VDV Search
VDV Search is a London-based boutique executive search firm placing mid-to-senior talent across strategy, design, and commercial leadership roles for creative agencies and design businesses globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What VDV Search does
VDV Search is a London-based boutique executive search firm founded in 2020 that exclusively serves the creative and design industry. The company operates with 1-10 employees and specializes in placing mid-to-senior and executive-level talent across five core disciplines: Leadership (General Manager, Managing Director, CEO, COO), Client Servicing (Account Director, Business Director, Client Services Director, VP Client Services), Strategy (Associate Strategy Director through Chief Strategy Officer), Creative (Associate Creative Director through Chief Creative Officer), and Growth (New Business Director, Chief Growth Officer, Head of New Business). Its client roster includes Dentsu, AKQA, Yonder, Base, Romans, Clear, Paradise, Preacher, 72, and Dotdot, with the firm operating across 12+ countries spanning the UK, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the US. To date, VDV Search has completed 120+ placements and supported 40+ businesses and senior departments globally.
The company is structured as a relationship-driven consultancy without proprietary technology platforms, APIs, or AI capabilities. Its service delivery is entirely human-capital-led, employing a high-touch, consultative sales model with direct client engagement via phone and email. The firm positions itself as "independent, embedded, and commercially focused," with a mission-driven emphasis on authentic, diverse, and inclusive recruitment journeys, and leverages dual-market roots in London and Asia to access diverse candidate pools. Marketing channels are limited to the firm's own website and direct outreach; no intermediary distribution, channel partners, or referral networks are referenced.
VDV Search generates revenue through professional services fees on retained or contingency executive search engagements, typically structured as a percentage of placed candidate compensation or fixed success fees for senior-level searches. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investors, and operates from its headquarters at 4th Floor, 205 Regent Street, London W1B 4HB. No public pricing is disclosed, and pricing is governed by candidate seniority, search complexity, and retainer arrangements as is standard in the executive search industry.
VDV Search firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VDV Search
- Legal name
- VDV Search
- Website
- https://vdvsearch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- VDV Search is a London-based boutique executive search firm placing mid-to-senior talent across strategy, design, and commercial leadership roles for creative agencies and design businesses globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VDV Search industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search & Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK)
Keywords
Where VDV Search is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
VDV Search business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Executive Search and Talent Placement Services: VDV Search generates revenue through professional recruitment and executive search services, placing mid-to-senior talent in strategy, design, and commercial leadership roles at creative agencies and design businesses. As a retained or contingency search firm, they likely earn placement fees upon successful candidate placement, typically a percentage of the placed candidate's annual compensation or fixed success fees for senior-level searches.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
VDV Search product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VDV Search is an executive search and talent placement firm that partners with founders and leadership teams of independent creative and design businesses to place mid-to-senior talent across five disciplines: Leadership (General Manager, Managing Director, CEO, COO), Client Servicing, Strategy, Creative, and Growth. The firm operates globally across 12+ countries spanning London, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the US, with a mission to ensure authentic, diverse, and inclusive recruitment journeys.
Product overview
VDV Search is a recruitment and talent placement services company that operates as a single unified offering rather than a platform with modular products. The company partners with founders and leadership teams of independent creative and design businesses to place mid-to-senior talent across five core disciplines: Leadership (General Manager, Managing Director, CEO, COO), Client Servicing (Account Director, Business Director, Client Services Director, VP Client Services), Strategy (Associate Strategy Director, Strategy Director, Head of Strategy, Chief Strategy Officer, Executive Strategy Director), Creative (Associate Creative Director, Creative Director, Executive Creative Director, Chief Creative Officer), and Growth (New Business Director, Chief Growth Officer, Head of New Business). The company operates globally across 12+ countries, focusing on the UK, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the US, with a stated mission to ensure authentic, diverse and inclusive recruitment journeys.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search and Talent Placement Services
- Leadership Search
- Client Servicing Search
- Strategy Search
- Creative Search
- Growth Search
Companies that use VDV Search
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
VDV Search technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
VDV Search partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
VDV Search competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Henley Chase: Specialist executive search firm focused on the creative, marketing, and communications sectors; comparable to VDV Search as a niche competitor placing senior and executive talent into agencies and brand-side marketing organizations.
- Harmonic Group: Executive search and talent advisory focused on digital, creative, and technology businesses; comparable to VDV Search for senior leadership placements in creative and digital-first organizations.
- Grace Blue: Executive search firm focused on creative, digital, and communications industries; comparable to VDV Search as a niche boutique serving agency and brand-side senior leadership hires with a similar mid-to-senior placement mandate.
Broad incumbents
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm; comparable to VDV Search in delivering senior leadership and board search, particularly across consumer, media, and communications clients.
- Spencer Stuart: International executive search firm with broad industry coverage including communications and media; comparable to VDV Search for CEO, COO, and board-level placements in adjacent sectors.
- Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with strong consumer, media, and creative-sector coverage; comparable to VDV Search for cross-border senior leadership mandates in the creative industries.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm; comparable to VDV Search as a provider of C-suite and senior leadership search, although it operates at vastly greater scale and across all industries rather than a creative-only focus.
Others
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large executive search practice; comparable to VDV Search as a senior leadership search provider, but with a much broader industry footprint and additional talent consulting services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
VDV Search social profiles
Digital presenceVDV Search financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VDV Search leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
VDV Search funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VDV Search 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 VDV Search
What does VDV Search do?
VDV Search is an executive search and talent placement firm that partners with founders and leadership teams of independent creative and design businesses to place mid-to-senior talent across five disciplines: Leadership (General Manager, Managing Director, CEO, COO), Client Servicing, Strategy, Creative, and Growth. The firm operates globally across 12+ countries spanning London, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the US, with a mission to ensure authentic, diverse, and inclusive recruitment journeys.
Is VDV Search a public or private company?
VDV Search is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was VDV Search founded?
VDV Search was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is VDV Search based?
VDV Search is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does VDV Search make money?
One revenue line is on record: executive Search and Talent Placement Services.
Who are VDV Search's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Henley Chase, Harmonic Group and Grace Blue. Broad incumbents are Egon Zehnder, Spencer Stuart, Odgers Berndtson and Heidrick & Struggles. Korn Ferry is listed as an others.
Does VDV Search have an API?
No public API is recorded for VDV Search.
What industry is VDV Search in?
VDV Search's product category is Executive Search & Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAA, C-Suite & Board Search, with a secondary code of BPACAAAB, Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops). Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.