LEMON search

What LEMON search does

LEMON Search is a Dutch executive search and talent coaching firm specializing in finance professionals with 3-8 years of experience in the €70k-€100k salary band. Founded in 2019 as a subsidiary of LIME (established 2005), the firm operates from three office locations in the Netherlands: Amsterdam (headquarters), Rotterdam (opened 2023), and Den Bosch (opened 2025). LEMON serves two primary customer segments in parallel: organizations (commercial enterprises, multinationals, family businesses, SMEs, scale-ups, and Private Equity portfolio companies) seeking high-potential finance talent for roles such as Business Controller, Financial Controller, Head of Finance, ESG Controller, M&A analyst, and Data Analytics positions; and ambitious finance professionals seeking career coaching, market insights, and placement services.

The company's core offering is end-to-end executive search, managing the full recruitment cycle from intake and profiling through candidate sourcing, interview facilitation, contract negotiation, and onboarding. LEMON does not operate proprietary technology products; the value proposition rests on maintaining active, ongoing relationships with passive candidates not actively job-seeking, combined with sharp market knowledge of the Dutch finance sector. Supporting services include career coaching for candidates, CFO/finance management advisory on team structure and talent strategy, community events (including 'Future of Finance' at Heineken and robotics clinics with PwC), and thought-leadership content such as the 'The Road to CFO' blog series. Marketing is conducted through LinkedIn, Instagram, the company website, and newsletter campaigns.

LEMON's business model is professional services revenue based on placement fees derived from the €70k-€100k salary target band, operating on an exclusive (not multi-contingency) basis with client organizations. The firm is part of the broader LIME platform alongside LIME Search (CFO-level executive search) and LIME Interim (interim management solutions), creating a multi-tier finance talent platform covering the full career spectrum. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Named client logos span at least 16 enterprises across 12+ industries including TenCate, bol.com, Talpa Network, BAM, Eurofiber, Allego, Centric, Bauer Media Outdoor, and Bergman Clinics, indicating broad vertical diversification within the Netherlands-only footprint.

Name

LEMON search

Legal name

Lemonsearch

Website

https://lemonsearch.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LEMON Search is a Dutch executive search firm specializing in finance professionals with 3-8 years of experience (€70k-€100k salary band). As a subsidiary of LIME, it serves commercial organizations across the Netherlands and ambitious finance talent through placement, coaching, and community events.

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-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Finance recruitment
• Talent coaching
• Finance talent placement
• Executive recruiting

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: LEMON provides executive search and recruitment services for finance professionals. They work exclusively with organizations seeking high-potential finance talent in the €70k-€100k salary range, handling the full recruitment process from profiling to onboarding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LEMON Search provides executive search and recruitment services specialized in the Dutch finance market, placing high-potential finance professionals with 3-8 years of experience in roles such as Business Controller, Financial Controller, Head of Finance, and ESG Controller. The firm works exclusively with client organizations, managing the full recruitment lifecycle from profiling and intake through contract negotiation and onboarding, and complements placements with career coaching for candidates.

Product overview

LEMON search operates as a recruitment and executive search platform specializing in the Dutch finance sector. The company consists of three interconnected brands: LEMON Search focuses on young finance professionals (3-8 years experience) in the €70k-€100k salary range, LIME Search serves the CFO and executive level, and LIME Interim provides interim management solutions. Together, they offer a comprehensive platform covering permanent placement, coaching services, and networking events for the finance community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LEMON Search (Executive Search) Executive search and recruitment services for high-potential finance professionals in the Netherlands with 3-8 years of experience, placing candidates in roles such as Business Controller, Financial Controller, Head of Finance, and ESG Controller in the €70k-€100k salary range.
• LIME Search (CFO Executive Search) Executive search services for experienced CFO-level professionals and senior finance executives, forming the parent/sister brand of LEMON Search within the broader LIME platform.
• LIME Interim Interim management solutions providing temporary finance professionals to organizations, allowing access to interim solutions during ongoing searches or while building teams.
• Career Coaching Services Coaching services for finance professionals to help define career goals, provide market insights, and guide career transitions from corporate to scale-up environments.
• Network Events Networking events including the Future of Finance event at Heineken, robotics clinics, cultural networking evenings at the Maritime Museum Rotterdam, and tennis tournaments, bringing finance professionals together for knowledge sharing and community building.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average recruitment process takes 8-9 weeks plus 1-2 month notice period
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• LIMEflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005LIME is the parent company and executive search division focusing on experienced CFO-level professionals, while LEMON serves ambitious finance talents with 3-8 years experience. Together with LIME Interim, they form a complete platform for finance talent from executive search to interim solutions and talent management advice. LIME started in 2005 and has grown to over 30 colleagues.
• LIME InterimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIME Interim is the sister organization providing interim management solutions, complementing LEMON's permanent placement services. Organizations can access interim solutions during ongoing searches or while building teams.
• Trees for AllminorOthersLEMON and LIME partner with Trees for All for their 20-year jubilee, believing that growth should go hand in hand with responsibility. They aim to make a positive (green) contribution as part of their anniversary celebrations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Badenoch + Clark: Specialist executive search and professional services recruitment firm with strong finance, accounting and technology practices across European markets. Comparable in mid-to-senior finance mandate focus and relationship-driven delivery.
• SpenglerFox: Executive search firm with a finance and digital transformation practice serving European commercial clients, including the Netherlands. Comparable in executive search delivery model and finance function specialization.
• Morgan McKinley: Global professional services recruitment firm specializing in finance, accounting and financial services hiring, with a dedicated Dutch operation. Direct overlap in finance function recruitment and Dutch enterprise customer base.
• Michael Page Netherlands: Large specialist recruiter with a strong finance & accounting division placing controllers, FP&A and senior finance professionals across Dutch commercial organizations. Closely comparable in candidate seniority band and customer base.
• Robert Walters Netherlands: Global specialist recruitment firm with a dedicated finance & accounting practice in the Netherlands serving mid-to-senior commercial finance roles. Directly comparable in target candidate experience level and client segment.
• Hays Netherlands: Global specialist recruiter with a dedicated accountancy & finance practice in the Netherlands placing controllers, financial analysts and senior finance professionals. Comparable candidate seniority and Dutch enterprise client base.
• LIME Search: Parent company and sister brand of LEMON Search; both operate executive search in Dutch finance, with LIME focused on experienced CFO-level professionals while LEMON targets 3–8-year high-potentials. Directly comparable business model, target customer, and candidate pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a substantial executive search practice including finance officer and CFO placements. Larger and more diversified than LEMON but operates in the same Dutch executive recruitment segment.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a strong CFO/finance officer practice worldwide, including the Netherlands. Overlaps in CFO search but operates at a larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Financial Services Practice and broad CFO placement capabilities across European markets. Comparable at the CFO/board level but covers multiple industries and geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lemon-search
• Instagraminstagram.com/lemonsearch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 LEMON search