What EXS Italia does

EXS Italia, operating under the legal entity Wyser Srl A Socio Unico, is the executive search and selection brand of Gi Group Holding S.p.A., Italy's first multinational in the employment industry. The firm is headquartered in Milan and operates five Italian offices (Milan, Turin, Padua, Bologna, Rome), serving enterprise and mid-market companies seeking managerial and executive talent across 14 specialized practice areas including Banking & Insurance, Life Sciences, Energy, IT & Digital, Luxury Goods, Industrial, FMCG, and ESG. Its core offering centers on executive search (headhunting), managerial search, assessment center services, market mapping, governance advisory, succession planning, and board member search, with revenue generated through custom professional service fees typically structured as a percentage of placed candidate compensation or fixed project fees on retained or contingency engagements.

The company's underlying technology stack combines a proprietary executive assessment algorithm co-developed with Sapienza University of Rome's Department of Organizational Psychology, the proprietary WInn Assessment tool for evaluating leadership agility and innovation fit, and multidimensional psychometric testing (25-30 minutes) supported by Thomas International tools. AI and Machine Learning are deployed as featured components of the methodology for candidate profiling and predictive fit analysis, though the firm does not disclose technical architecture depth. Go-to-market is primarily enterprise field sales through sector-specialized consultants, supplemented by event-driven thought leadership (conferences, research reports), content marketing through a 221+ article Knowledge Center, and inside-sales self-serve channels via the myWyser portal and EXS Customer Portal.

The firm also partners with INTOO to deliver a B2C career coaching program called Build My Career, extending its reach from B2B search into individual manager career transition services. Global executive search capability is enabled through Gi Group Holding's infrastructure of 500+ offices across 13 countries on three continents, allowing cross-border mandates that purely Italian competitors cannot fulfill. Wyser holds Italian Ministry of Labor authorization (Aut. Min. 15/04/2014 Prot. N. 39/4903), GDPR compliance, and UNI/PdR 125:2022 Gender Equality Certification.

Name

EXS Italia

Legal name

Wyser Srl

Website

https://it.wyser-search.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wyser Srl (EXS Italia) is an Italian executive search and selection firm serving enterprise and mid-market clients across 14 industry verticals, using proprietary AI-assisted assessment methodology and operating as part of Gi Group Holding's global network spanning 13 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Executive Search & Selection Services: Fee-based professional services for executive and managerial recruitment. Services include executive search (headhunting), managerial search, assessment center, market mapping, governance advisory, succession planning, and board member search. Revenue is generated through professional service fees, typically on a retained or contingency basis for placement engagements.
2. Career Consulting Services (Build My Career): Wyser partners with INTOO to offer career coaching programs such as Build My Career, which provides career mapping, CV preparation, LinkedIn optimization, networking guidance, and interview preparation through certified career coaches.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

EXS Italia (operating as Wyser) provides executive search and selection services for managerial and C-level profiles, including retained headhunting, assessment center projects, market mapping, governance advisory, succession planning, and board member search. The firm serves enterprise and mid-market clients across 14 specialized practice areas in Italy, leveraging proprietary assessment methodology validated through an academic partnership with Sapienza University of Rome and supported by AI/ML-assisted candidate profiling tools.

Product overview

EXS Italia operates under the Wyser brand, a global executive search and selection company and part of Gi Group Holding. The offering consists of a unified service portfolio centered on executive search and selection, with specialized divisions for managerial profiles (Ricerca & Selezione) and executive-level positions (EXS Executive Search). The core platform is complemented by proprietary assessment tools (WInn Assessment), third-party psychometric testing (Thomas International), and specialized consulting services including Governance Advisory, Succession Planning, Managerial Appraisal, and career consulting (Build My Career). The portfolio spans the entire executive talent acquisition lifecycle from search and selection to assessment, market mapping, and ongoing advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EXS Executive Search

Quantifiable outcome

• 67% of surveyed board members believe technological evolution will have a strong impact on company strategy in the next 2-3 years (from EXS/Excellera research)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments25 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Excellera IntelligencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Wyser's EXS Executive Search division collaborated with Excellera Intelligence, a data science company, to produce the research report 'Tra governance e trasformazione tecnologica: le sfide e le prospettive per i CdA'. The study analyzed how Boards of Directors are addressing digital transformation challenges, including competency priorities and key gaps. Excellera contributed data science expertise while Wyser provided executive search market insights and network access.
• INTOOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWyser partners with INTOO to offer the 'Build My Career' career coaching program. INTOO provides certified career coaches who support managers and executives with career mapping, CV preparation, LinkedIn optimization, networking guidance, and interview preparation. Wyser white-labels and distributes this program through its candidate-facing platform.
• Sapienza University of Rome - Department of Organizational PsychologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWyser developed its proprietary executive assessment algorithm in collaboration with the Department of Organizational Psychology of Sapienza University of Rome. The academic partnership provided research validation for the methodology that interprets and defines managerial styles best suited to specific company contexts, and informed the development of Wyser's 8-factor leadership competency model.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a strong board and C-suite practice across multiple industries and geographies. Directly comparable to Wyser's EXS division in target clientele (board, CEO, senior executive placements), service scope, and use of proprietary assessment tools.
• PageGroup: Global recruitment group (Michael Page, Page Personnel, Page Executive) operating across Italy in mid-to-senior level professional recruitment. Directly comparable to Wyser in managerial/executive search, candidate database approach, and Italian market presence.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global executive search firm with particularly strong European coverage and a leadership advisory franchise. Directly comparable to Wyser/EXS in executive search methodology, sector specialization, and proprietary assessment approach.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with a strong C-suite and board practice. Directly comparable to Wyser/EXS in serving executive placements across multiple industries, including research-driven insights (cited in Wyser's own knowledge center).
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm combining executive search, talent management, and advisory services. Directly comparable to Wyser/EXS in executive search, succession planning, and assessment center offerings, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Boyden: Global executive search firm with established operations in Italy serving mid-market and large enterprise clients. Directly comparable to Wyser/EXS in sector-specialized executive search and board advisory services.
• Hays: Global professional recruitment group with significant Italian operations across multiple sectors. Directly comparable to Wyser in mid-to-senior level managerial recruitment, professional staffing, and Italian market presence.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the world's leading global executive search and leadership advisory firms, with deep presence in Europe. Directly comparable to Wyser/EXS in serving board, CEO, and senior executive searches for enterprise clients across similar practice verticals.

Broad incumbents

• Randstad: Global HR services leader operating across staffing, recruitment, and HR solutions, with significant Italian operations. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in professional/executive search as part of a much wider portfolio of HR services.
• Gi Group: Parent company of Wyser Srl, providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, and HR services across 500+ offices globally. Broader incumbent operating across the full HR services spectrum; Wyser is its specialized executive search subsidiary.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exs-srl

Compliance3 records

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 EXS Italia