Tartan Group, LLC - Executive Search

What Tartan Group, LLC - Executive Search does

Tartan Group, LLC is a privately held, founder-led boutique executive search and professional services firm headquartered in western Pennsylvania, founded in 2008 by Gerald L. Peterson after a health event and a senior career at General Electric. The firm's core offering is retained executive search powered by The Pivotal Fit®, a registered four-step methodology (Pivotal Profile, Right Fit Finder, Wrong Fit Firewall, and Onboarding Support) that combines Six Sigma rigor with organizational psychology to assess deep candidate fit beyond resume screening. The methodology is trademarked and is supported by a documented 90-day onboarding plan included with each placement.

The firm extends its service portfolio well beyond search. Revenue-generating streams include executive coaching, structured job search support (Tartan Transition Edge Program for professionals), early career/student support (Tartan Edge), leadership training programs, team effectiveness services, and group strategic planning facilitation built on McNellis Compression Planning® tools. A dedicated Carnegie Mellon University alumni coaching sub-brand leverages Tartan Circles, weekly online group sessions and webinars, to deliver career content to a global audience. The firm also has a forthcoming book project, 'Who Was Your Teacher?', serving as thought leadership.

The business model is project-based, quote-driven professional services with no publicly disclosed pricing and no channel partners; all engagements originate through direct outreach (email/phone) to the founder. Customer segments span boards, PE-backed firms, private companies (e.g., a $100M revenue PE-owned manufacturer with 14 locations, a $2B capital program engineering services client), global industrial manufacturers (40 plants, three continents), and non-profits (The Pennsylvania Society, Parkinson Foundation Western Pennsylvania), alongside individual coaching and student clients. The firm operates with no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed institutional ownership.

Name

Tartan Group, LLC - Executive Search

Legal name

Tartan Group, LLC

Website

https://tartangroupllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tartan Group, LLC is a founder-led boutique executive search and coaching firm based in western Pennsylvania, using its trademarked Pivotal Fit® methodology to place C-suite and senior leaders for boards, PE-backed firms, private companies, and non-profits, while also offering executive coaching, job search support, and leadership development services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Management Consulting Services (54161), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB), Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), Performance Management & Productivity Consulting (BPAHAGAL), Executive Outplacement (C-Suite & Senior Leaders) (BPACAOAC)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Leadership development
• Executive coaching
• Talent acquisition
• Organizational consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Murrysville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Services: Retained executive search engagements for C-suite and senior leadership positions. Project-based fees for identifying and placing pivotal leaders in client organizations.
2. Executive Coaching: One-on-one coaching engagements for executives at all levels. Custom coaching programs for career transition and leadership development.
3. Job Search Support: Career transition support programs for professionals and executives. Includes resume development, custom outplacement support, and ongoing coaching throughout job search journey.
4. Student Career Support (Tartan Edge): Early career support for students and recent graduates. Help with career alignment, job search strategy, and landing first-role positions.
5. Group Facilitation Services: Strategic planning facilitation and team effectiveness sessions for organizations tackling complex, high-stakes issues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tartan Group provides retained executive search services for C-suite and senior leadership roles using The Pivotal Fit®, a proprietary four-step methodology combining Six Sigma rigor with organizational psychology. The firm also delivers executive coaching, leadership and team effectiveness training, group facilitation, and job search support programs (Tartan Edge for students and Tartan Transition Edge Program for professionals). Each executive search engagement includes a tailored 90-day onboarding support plan.

Product overview

Tartan Group, LLC is a professional services firm offering executive search, coaching, and leadership development solutions. The core offering centers on Executive Search Services powered by The Pivotal Fit® methodology, a proprietary four-step process combining Six Sigma rigor with organizational psychology. Supporting the core search service, the firm provides 90-Day Onboarding Support to ensure successful integration. The portfolio includes two distinct job search support programs: Tartan Edge for students and early career clients, and Tartan Transition Edge Program for professionals. Additional services encompass Executive Coaching, Leadership Training (including programs on LEAN, Systems Thinking, and Effective Communications), Team Effectiveness Services, and Group & Team Facilitation Support using Compression Planning® methodology. A specialized sub-brand serves Carnegie Mellon University alumni with exclusive coaching and career support, including Tartan Circle group facilitation and webinars. The firm also operates Tartan Edge as a career support brand and is developing a book project titled "Who Was Your Teacher?" exploring leadership influences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tartan Edge: Student support program designed to help students and early career clients with job search support, breaking from conventional approaches to hunt like a cheetah with laser focus and precision.

