DE BORD INTERNATIONAL LTD

What DE BORD INTERNATIONAL LTD does

DE BORD INTERNATIONAL LTD is a Swiss boutique executive search and interim management firm headquartered at Zurichbergstrasse 38, Zurich (CHE-101.393.323), operating under the legal name DE BORD LTD and the trade names De Bord International and DE BORD INTERNATIONAL INTERIM. The firm has been in operation for roughly 25 years and serves clients across eight verticals: Luxury, FMCG, Construction, Industry/Digitalisation, Life Sciences/Med Tech, Healthcare, Professional Services, and Public Administration. Five named partners and managing partners lead the practice, with sub-brands MemorySearch (targeting Gen Y/Z candidates) and Lense & Lumen Advisory Group (a multi-country partnership of approximately 100 professionals across 15 countries in which De Bord is a founding partner).

The firm delivers retained executive search and interim management services on a project-based, sales-led engagement model with direct client relationships. In 2023 it expanded its service surface into Board of Directors advisory, succession planning, and digital transformation consulting, broadening the offering beyond traditional search. Recent leadership moves — Sandra Vontobel's appointment as Managing Partner in July 2023 and René Bossert's shareholder addition and expanded industrial/interim mandate in 2024 — indicate a deliberate scaling of both bench depth and the interim management practice line. GTM is direct, with no disclosed channel or partner-led distribution.

The disclosed technology stack is light: Ezekia CRM, LinkedIn, Xing, and Google. There is no disclosed AI/ML, proprietary technology platform, or data product. Revenue mechanics follow standard professional services retainers and interim management day rates, with no public pricing or contract value disclosures. The firm is privately held with no disclosed funding, headcount, or financial figures.

Name

DE BORD INTERNATIONAL LTD

Legal name

DE BORD LTD.

Website

https://debord.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DE BORD INTERNATIONAL LTD is a Swiss boutique executive search and interim management firm serving clients across Luxury, FMCG, Life Sciences, Healthcare, and other verticals, with sub-brands MemorySearch and Lense & Lumen Advisory Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search and Interim Management Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer & Retail Leadership Search (BPACAAAG)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Interim management
• Leadership recruitment
• Board advisory services
• Succession planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: Retained search mandates for permanent executive placements. The company identifies and places leaders in key positions for clients across various industries.
2. Interim Management Placement: Placement of certified interim managers for temporary leadership positions, typically ranging from 3 to 18 months. The company takes a systematic approach matching interim managers to specific client needs.
3. Coaching and Consulting: Individual coaching services for executives and specialists, candidate counseling, career planning support, and assessment services.
4. Succession Planning and Digital Transformation: Advisory services for leadership succession planning and organizational digital transformation initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DE BORD INTERNATIONAL is an independent Swiss Executive Search boutique headquartered in Zurich, providing retained executive search, interim management placement, and leadership advisory services. The firm matches senior executives and board members to client mandates across industries including luxury goods, FMCG, life sciences, industrial, and construction, supported by an international partner network for cross-border searches.

Product overview

DE BORD INTERNATIONAL operates as an independent Swiss Executive Search Boutique offering a portfolio of human capital and talent acquisition services. The core offerings consist of Executive Search & Talent Recruiting and Interim Management, supplemented by specialized sub-brands and service modules. MemorySearch (a sub-brand) targets young professionals for leadership positions, while Lense & Lumen Advisory Group provides international reach through a European partner network. Additional service modules include Coaching & Consulting, Board of Directors Services, and Succession Planning & Digital Transformation. The company focuses on industries including luxury goods, FMCG, construction, industry & digitalisation, Med Tech & Life Sciences, healthcare, professional services, and public administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MemorySearch: A brand of DE BORD INTERNATIONAL offering the recommendation of well-trained personalities with first professional experience, talents and high potentials for executive positions — targeting young professionals and generation Y and Z.
• Lense & Lumen Advisory Group

Products and services

• Executive Search & Talent Recruiting
• Interim Management
• MemorySearch
• Coaching & Consulting
• Board of Directors Services
• Succession Planning & Digital Transformation

Quantifiable outcome

• Interim managers available within days for urgent requirements
• +1 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lense & Lumen Advisory GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDE BORD INTERNATIONAL is a founding partner of the Lense & Lumen Advisory Group, an international organization co-owned by four independent European Executive Search & HR Consultancy firms. The network enables cross-border executive search for C-level positions and international expansion support. Members span Belgium, Czech Republic, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and USA, comprising approximately 100 professionals.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with strong European presence, particularly in DACH and life sciences. Comparable as a cross-border search competitor with industry-specialized partners.
• Stanton Chase: International retained executive search firm organized as a partnership of independent offices. Closely comparable model to DE BORD's boutique structure and partner-led approach.
• Norman Broadbent: Independent UK-headquartered executive search and interim management firm. Closely comparable boutique model with retained search and interim management offerings for senior leadership roles.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with comparable life sciences, consumer goods, and industrial expertise. Direct competitor for cross-border senior leadership mandates.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Directly comparable as a retained executive search practice serving C-level mandates across multiple industries, with a partner-led model and similar vertical specialization (industrial, consumer, life sciences).
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with strong life sciences, consumer, and industrial practices. Direct competitor for senior executive and board-level retained search mandates across the same verticals DE BORD serves.
• Spencer Stuart: Leading global executive search firm with deep practices in consumer, life sciences, and industrial sectors. Closely comparable in offering retained executive search and board advisory services to enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• PageGroup: Global recruitment firm with executive search and interim management services (Page Executive, Michael Page). Adjacent incumbent offering overlapping with DE BORD's mid-market executive and interim mandates.
• Korn Ferry: Large global organizational consulting firm with a major executive search division. Comparable offering but with broader portfolio (RPO, consulting, assessment) and much larger scale than DE BORD's boutique.
• Robert Half International (Protiviti): Global staffing and consulting firm with interim management and executive search capabilities. Broader incumbent offering overlapping with DE BORD's interim management practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/de-bord-international-ltd

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 DE BORD INTERNATIONAL LTD