ client retention rate.

The firm complements employer-side placement with tiered candidate-facing products: coaching packages (Bronze, Silver at $479, Gold at $679) covering career exploration, networking, and skills development for finance professionals, and resume services (Peer Review at $399, Fine-Tuning at $599, Total Makeover at $799) including ATS optimization, cover letters, and LinkedIn profile refresh. The underlying technology layer is minimal — there are no proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI/ML systems; the firm's technology posture is human-relationship-driven rather than product-driven.

Commercial channels are concentrated on direct employer outreach in the Chicago/Midwest region (extending to national placements) and a community-led motion including the annual "Bankers Charity Golf Classic," invitation-only DEI virtual events, a blog, and the "Hiring Conversations You Can Bank On" podcast. Revenue is generated primarily through placement fees, secondarily through coaching and resume services to candidates, and tertiarily through golf event sponsorships (ranging $250 hole sponsors to $7,500 presenting tier). The firm has no external investors, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed headcount expansion, consistent with a stable sole-practitioner micro-business.

Name

Willing to Hunt

Legal name

Willing to Hunt, LLC

Website

https://willingtohunt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Willing to Hunt is a Chicago-based, founder-owned boutique executive recruiting firm founded in 2001 that places experienced professionals into the U.S. banking and financial services industry through a relationship-driven, DEI-integrated model, supplemented by candidate coaching and resume services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Recruiting Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA), Legal & Compliance Direct Hire (BPACAFAJ), Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Executive Search (BPACAAAL)

Keywords

• Executive recruiting services
• Banking talent placement
• Financial services headhunting
• Career coaching services
• Resume writing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Permanent Placement/Recruiting Services: Retained and contingency searches for experienced professionals in the financial services industry. The company earns placement fees when candidates are successfully placed with client companies.
2. Coaching Services: Career coaching packages (Silver at $479, Gold at $679) providing 4-6 one-hour sessions covering career exploration, skills development, and interview preparation.
3. Resume Services: Resume writing and optimization services ranging from $399 (Peer Review) to $799 (Total Makeover), including ATS-optimized resumes and cover letters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Willing to Hunt is a boutique executive recruiting firm that delivers end-to-end permanent placement services to banks and financial services companies, conducting employer assessments, candidate sourcing from DEI networks, interviews, pre-screening, offer negotiation, and reference checks. It complements this core service with paid candidate coaching packages and resume writing services for finance and banking professionals seeking career advancement.

