Retained executive search for compliance and regulatory leadership.
For searches where the cost of the wrong hire is greater than the cost of a thorough one. Exclusivity buys depth. Depth buys accountability.
Transparent, tiered, and tied to a guarantee.
Fees scale with the seniority of the role. Guarantees scale with the fees. No hidden costs.
| Comp band | Fee | Guarantee | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $150K base | 20% | 3-month replacement | — |
| $150K – $300K base | 25% | 6-month replacement | Optional onboarding |
| $300K+ base | 30% | 12-month replacement | Optional onboarding |
Seven steps. Sixty to ninety days. Same every time.
Discovery
Recorded intake with the hiring manager and key stakeholders. We extract knockout criteria, technical priorities, soft signals, and what the wrong hire would look like.
Market Map
Comprehensive map of in-scope talent across firms, sub-sectors, geographies, and tenure bands. We surface the full universe before we surface the first candidate.
Outreach
Multichannel sourcing from our private database, LinkedIn, and inbound from our published content. Targeted, not bulk.
Screening
A bespoke scorecard tied to your priorities. Two stages: knockout pre-screen, then a structured technical interview scored against a 100-point rubric. Both video-recorded and transcribed.
Shortlist
Submission packages built for asynchronous client review: written summary, resume, recorded interview, scorecard. Weekly pipeline status by default.
Offer Strategy
Comp structure, negotiation positioning, counter-offer scenarios, close management. We sit between the candidate and the client through the offer.
Onboarding
Optional 90-day check-ins with the hire and the manager. Catches integration issues before they become turnover risk.
Common questions.
- What does retained get me that contingent doesn't?
- Exclusivity, accountability, and depth. A retained search is paid in milestones, which buys the bandwidth to map the full market instead of surfacing the first three resumes that match a keyword. You get a written process, scorecards, and a replacement guarantee tied to the engagement tier.
- How long does a typical search take?
- 60 to 90 days from intake to accepted offer for most senior compliance roles. Faster when the role is well-defined and the comp band is realistic for the market. Slower when knockouts are unusual or the comp ceiling is below market.
- What's your replacement guarantee?
- Tied to the engagement tier: three months for searches up to $150K base, six months for $150K–$300K, twelve months for $300K+. If the hire leaves or is terminated within the guarantee window for any reason other than role elimination, we run a replacement search at no additional fee.
- Will you sign an NDA?
- Yes. Mutual NDA is standard before any client-specific information is shared. We also operate under the assumption that every search is confidential by default.
- Do you work outside the four pillars?
- Occasionally, for clients with established relationships. The four pillars are where we have the deepest market knowledge and the strongest database coverage.
Ready to scope a retained search?
Book a 20-minute intake. We'll walk through the role and tell you whether retained is the right model.