NICHOLAS ANGELL

What NICHOLAS ANGELL does

Nicholas Angell is a privately held French executive search and HR consulting firm founded in 1974, headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine (Levallois-Perret) with a stated headcount of 12. The firm is positioned as a "historic French player" (acteur historique français) specializing in direct-approach recruitment of executives, experts, and managers for Corporate functions — specifically General Management, Finance, Human Resources, Legal & Tax, and Information Systems — across three primary verticals: Industry, Services, and Private Equity, with additional named coverage of Consumer/Retail, Healthcare/Life Sciences, Technologies, Luxury, Transport/Logistics, and Energy/Infrastructures.

The firm's offering is organized into four service lines: Executive Search (direct headhunting), Évaluation et développement des talents (certified-consultant-led assessment and leadership development), Cartographies et benchmarks (HR studies, recruitment process audits, target organization analysis, salary benchmarks), and Management de transition (interim management delivered through sister firm Interaxis). The core technology is human advisory; there is no proprietary software platform, no API, and no disclosed AI/ML tooling. The firm is part of Groupe Cartago, which also controls Maesina International Search (marketing/commerce/digital search, founded 1973) and Interaxis.

Commercially, Nicholas Angell operates a direct B2B sales-led model targeting enterprise clients, with custom engagement-based pricing and multi-year contract cadence. Marketing relies on a corporate website, LinkedIn presence, and newsletter rather than paid acquisition. Customer logos span 20+ named enterprises (L'Oréal, Orange, Danone, Groupe La Poste, PwC, Tikehau Capital, ISAI, Baccarat, Goyard, KSB, Cellectis, CARMAT, among others), with the firm claiming 750+ cumulative corporate clients over its 50-year history. Geographic scope is France-only, and the firm is GDPR/RGPD compliant. No external investors or funding rounds are disclosed; ownership sits within the Cartago group.

Name

NICHOLAS ANGELL

Legal name

Nicholas Angell

Website

https://nicholasangell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nicholas Angell is a privately held French executive search and HR consulting firm founded in 1974, specializing in direct-approach recruitment of executives and experts for Corporate functions (Finance, HR, Legal, IT, General Management) in Industry, Services, and Private Equity across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services Leadership Search (Banking/Insurance/PE/Asset Mgmt) (BPACAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Talent evaluation consulting
• HR mapping benchmarks
• Interim management services
• Corporate recruitment France

Headquarters

HQ city

Neuilly-sur-Seine

HQ country

France

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: Direct approach recruitment of executives, experts, and managers for Corporate functions in Industry, Services, and Private Equity. Core service offering since founding in 1974.
2. Talent Evaluation & Development: Assessment and leadership development services using certified consultants to provide diagnostics and tailored recommendations.
3. HR Cartography & Benchmarks: In-depth HR studies and diagnostics to understand organizations and align human resources strategies with business objectives.
4. Interim Management: Transition management services provided through partnership with Interaxis for experienced interim managers to lead change and secure key transformation phases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Nicholas Angell is a historic French executive search and HR consulting firm that recruits executives, experts, and managers for Corporate functions (General Management, Finance, HR, Legal & Tax, Information Systems) across Industry, Services, and Private Equity sectors via direct-approach headhunting. The firm complements its core search practice with talent evaluation and leadership development, in-depth HR cartography and benchmark studies, and interim management delivered through partner Interaxis. Founded in 1974, it operates as a boutique advisory serving over 750 companies, headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

Product overview

Nicholas Angell is a historic French executive search and HR consulting firm founded in 1974, specializing in direct recruitment of executives, experts, and managers for Corporate functions in Industry, Services, and Private Equity sectors. The firm operates four core service lines: Executive Search (direct headhunting recruitment), Évaluation et développement des talents (talent assessment and development), Cartographies et benchmarks (HR mapping and salary benchmarking), and Management de transition (interim management via partner Interaxis). The company focuses on Corporate functions including General Management, Finance, Human Resources, Legal & Tax, and Information Systems, as well as Private Equity Front Office, Middle & Back Office, and Portfolio Management roles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search
• Talent Evaluation and Development (Évaluation et développement des talents)
• HR Cartography and Benchmarks (Cartographies et benchmarks)
• Interim Management (Management de transition)

Quantifiable outcome

• 750+ companies have trusted the firm with strategic recruitments

Named customers20 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Groupe CartagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNicholas Angell is part of Groupe Cartago, which is also a shareholder of Maesina International Search and Interaxis. Groupe Cartago serves as the parent group coordinating these HR consulting firms.
• Maesina International SearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated in 1973 by marketing professionals, Maesina specializes in recruiting executives in marketing, sales, and digital. Both Maesina and Nicholas Angell are part of Groupe Cartago.
• InteraxiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInteraxis is an independent interim management firm born from the strategic alliance between Maesina International Search (since 1973) and Nicholas Angell (since 1974). It provides interim managers for critical transformation moments in companies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm combining executive search with talent assessment and leadership development. Comparable because it offers the same search-plus-assessment-plus-adjacent-HR-services mix Nicholas Angell delivers, but at vastly larger scale.
• Michael Page International: Established international recruitment firm with a strong French practice recruiting across finance, legal, and senior management roles. Competes with Nicholas Angell for mid-to-senior Corporate function mandates in France.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a notable Paris practice serving French corporates and PE-backed businesses. Overlaps directly with Nicholas Angell's Corporate function and PE search remit at a larger scale.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep practices across financial services, private equity, and corporate functions. Comparable because it serves the same PE and Corporate function mandates Nicholas Angell targets, but at much larger scale and international reach.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a strong financial services and private equity practice and offices in Paris. Directly competes for the same senior Corporate function and PE mandates Nicholas Angell pursues, with broader geographic footprint.
• Robert Half (including Robert Walters): Global staffing and recruitment firm with significant presence in France across finance, legal, and professional services. Comparable to Nicholas Angell in French Corporate function recruitment but with much broader service portfolio.

Emerging players

• Progress Human Capital: French HR consulting and executive search boutique focused on senior corporate function placements. Comparable niche player operating in the same French market, though smaller scale and more focused on transformation mandates.

Direct peers

• Interaxis: Sister firm under Groupe Cartago offering interim management for transformation phases. Closely tied to Nicholas Angell via shared parent and shared clients, providing complementary transition management services rather than pure search.
• Eric Salmon & Partners: Leading French boutique executive search firm serving boards, CEOs, and senior executives across multiple sectors. Closely comparable to Nicholas Angell in size, geography, and focus on direct approach C-suite search in France.
• Maesina International Search: Sister firm under Groupe Cartago founded in 1973, specializing in direct approach executive search for marketing, commerce, and digital functions in France. Closely comparable boutique executive search peer, part of the same parent group, but addresses commercial functions rather than Corporate functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nicholas-angell

Compliance1 record

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 NICHOLAS ANGELL