Product overview

Willing to Hunt is a boutique executive recruiting firm offering a relationship-based recruitment platform with associated coaching and resume services. The core offering is End-to-End Recruitment services for the banking and financial services industry, supplemented by tiered coaching packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold) and resume services (Peer Review, Fine-Tuning, Total Makeover). The company also maintains a private Diverse Talent Network for candidate visibility. Services are positioned as relationship-oriented with DEI integration built into the practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• End-to-End Recruitment Services Full-service retained and contingency recruiting for banks and financial services companies covering needs assessment, candidate sourcing from DEI networks, resume review, interviews, pre-screening, interview scheduling, offer negotiation, reference and background checks, and onboarding support. Backed by a 180-day placement guarantee.
• Coaching: Silver Career coaching package priced at $479, providing four 60-minute sessions covering role discovery, networking skills, strategic career search design, and identifying opportunities in the finance industry. Intended for finance and banking professionals exploring career options.
• Coaching: Gold Premium career coaching package priced at $679, providing six 60-minute sessions that build on Silver with deeper focus on specific skillsets, goal mapping, and long-term career planning for finance and banking professionals ready to advance.
• Resume: Peer Review Expert resume review service priced at $399, providing a confidential phone consultation, full resume development and analysis, and ATS-optimized resume intended to secure more interviews.
• Resume: Fine-Tuning Resume editing service priced at $599 that includes everything in Peer Review plus personal industry network and contact introductions and a tailored cover letter for various positions.
• Resume: Total Makeover Complete resume redesign service priced at $799 that includes everything in Peer Review and Fine-Tuning plus a keyword-rich LinkedIn profile, unlimited resume revisions, and free future updates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85%+ client retention rate demonstrating long-term client satisfaction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oak LeydencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026501(c)3 non-profit partner for the 8th annual Bankers Charity Golf Classic (July 22, 2026). Oak Leyden's mission is to serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and delays, as well as their families, by providing individualized therapy, education, housing, job placement, and other comprehensive services. Willing to Hunt raises funds and awareness for this organization through their annual charity event.
• Ruffled Feathers Golf ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Golf venue partner for annual Bankers Charity Golf Classic. Not only provided beautiful greens but also donated two foursomes to be raffled off to raise money for Trinity Volunteer Corps.
• First Eagle BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Community Bank of ElmhurstminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Illinois BankersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Bank Talent HQminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Providence Bank & TrustminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Bank Advisors Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Merchants Bank SBA DivisionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• K.T. Jones ConsultingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Bank FinancialminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Centrust BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• People's BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Byline BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• Marquette BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Sponsor of 2022 Bankers Charity Golf Classic.
• My City My Hood My CityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago organization tackling community development from senior care initiatives to youth programs. They create awareness of opportunities and deeper connections that empower their community.
• E.G. WoodeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness incubator fighting funding disparities to help minority business owners reach new heights. They help recruit talent, scale entrepreneurial endeavors, and launch local businesses.
• Trinity Volunteer CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago nonprofit promoting inclusion through community volunteerism and engagement for adults with disabilities. Previous beneficiary of Bankers Charity Golf Classic (raised $8,000+ in 2022).
• First Tee OaklandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development organization using golf to teach overcoming adversity and character building, providing life and volunteering experiences to local youth.
• Tri City Health PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare organization providing quality health care to community members regardless of economic background, promoting preventive care for underserved communities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JM Search: JM Search is a specialized executive search firm with a strong financial services practice placing senior leaders in banks, asset managers, and fintech. Comparable to Willing to Hunt in its vertical focus on financial services and emphasis on long-term client relationships, though somewhat larger in scale.
• Options Group: Options Group is a specialized recruiting firm focused on financial services and technology talent across banking, capital markets, and fintech. Similar boutique positioning to Willing to Hunt with comparable vertical concentration, though with somewhat broader geographic and functional coverage.
• Crist Kolder Associates: Crist Kolder Associates is a boutique executive search firm that specializes exclusively in financial services and banking leadership placements, similar in size, vertical focus, and relationship-based model to Willing to Hunt. Both firms compete for VP-to-C-suite mandates at mid-market and enterprise banks, making this the closest direct comparable.
• Bank Talent HQ: Bank Talent HQ is a recruiting and talent firm focused exclusively on the banking industry, having even sponsored Willing to Hunt's annual Golf Classic. It is a direct competitive comparable in vertical focus (community and mid-market banks) and recruiting methodology, though likely larger in scale and more digitally enabled.

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a global executive search leader with one of the largest dedicated Financial Services practices. It competes with Willing to Hunt for senior banking mandates but operates at much larger scale with broader geographic reach, multiple practice areas, and proprietary leadership assessment tools.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Russell Reynolds Associates is a global executive search firm with a strong Financial Services practice serving banks, asset managers, and private equity. It overlaps with Willing to Hunt in banking executive search but competes at significantly higher price points and with proprietary leadership advisory capabilities.
• Spencer Stuart: Spencer Stuart is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a longstanding Financial Services practice serving banks, insurers, and asset managers. It competes for the same C-suite and senior banking mandates Willing to Hunt targets, but as a broad incumbent with significantly deeper resources and proprietary board services.
• Egon Zehnder: Egon Zehnder is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a substantial Financial Services practice. It competes for senior banking and fintech mandates while also offering board advisory, leadership assessment, and culture transformation services beyond Willing to Hunt's scope.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is the world's largest executive search firm with a major Financial Services practice, plus adjacent RPO and consulting offerings. It competes with Willing to Hunt at the enterprise banking end of the market but operates at vastly greater scale and offers integrated talent solutions that boutiques cannot match.

Emerging players

• Solomon Page Group: Solomon Page Group is a mid-sized staffing and search firm with a financial services practice placing professionals across banking, asset management, and fintech. It overlaps with Willing to Hunt's banking focus but with broader staffing and temporary placement offerings beyond pure executive search.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/willingtohunt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willing-to-hunt
• Instagraminstagram.com/willingtohunt

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 Willing to Hunt