Imsa Search Global Partners

What Imsa Search Global Partners does

IMSA Search Global Partners is a privately held global network of boutique executive search firms, founded in 1991 and legally domiciled in Olten, Switzerland (IMSA International Management Search Associates By Forensis Treuhand AG). The firm specializes in retained and contingency executive search for C-level and senior leadership roles, serving multinational corporations and family-owned businesses across the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia/Pacific. Current self-reported scale is 16 countries, 27 offices, and 200 consultants, though historical statements cite 30-50+ offices in 20-25+ countries with 220-300+ experts, reflecting both organic growth and ambiguity in how the network counts affiliated member firms.

The core service offering combines traditional retained executive search with two proprietary technology layers: IMSA Barons.ai, an AI-powered search automation platform housing a global database of senior-executive CVs to accelerate candidate identification across multiple dimensions, and the IMSA Assessment Center of Excellence, which applies the Hogan Assessment System to produce psychometrics-based candidate profiles. Member firms such as ARGO Partners (Portugal/ARGO Talents and ARGO Fit), AdQualis (Spain), Value for Talent (Italy), Simple Search (Lithuania), and Howard-Sloan Search (USA) deliver regional execution, with proprietary methodologies like the Corporate Happiness Formula® layered on top.

IMSA operates a federated business model in which member firms are independently owned and operate direct enterprise client relationships, while the IMSA brand, board, technology platform, and cross-market referrals enable serving multinational mandates. Revenue is generated through professional-services fees on individual search engagements, with pricing not publicly disclosed and calibrated to the seniority and complexity of each mandate. Distribution combines direct field sales by member firms, network cross-referrals for multinational needs, thought-leadership content, regional and annual conferences, and a podcast (ARGO Talks). Brand credibility is reinforced by five consecutive years (2020-2024) on the Hunt Scanlon Global 40 ranking.

Name

Imsa Search Global Partners

Legal name

IMSA International Management Search Associates By Forensis Treuhand AG

Website

https://imsa-globalsearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

IMSA Search Global Partners is a private, Switzerland-headquartered network of boutique executive search firms operating across 16+ countries, placing C-level and senior leadership talent for multinational corporations and family-owned businesses worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Leadership recruitment
• C-suite hiring
• Senior talent acquisition
• Executive assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Olten

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 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 Services: Retained and contingency-based executive search engagements for identifying C-level and senior management professionals. Services include leadership assessment, market intelligence, and succession planning for multinational corporations and family-owned businesses worldwide.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IMSA Search Global Partners is a global network of boutique executive search firms that identifies and places C-level and senior leadership professionals for multinational corporations and family-owned businesses across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia/Pacific. The firm provides retained and contingency-based executive search engagements, leadership assessment, market intelligence, and succession planning, leveraging proprietary AI search technology and psychometrics-based assessment through its Assessment Center of Excellence.

