Executive Search

Senior leadership search for organizations that can't afford the wrong hire.

For boards, CEOs, and senior leaders hiring at the C-suite and executive director level. We run searches the way you wish every firm did, embedded, transparent, and still at your side well past the offer letter.

Schedule a Consultation → See how we work →
95% Of our placements are still active in their roles 12 months after placement
86% Of our clients have hired us for multiple or ongoing engagements within one year
76% Of our placements are leaders of color
Who Hires Us

Built for the people
making the hardest leadership decisions.

Executive searches don't fail because of bad candidates. They fail because the wrong people are running them, or running them in the wrong way. Here's who we work with and what we bring.

Boards hiring CEOs

Board chairs leading CEO transitions, succession planning processes, or founder transitions. We work directly with the search committee on candidate brief, slate review, and board interview design.

CEOs hiring direct reports

CEOs and Executive Directors hiring CFOs, COOs, Chiefs of Staff, and other C-suite or near-C-suite leaders. We act as an extension of the executive team, not a vendor running parallel to it.

Foundations and intermediaries

Mission-driven foundations and intermediary organizations hiring executive directors, program leadership, and operational executives. We understand the philanthropy context and how it shapes leadership requirements.

Charter networks and CMOs

Multi-site networks hiring central office executives, regional leaders, and chief-level roles that bridge district operations with school-level execution.

Recent Roles

The seats we've
helped fill.

A partial list of recent C-suite and senior leadership roles across charter networks, school districts, foundations, and social impact organizations. Each placement still in role at the time of writing.

Chief Executive Officer President and CEO transitions across networks and foundations
Chief Financial Officer Senior financial leadership for growing organizations
Chief Operating Officer Operations executive roles for scaling networks
Chief of Staff Strategic and operational right-hand seats to CEOs
Chief Portfolio Officer Portfolio strategy leadership for districts and CMOs
Chief Advancement Officer Senior fundraising and external affairs leadership
Chief Strategy Officer Strategy and innovation leadership for mission organizations
Executive Director Top-of-org leadership across nonprofits and foundations
How We Work

The Stronger search, stage by stage.

A typical executive search runs 90 to 120 days from launch to offer. Here's what happens at each stage.

Stage One

Launch and success profile

We start with deep listening, the role, the team, the culture, the constraints. We build a success profile and a candidate brief together, pressure-testing assumptions before we go to market.

Stage Two

Pipeline development

Active outreach across our network and beyond, with diverse sourcing built into the pipeline architecture from day one. We aim for 75% of the pipeline built in the first 45 days.

Stage Three

Assessment and slate

Structured candidate qualification, anti-bias assessment frameworks, and reference work that goes beyond what was on the resume. The slate we present is the slate we'd hire from.

Stage Four

Selection and close

Interview design, candidate evaluation support, compensation negotiation, and offer close. We stay involved through the final handshake.

Stage Five

Onboarding and 90-day fit

Structured onboarding plan, weekly check-ins with the new leader, and a 90-day fit assessment with the hiring manager. This is where most search firms leave.

Stage Six

Year-two retention

Ongoing coaching and transition support through the leader's first year. We measure ourselves on year-two retention because that's the metric that matters.

Executive Search at Work

Recent placements still in role.

Three case studies from the executive search practice. Each one a different shape of work, each one a leader still in seat.

An Executive Director hired on a very short timeline.

DPAC needed a new Executive Director during its transition to an independent state charter. Stronger ran the search from screening through board interviews, and the new leader started June 1.

Read the case →

A Chief Portfolio Officer placement that survived a mayoral transition.

A search paused for the 2019 mayoral election, then relaunched. We placed Bing Howell, who is still in role overseeing the district's portfolio strategy five years later.

Read the case →

A Chief of Finance and Strategy for a foundation scaling its impact.

Making Waves Foundation engaged Stronger to fill a critical C-suite seat as the foundation moved from program delivery into scaled impact.

Read the case →
See the full portfolio →
Your Search, Next

If you're considering an executive search, let's talk.

A complimentary 30-minute call to understand the role, the context, and whether Stronger is the right partner. No pitch, no pressure. Just an honest read.

Schedule a complimentary call → School Leader Search