Pact & Partners

What Pact & Partners does

Pact & Partners is a boutique retained executive search firm founded in Paris in 1987, originally focused on pharma and healthcare, that since 2020 has narrowed its remit to a single proposition: placing C-suite executives (CEO, COO, CFO, CTO), General Managers, and Board Members for international companies entering or expanding in the United States. The firm operates a senior-only delivery model — no junior handoffs — with a team led by CEO Olivier Safir (Miami), Senior Partner Jean-Pierre Haber, Senior Partner Tiphaine Le Trionnaire, and CTO Basile Dos Santos, supported by offices in Miami (global headquarters, established 2013) and Boston (opened 2012, anchoring the New England/life-sciences practice). Search is delivered through a proprietary seven-phase methodology (Challenging, Benchmarking via SPECTRUM-CVs®, Targeting, Selecting, Convincing, Recruiting, Performing), with SPECTRUM-CVs® being the firm's registered benchmarking phase that delivers real candidate CVs to clients in the early weeks for course correction.

The firm makes money exclusively through retained executive search fees: a flat 27% of first-year gross salary plus bonuses, billed as 50% upfront retainer and 50% on successful placement, with a 90-day replacement guarantee and no admin, travel, or equity add-ons. Startup and non-profit rates are available on request. Its client base spans Fortune 500 multinationals (Total, Takeda, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Nestlé, Medtronic, Lilly, Abbott, Ipsen, 3M, Leo Pharma) and mid-market European biotech and digital health companies (Treefrog, Yposkesi, Voluntis/Aptar Pharma, Genethon, PDS). Since 2020 the focus has been exclusively on cross-border mandates — primarily foreign companies hiring U.S. executives — with a publicly stated 2030 ambition to become the world's #1 platform for foreign companies hiring leaders in the USA. The firm claims 2,000+ cumulative placements across 30+ countries, a 7-week average shortlist timeline, and a 100% success rate over the last 5 years. Distribution is direct: senior-partner-led field sales, CEO-led content marketing, and 20+ metro-specific SEO pages covering major U.S. cities.

Name

Pact & Partners

Legal name

Pact & Partners

Website

https://pactandpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pact & Partners is a boutique retained executive search firm that exclusively places C-suite executives, General Managers, and Board Members for international companies entering or expanding in the United States. Founded in 1987 in Paris and headquartered in Miami, the senior-only team delivers proprietary seven-phase searches with a flat 27% fee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search Fees: Flat 27% fee on first-year gross salary + bonuses. 50% charged upfront as a retainer, 50% charged only on successful placement. No admin fees, no travel fees, no stock-based add-ons. 90-day replacement guarantee included. Startup and non-profit rates available on request.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pact & Partners is a boutique retained executive search firm that places C-suite executives (CEO, COO, CFO, CTO, VP), General Managers, and Board Members exclusively for international companies entering or expanding in the U.S. market. Each search is exclusive and retained, led by a senior partner, and built on direct outreach to passive candidates using a proprietary 7-phase methodology anchored by the SPECTRUM-CVs® benchmarking phase. The firm charges a flat 27% fee on first-year gross salary plus bonuses, with a 90-day replacement guarantee.

Product overview

Pact & Partners is a boutique retained executive search firm offering two core services: Executive Search and Board Recruiting. The firm employs a proprietary 7-phase search methodology, highlighted by its SPECTRUM-CVs® benchmarking phase, to place C-suite executives (CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CTOs, VPs), General Managers, and Board Members exclusively for international companies expanding into the U.S. market. The service is delivered by senior partners directly—not junior associates—with a transparent 27% flat fee structure, 50/50 payment split, and 90-day replacement guarantee. The firm operates virtually across 21 U.S. metro markets with physical offices in Miami (headquarters) and Boston.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Retained executive search service placing C-suite leaders (CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CTOs, VPs) and General Managers for international companies entering or expanding in the U.S. market. Each assignment is exclusive, led by a senior partner, and built on direct outreach to passive candidates.
• Board Recruiting Specialized executive search service for placing Board Members and directors for international companies establishing governance structures in the U.S.
• U.S. Market Entry Executive Hiring Specialized service helping foreign companies recruit their first U.S. executive hire, including General Manager recruitment for establishing U.S. subsidiaries, with compensation benchmarking and market insights to support U.S. expansion.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ executives placed globally since 1987
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DHR Global: Privately held global executive search firm serving clients across industries including healthcare and life sciences. Comparable to Pact & Partners on retained C-suite search for multinational and cross-border mandates.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable on retained C-suite and board search methodology, particularly for European-headquartered multinationals expanding into the U.S. — overlapping directly with Pact & Partners' foreign-to-U.S. niche.
• Signium: International executive search firm with origins in European cross-border search. Comparable to Pact & Partners on retained C-suite mandates for international clients, with similar boutique-style partner-led delivery across multiple geographies.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep healthcare, pharma, and life sciences practices. Competes head-to-head with Pact & Partners on senior executive placements for multinational clients, including foreign companies entering the U.S.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the world's largest retained executive search firms, serving global clients across industries including healthcare and life sciences. Directly comparable to Pact & Partners on retained C-suite search, though far larger and serving both U.S. and global mandates rather than a foreign-to-U.S. niche.
• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm with strong European heritage and cross-border mandates. Directly comparable to Pact & Partners on retained search for European and international clients entering the U.S., especially in life sciences and industrial sectors.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global retained executive search firm with strong healthcare, life sciences, and technology practices. Directly comparable to Pact & Partners in delivering C-suite and board searches for multinational clients, including cross-border mandates.
• Transearch International: Global retained executive search firm with deep cross-border practice, particularly for European and Asian clients expanding internationally. Directly comparable to Pact & Partners on foreign-to-U.S. executive placement mandates and senior-only delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Large-scale global organizational consulting firm offering executive search, RPO, talent assessment, and leadership development. Competes with Pact & Partners on C-suite search while offering adjacent services (RPO, assessments, executive coaching) that a boutique cannot match.

Emerging players

• True Search: Boutique executive search firm focused on private equity-backed companies and growth-stage businesses. Comparable to Pact & Partners in boutique, partner-led delivery model, but skews to PE portfolio companies rather than foreign-to-U.S. expansion mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bestrecruitersinlifesciences
• Facebookfacebook.com/pactandpartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Pact & Partners