What COFORWARD does

Coforward Human Resources & Consulting (legal entity: COFORWARD İNSAN KAYNAKLARI VE DANIŞMANLIK HİZMETLERİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ) is a privately held Turkish HR consulting firm founded in 2021 and headquartered in Istanbul's Sarıyer district. The company delivers advisory services rather than a software product: nine distinct offerings spanning executive headhunting for mid and C-level positions, trainee program recruitment, employer branding, inclusivity consulting, candidate experience consulting, reference checks, job description consulting, reorganization and transformation consulting, and performance management of top talent. Its go-to-market is B2B and sales-led, using a documented six-step recruitment process from needs assessment through post-hire follow-up, with distribution via direct client engagement, a corporate website, and LinkedIn. There is no proprietary technology platform, AI capability, or disclosed app surface.

The firm is bootstrapped with no external funding rounds, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. It operates a professional services revenue model, with engagement fees likely derived from placement, retainer, and consulting structures (no public pricing is disclosed). Target customers are corporate clients in transition or growth phases, with particular emphasis on mid and C-level executive placements across cross-industry functions including Sales, Engineering, HR, Marketing, and Finance. The firm is licensed as a private employment agency by Türkiye İş Kurumu (İŞKUR) under license number 9298050 (recorded period 16/08/2021–15/08/2024) and operates as a KVKK-compliant data controller under Turkish personal data protection law.

Coforward's claimed scale includes 3,500+ clients served (cumulative) and ~16 employees, with case-study customers in technology, entertainment, and healthcare. Geographic footprint is limited to Istanbul, and the firm's only disclosed leadership includes CEO & Founder James C. Gonzalez and Co-Founder Kevin Martin. The business model depends entirely on the expertise and capacity of its consultant bench; there are no disclosed automation, AI tooling, or platform leverage mechanisms to scale beyond headcount.

Name

COFORWARD

Legal name

COFORWARD İNSAN KAYNAKLARI VE DANIŞMANLIK HİZMETLERİ ANONİM ŞİRKETİ

Website

https://coforward.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coforward is a privately held Istanbul-based HR consulting firm founded in 2021 that delivers nine specialized advisory services, including mid and C-level executive headhunting, employer branding, reorganization, and inclusivity consulting, to corporate clients in Turkey.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting and Executive Search

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Executive Search Services (561312), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Management & Workforce Planning Consulting (BPAHAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performance Management & Productivity Consulting (BPAHAGAL), DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) & Belonging Consulting (BPAHAGAJ), General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Human resources consulting
• Talent acquisition
• Employer branding
• Organizational transformation

Headquarters

HQ city

İstanbul

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Human Resources Consulting Services: Coforward generates revenue through professional services fees for human resources consultancy. This includes end-to-end recruitment for mid and C-level positions, employer branding, reorganizations, talent management, and related advisory services. Revenue is likely derived from consulting fees, placement/recruitment fees, and retainer arrangements, though specific pricing structures are not publicly disclosed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

COFORWARD delivers end-to-end human resources consulting services for corporate clients in Turkey. Its core work covers recruitment for mid and C-level positions, employer branding, organizational reorganizations, talent management, reference checks, job description consulting, inclusivity and candidate experience advisory, trainee program recruitment, and performance management of top talent. Engagements are delivered as bespoke consulting assignments rather than packaged software.

Product overview

COFORWARD is a human resources consulting firm offering a portfolio of specialized HR services as distinct, standalone offerings rather than a unified software platform. The core services include executive headhunting for mid and C-level positions, trainee talent program recruitment, job description consulting, reference checks, employer branding, inclusivity consulting, candidate experience consulting, reorganization and transformations consulting, and performance management of top talent. These services are delivered as consulting engagements rather than software products, with the company serving as a strategic HR partner for businesses seeking to recruit, develop, and retain talent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Headhunting of Mid and C-Level Positions Executive search service for identifying and recruiting CEOs, board members, and other senior leadership positions for high-growth startups and companies in transition.
• Trainee Talent Program Recruitment Recruitment service focused on early career talent through apprenticeship, internship, or rotational programs to address skill gaps and workforce continuity planning.
• Job Description Consulting Consultancy service that helps organizations define job requirements and create detailed position profiles across various functions including Sales, Engineering, HR, Marketing, Finance, and more.
• Reference Checks Background verification service that helps employers make informed hiring decisions, maintain safe work environments, and protect against liability claims.
• Employer Branding Service that helps organizations define their employer brand, determine employee value propositions, and shape brand perception to attract qualified candidates.
• Inclusivity Consulting Advisory service helping organizations integrate people with disabilities into the workplace by addressing barriers and creating inclusive, efficient working environments.
• Candidate Experience Consulting Consulting service focused on improving the overall candidate journey during recruitment, from first contact through onboarding, to achieve better conversion rates and attract better candidates.
• Reorganization & Transformations Consulting Organizational transformation service helping companies adapt to market changes through mergers, restructuring, cost reduction, and process streamlining to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Performance Management of Top Talent Service that trains managers in empathetic and supportive leadership, providing effective performance management plans that support employees throughout their lifecycle from onboarding to exit.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 3500 clients served (claimed by company)

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• LHH (Lee Hecht Harrison): Global talent development, career transition, and HR consulting firm under the Adecco Group. Comparable to Coforward's performance management, reorganization, and executive coaching-adjacent advisory services, with broader delivery scale.
• Spencer Stuart: Premier global executive search and leadership advisory firm specializing in board, CEO, and senior executive placements. Closely comparable to Coforward's executive headhunting focus on CEO, board, and C-suite positions, while also operating at much greater scale and geographic reach.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm combining executive search, talent management, and HR advisory services. Comparable to Coforward's combined executive headhunting and HR transformation offering, though operating at vastly greater scale across global markets.
• Robert Half International: Global staffing and talent solutions firm offering permanent placement, contract staffing, and consulting. Comparable to Coforward's direct-hire search and HR advisory services, though at significantly larger scale and with a technology-enabled sourcing platform.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global leadership advisory and executive search firm with a strong executive search practice serving C-suite and board-level mandates. Directly comparable to Coforward's core mid-and-C-level headhunting service, with additional culture shaping and leadership consulting that maps to Coforward's employer branding and reorganization services.

Regional players

• Michael Page Turkey: Specialist recruiter operating in Turkey focused on mid-to-senior management and executive placements across multiple industries. Comparable to Coforward's executive search and cross-industry function hiring focus, with greater market reach.
• Adecco Group Turkey: Local Turkish operations of global staffing leader Adecco, offering permanent placement, temporary staffing, and HR consulting across Turkish cities. Most directly comparable regional competitor to Coforward in the Istanbul market, with deeper brand and larger consultant bench.
• Hays Turkey: Specialist recruitment and HR services firm operating in Turkey with focus on mid-to-senior level permanent placement across functions. Comparable to Coforward's mid and C-level headhunting focus, with deeper candidate databases and broader functional coverage.
• ManpowerGroup Turkey: Turkish subsidiary of global staffing firm ManpowerGroup providing recruitment, workforce solutions, and HR consulting. Comparable to Coforward as a competing Istanbul-based HR services provider, with stronger global brand and broader service offerings.
• Doğan İnsan Kaynakları: Established Turkish HR services firm providing recruitment, executive search, and HR consulting across Turkey. Comparable local-market competitor to Coforward with longer operating history and broader brand recognition within the Turkish corporate market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coforward-i%CC%87nsan-kaynaklar%C4%B1-ve-dan%C4%B1%C5%9Fmanl%C4%B1k-hizmetleri-a-%C5%9F

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 COFORWARD