Product overview

IMSA Search Global Partners is a global executive search network offering a unified platform of search and assessment services. The core offering centers on executive search for C-level professionals across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia/Pacific. The portfolio includes IMSA Barons.ai (AI-powered search automation platform with global executive CV database), IMSA Assessment Center of Excellence (Hogan psychometrics-based candidate profiling), regional divisions like ARGO Talents (executive search) and ARGO Fit (tech/next-gen leadership), proprietary Corporate Happiness Formula® methodology, and Simple Search's digital culture office approach. The network spans 30 offices in 18 countries with 200 consultants (with historical references to 50+ offices in 25+ countries with 300+ experts).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IMSA Barons.ai Proprietary artificial intelligence search automation platform containing CVs of senior executives from around the world who are interested in high-level opportunities. It identifies suitable candidates across multiple dimensions at speed, described as the first of its kind in the global executive search business.
• IMSA Assessment Center of Excellence Assessment service using the Hogan Assessment System to provide psychometrics- and analytics-based assessment, offering nuanced and targeted candidate profiles for executive search engagements.
• ARGO Talents Executive search division providing top management profiles, leadership assessment, market intelligence and succession planning services through ARGO Partners (IMSA Portugal).
• ARGO Fit Specialized division focusing on high tech expertise and next-gen leadership recruitment, offered through ARGO Partners (IMSA Portugal).
• Simple Search Digital Culture Office Executive search service from IMSA Lithuania adapting to flexible and hybrid business models, helping companies function more efficiently in the digital world with paperless operations and streamlined processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ Executive Search experts serving clients globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Simple Search (Lithuania)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2022Founded by Jūratė Kubilienė and Irma Simonkevičienė with nearly two decades of international executive search experience. Specializes in adapting executive search to new flexible and hybrid business models. Focus on Engineering, FMCG, Financial Services, Logistics, Manufacturing, Renewables, Retail sectors.
• ARGO Partners (Portugal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2021Founded as Jason Associates in 2004, ARGO Partners operates as IMSA Portugal with divisions ARGO Talents (executive search, leadership assessment, market intelligence, succession planning) and ARGO Fit (high tech expertise, next-gen leadership). Brings Corporate Happiness Formula methodology to identify candidate passion drivers. Recognized experts on high tech and next-gen leadership in SEMEA region.
• Howard-Sloan Search (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMSA USA partner led by Mitchell Berger, CEO, who serves on IMSA Board as Head of Marketing & Public Relations. Areas of expertise include advertising, compliance, digital media, fashion, financial services, healthcare, human resources, life sciences, marketing, nonprofit, publishing, real estate, and technology.
• Alentaris Recruitment Ltd (Mauritius)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMSA Mauritius partner led by Thierry Goder, CEO, who serves as IMSA President. One of the leading recruitment agencies in the region with experience in Government bodies, International NGOs, and private sector organizations in Mauritius and abroad.
• Value for Talent Executive Search (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMSA Italy partner led by Marianna Carbonari, CEO, who serves on IMSA Board as Head of Global Practice Groups. Marianna has 20 years of experience managing structured, complex Executive Search projects with over 500 searches completed.
• EPC Search (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMSA Netherlands partner led by Stef de Haas, CEO, who serves as IMSA CFO on the Board.
• FXL/Findexecutives (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMSA Sweden partner led by Petra Johnsson, Founder, who serves as IMSA Vice-President on the Board. Specializes in recruiting senior leadership positions and specialists in private and public sectors.
• AdQualis Executive Search (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMSA Spain partner led by Jordi Berenguer, General Manager, who serves on IMSA Board as Marketing Committee member. Specializes in Corporate Sales and Marketing executive search with deep FMCG industry experience.
• Pivotal Integrated HR Solutions (Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMSA Canada partner led by Neil Kouba, CEO, who serves as Managing Partner. Specializes in integrated HR solutions and executive search for Canadian market.
• B-ressource (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMSA France partner led by Thierry Baux, CEO, who serves as Managing Partner. Focuses on HR practices, soft skills development, and executive search services.
• Hogan Assessment SystemcoreTechnology or IntegrationIMSA utilizes the Hogan Assessment System through its Assessment Center of Excellence for psychometrics-based candidate assessment, providing nuanced and targeted candidate profiles.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Odgers Berndtson: Global executive search firm serving multinational and family-owned businesses on senior leadership hiring. Closely comparable to IMSA in client mix (multinationals + family businesses) and senior-level mandate focus.
• Spencer Stuart: One of the world's largest privately-held executive search firms focused on C-suite and board-level placements. Directly comparable to IMSA's senior-level search mandate and is named as a former employer of IMSA Italy's managing partner.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global leadership advisory and executive search firm serving Fortune 500 clients for senior executive and board placements. Directly competes with IMSA for multinational C-suite mandates and operates a comparable cross-border delivery model.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on senior leadership and board placements across industries. Direct peer competing for the same multinational C-suite mandates IMSA targets.
• Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep C-suite and board practice. Direct peer given overlapping focus on senior executive mandates and similar cross-border partner-network delivery.
• Signium: Global executive search firm operating through a partner-owned network across more than 25 countries. Direct peer to IMSA given the closely analogous partner-network model and global executive search focus.
• Stanton Chase: Global executive search firm ranked in the top tier with offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa. Direct peer competing for multinational C-suite engagements in similar geographies to IMSA.
• Amrop: Global executive search partnership operating across 50+ countries with a partner-led, multi-local delivery model. Closely analogous to IMSA's boutique-network structure and senior executive mandate profile.
• Boyden: Global executive search firm with a partner-led network across 40+ countries. Direct peer to IMSA given comparable global coverage, senior executive mandate focus, and partner-network delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Large publicly-traded global organizational consulting firm with a substantial executive search practice alongside broader talent and advisory services. Comparable to IMSA on the search product line, but a much broader incumbent portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/imsa_search
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/15181908

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 Imsa Search Global Partners