Products and services

• Executive Search Services Retained executive search engagements for C-suite and senior leadership positions, including CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CTOs, SVPs, and Executive Directors, delivered to boards of directors, private equity firms, privately held companies, and non-profits.
• The Pivotal Fit® Proprietary four-step executive search methodology comprising Pivotal Profile (FBI-style deep multi-variant profiling), Right Fit Finder (creative sourcing of top talent), Wrong Fit Firewall (rigorous fit screening), and Onboarding Support (90-day integration plan).
• 90-Day Onboarding Support Tailored 90-day onboarding strategy bundled with executive search engagements, designed to align the organization and the new hire for mutual success.
• Executive Coaching One-on-one executive coaching for leaders at all levels, partnering with clients to refine skills, expand capabilities, and achieve high-level results using a systems approach grounded in the 5Es of Leadership framework.
• Leadership Training Custom leadership training programs including Foundations of Leadership, Building a Safety Culture, LEAN Concepts, CEDAC, Systems Thinking, and Effective Communications, developed and delivered for groups of any size.
• Team Effectiveness Services Services helping leadership teams gain clarity of purpose and become high-performing, effective, and productive, built on a foundation of trust, purpose, commitment, and healthy conflict.
• Group & Team Facilitation Support Group and team facilitation using Compression Planning® tools to help organizations and teams tackle high-stakes, complex strategic issues through powerful group participation.
• Tartan Edge Job search support program for students and early career clients that uses non-traditional methods to break from the herd and hunt like a cheetah with targeted focus and precision, covering career alignment, job search strategy, and first-role placement.
• Tartan Transition Edge Program Comprehensive job search support program for professionals spanning strategy through onboarding, customized for each unique client from initial contemplation to final onboarding.
• Carnegie Mellon Alumni Executive/Career Coach Specialized executive coaching and career support services exclusively for Carnegie Mellon University alumni globally, including facilitation of CMU Alumni Tartan Circle groups (Small Business Owners, CEO Group, Career Insights) and career content webinars such as Leadership Through a New Lens, Pathways to C-Suite, and Working with Recruiters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% of candidates presented to client received job offers in engineering project manager initiative
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• McNellis Compression PlanningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUses McNellis Compression Planning® tools for group strategic planning and facilitation sessions. Gerry Peterson trained in these facilitation tools to enhance skills for tackling high-stakes organizational issues with powerful group participation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a deep C-suite and board practice. Directly comparable to Tartan Group as a retained executive search provider serving enterprise clients with high-stakes leadership mandates.
• DHR International: Executive search firm serving a range of industries. Comparable in providing retained C-suite and functional leadership search to enterprise and PE-backed clients.
• Witt/Kieffer: Executive search firm specializing in leadership for healthcare, education, and nonprofit sectors. Comparable to Tartan Group's nonprofit Executive Director work and mission-driven client base.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable as a retained search provider serving boards, CEOs, and functional leadership roles across industries with proprietary assessment practices.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with strong C-suite and functional leadership practices. Directly comparable in target clients, methodology emphasis, and senior leadership mandate focus.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable to Tartan Group in serving boards and CEOs for senior leadership placements, with an additional consulting and assessment layer.
• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm. Comparable as a retained search provider serving boards and CEOs across multiple sectors with proprietary assessment methodologies.
• Diversified Search Group: Executive search firm with multiple practice groups. Comparable to Tartan Group as a retained C-suite and senior leadership search provider serving industries including non-profit and PE-backed firms.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Large organizational consulting firm with executive search, leadership development, and coaching practices. Overlaps with Tartan Group across search and coaching, but operates at far greater scale and breadth.

Emerging players

• Center for Creative Leadership: Leadership development and executive education organization. Comparable to Tartan Group's executive coaching, leadership training, and team effectiveness offerings as adjacent leadership services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tartan-group-llc

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 Tartan Group, LLC - Executive Search