PROGRES HR
PROGRES HR (Progress Executive) is a Warsaw-based boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm placing C-level, board, and senior interim leaders for enterprise clients across the DACH and CEE markets, primarily in manufacturing, finance, and consumer industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWarsaw, Poland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PROGRES HR does
PROGRES HR, operating commercially as Progress Executive, is a boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, and registered as a sole proprietorship under Rafał Wałdoch. The firm provides four interrelated service lines: Executive Search for C-level and senior leadership roles using confidential direct search and headhunting; Interim Management for temporary executive placements during transformations, crises, or vacancies; Board Services covering supervisory and advisory board recruitment plus corporate governance advisory; and Talent Mapping for market analysis, succession planning, and competitive intelligence on candidate availability.
The firm serves enterprise clients primarily across DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and CEE (Poland), with a stated emphasis on Manufacturing, Finance, E-commerce, Consumer Goods & Retail, Heavy Industry, and Automotive. Named case-study clients include a commercial vehicle producer in Poland, a German manufacturing firm, a German tax and law firm, a Germany/Poland aluminum forming company serving the automotive sector, and a Germany/Poland dairy company, indicating deep engagement with German-Polish cross-border industrial and professional services buyers. Operational coverage is delivered through a two-partner model: Rafał Waldoch leads DACH, while Elwira Kostka (30+ years of experience) leads CEE.
The business model is classic professional services revenue: fees earned on successful placements, typically structured as retained or contingency search engagements, with no publicly disclosed pricing or SaaS/recurring revenue component. Go-to-market is consultative and relationship-driven, supplemented by a content-led blog and direct inquiry forms on the website. There is no proprietary technology platform, no API, no AI tooling, and no disclosed data assets; the firm's competitive basis rests on partner experience (15+ years at firm level, claimed 95% placement success rate), cross-border DACH/CEE positioning, and personal client relationships rather than technology scale.
PROGRES HR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PROGRES HR
- Legal name
- PROGRES HR Rafał Wałdoch
- Website
- https://progres-hr.pl
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PROGRES HR (Progress Executive) is a Warsaw-based boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm placing C-level, board, and senior interim leaders for enterprise clients across the DACH and CEE markets, primarily in manufacturing, finance, and consumer industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PROGRES HR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)
Keywords
Where PROGRES HR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Warsaw
- HQ country
- Poland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PROGRES HR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Executive Search Services: The company generates revenue through executive search and leadership recruitment services, placing C-level executives (CEO, CFO, CTO), board members, and senior leaders in organizations. Revenue is earned through successful placements, likely through retained or contingency-based search fees typical of the executive search industry.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
PROGRES HR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PROGRES HR, operating as Progress Executive, is a Warsaw-based executive search and leadership advisory firm providing four core services: Executive Search (confidential headhunting for C-level roles such as CEO, CFO, CTO with assessment of leadership skills and cultural fit), Interim Management (temporary executive placements for transformation projects, crisis periods, or vacancies), Board Services (recruitment of supervisory and advisory board members plus corporate governance advisory), and Talent Mapping (market analysis, succession planning, and candidate availability insights).
Product overview
PROGRES HR operates as Progress Executive, an executive search and leadership advisory firm offering a unified suite of services centered on identifying and placing senior executive talent. The core offering consists of four interconnected service lines: Executive Search (recruitment for C-level and top leadership roles using confidential headhunting), Interim Management (temporary executive placements for transformation and crisis situations), Board Services (supervisory and advisory board recruitment with governance advisory), and Talent Mapping (market analysis and succession planning). These services work together to provide comprehensive talent solutions from initial market assessment through executive placement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search
Companies that use PROGRES HR
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
PROGRES HR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
PROGRES HR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
PROGRES HR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search leader with broad board and CEO placement practice. Comparable as a direct competitor for senior-level mandates in DACH/CEE, but operates at much larger scale and with broader geographic coverage.
- Korn Ferry: One of the largest global executive search and organizational consulting firms. Competes on the same C-suite/board mandates and adds RPO, talent consulting, and assessment capabilities beyond what PROGRES HR offers.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong EMEA presence. Directly competes for C-suite and board mandates in DACH and increasingly in CEE, offering a wider service portfolio including leadership assessment.
- Egon Zehnder: Privately held global executive search firm with strong European heritage. Directly comparable in serving boards and CEOs across DACH; offers a similar relationship-driven, partnership-structured model at significantly greater scale.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with established EMEA practice. Directly competes for C-suite placements in DACH and increasingly in CEE; offers leadership advisory and culture services alongside search.
- Robert Half International: Global staffing and talent solutions firm with an executive search practice. Overlaps on senior-level placements and competes for some of the same enterprise clients in DACH/CEE, though more diversified into broader staffing and consulting.
- Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm headquartered in the UK with significant DACH presence. Closely comparable on board and CEO-level mandates; competes for the same enterprise clients in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Direct peers
- Amrop: Global executive search partnership with strong CEE and emerging Europe presence. Closest comparable boutique-style competitor focused on board and senior executive mandates across Central and Eastern Europe.
- Page Executive (Michael Page Group): Executive search division of PageGroup focused on senior leadership and board placements. Comparable in serving C-suite mandates, with similar mid-sized boutique feel but backed by a large publicly listed parent and broader geographic reach.
- IIC Partners: International executive search partnership of independent firms with strong European coverage. Closely comparable boutique-style network structure serving board and C-level mandates across multiple geographies including CEE.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PROGRES HR social profiles
Digital presencePROGRES HR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PROGRES HR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
PROGRES HR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PROGRES HR 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 PROGRES HR
What does PROGRES HR do?
PROGRES HR, operating as Progress Executive, is a Warsaw-based executive search and leadership advisory firm providing four core services: Executive Search (confidential headhunting for C-level roles such as CEO, CFO, CTO with assessment of leadership skills and cultural fit), Interim Management (temporary executive placements for transformation projects, crisis periods, or vacancies), Board Services (recruitment of supervisory and advisory board members plus corporate governance advisory), and Talent Mapping (market analysis, succession planning, and candidate availability insights).
Is PROGRES HR a public or private company?
PROGRES HR is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PROGRES HR founded?
PROGRES HR was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PROGRES HR based?
PROGRES HR is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, in the Europe region.
How does PROGRES HR make money?
One revenue line is on record: executive Search Services.
Who are PROGRES HR's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Spencer Stuart, Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles, Egon Zehnder, Russell Reynolds Associates, Robert Half International and Odgers Berndtson. Direct peers are Amrop, Page Executive (Michael Page Group) and IIC Partners.
Does PROGRES HR have an API?
No public API is recorded for PROGRES HR.
What industry is PROGRES HR in?
PROGRES HR's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAB, Executive & Leadership Direct Hire, with a secondary code of BPACAAAK, Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.