Top Executive Search Firms In Los Angeles For 2027
David Roberts
Founder & CEO - ReVerb
11.03.2026
Los Angeles has one of the most varied leadership markets in the United States. Entertainment, media and sports sit alongside aerospace and defense, real estate, private equity, consumer and luxury brands, healthcare and a growing technology scene. Each of these sectors needs leaders with specific networks and experience, and that makes the choice of search partner especially important.
An executive search firm recruits senior leaders, usually on a retained basis. The firm agrees a brief with the board or CEO, researches the market, approaches people who are often not looking for a move, assesses them and manages the process through to offer. Korn Ferry, one of the largest firms in the industry, was founded in Los Angeles in 1969 and still has its headquarters in Century City, which gives the city a long history in the profession. Our guide to the executive search process, step by step explains how a typical search runs.
For this list of the top executive search firms in Los Angeles for 2027, we only included firms that publish a street address for a Los Angeles office on their own website. Because many firms place their Los Angeles office on the Westside or in the South Bay, we give the exact location for each one. We checked services, specialisms and history against each firm’s own pages and at least one independent source. You can find more city rankings and guides in our executive search and recruiting hub.
Executive search, CEO succession, board recruitment
Carmichael Fisher
1925 Century Park East, Century City
Aerospace, industrial and tech leaders
Executive and non-executive search
Stanton Chase
100 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica
Partner-led mid-market searches
Search, assessment, board services, onboarding
ACCUR Recruiting Services
1800 Century Park East, Century City
Luxury, beauty and consumer brands
Retained and professional search
Safire Partners
269 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills
Venture and PE-backed companies
VP and C-level search for emerging companies
Best Executive Search Firms In Los Angeles For 2027
1. Korn Ferry — Los Angeles-Founded Global Talent Firm
Korn Ferry was founded in Los Angeles in 1969 by Lester Korn and Richard Ferry, who met while working at the accounting firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell. The company is headquartered at 1900 Avenue of the Stars in Century City and trades on the New York Stock Exchange as KFY. Its Los Angeles office is in the same building, in Suite 1225.
Korn Ferry runs executive search alongside consulting, digital talent products, and recruitment process outsourcing and professional search. That breadth lets Los Angeles clients combine a CEO or CFO search with leadership assessment, pay benchmarking or a wider hiring program.
Korn Ferry suits large employers in entertainment, aerospace, healthcare and consumer sectors that want a single partner for senior search and broader talent strategy.
Russell Reynolds Associates was founded in 1969 by Russell S. Reynolds Jr. and is headquartered in New York. The firm opened its Los Angeles office in 1971 as its third office worldwide. It is located at 10250 Constellation Blvd, Suite 1270, in Century City, and Jeffrey Warren is the office manager.
The Los Angeles team has deep experience in private equity and real estate and advises clients across all industries. Services include leadership search and succession, leadership assessment and development, and board effectiveness.
Russell Reynolds is a strong choice for private equity sponsors, portfolio companies and real estate firms hiring CEOs, CFOs and board members.
3. Spencer Stuart — Board And CEO Succession On The Westside
Spencer Stuart was founded in Chicago in 1956 and has helped clients with senior leadership decisions for more than 60 years. Its Los Angeles office is at 11150 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 1650, and is led by Market Leader Kristine M. Johnson.
Consultants help organizations find and develop leaders, improve team effectiveness and support strategic or cultural transformation, working across industries, functions and geographies. The office’s recent published work covers media leadership, CEO selection, academic medicine leadership and the board and CEO relationship, which reflects the mix of clients it serves in the region.
Spencer Stuart suits public company boards, media groups and academic medical centers planning a CEO or board transition.
4. Egon Zehnder — California’s Longest-Standing Egon Zehnder Office
Egon Zehnder was founded in Zurich in 1964 and operates as a partnership with 71 offices in 37 countries. Its Los Angeles office was founded in 1987, making it the firm’s longest-standing location in California. The office is at 8560 West Sunset Blvd, Suite 900, in West Hollywood.
The team offers executive search and leadership consulting, succession planning, culture diagnosis and transformation, board mandates and team effectiveness reviews, and dedicated support for founder-led businesses. It works with industrial, manufacturing, construction and fashion companies, among others, and includes former executives who worked at or served companies such as Netflix, Google and Goldman Sachs.
Egon Zehnder suits founder-led and family-owned businesses that need help with succession or culture as well as a senior hire.
Heidrick & Struggles was founded in Chicago in 1953 and operates in more than 50 cities worldwide. Its Los Angeles office is at 200 N Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 1175, in El Segundo, close to LAX and the South Bay’s aerospace and technology employers. The firm says the office has more than 50 years of experience in search and consulting.
Heidrick offers executive search, leadership consulting, corporate transformation, organization and culture work and an on-demand talent service. Its industry practices include consumer markets, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, industrial, private capital and technology.
It suits large companies that want a global search firm with an established Southern California presence.
6. Caldwell — Retained Board And CEO Search Since 2009 In LA
Caldwell was founded in 1970 and has worked on a retained basis for more than 50 years. Its Los Angeles office opened in 2009 during the firm’s first U.S. expansion and is located at 8055 W. Manchester in Playa del Rey.
The office provides executive search, CEO succession, board evaluation and board recruitment across industries including consumer, financial institutions, industrial, life sciences and healthcare, private equity and venture capital, professional services and technology. Its functional work covers board and CEO roles, financial officers, human resources and marketing and growth leaders.
Caldwell suits mid-sized and large companies that want a retained firm with established Los Angeles roots and a clear focus on boards and the C-suite.
7. Carmichael Fisher — North American Headquarters For Aerospace And Industrial Search
Carmichael Fisher Executive Search runs its North American headquarters from 1925 Century Park East, Suite 1700, in Century City. The firm also has offices in London, Boston, Chicago, New York and Jacksonville.
The Los Angeles office is home to the firm’s Industrial, Aerospace and Defence, and Tech divisions. Across the firm, Carmichael Fisher offers executive search, non-executive director search, market mapping and assessment, with sector divisions that also include financial services, life sciences, real estate and transport.
It is a good fit for Southern California’s aerospace, defense and manufacturing companies, as well as technology businesses hiring senior engineering or operations leaders.
8. Stanton Chase — Two-Partner Search Teams In Santa Monica
Stanton Chase was founded in 1990 by partners who owned search firms in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Baltimore and London. Its Los Angeles office is at 100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700, in Santa Monica, and is part of a network of more than 70 offices in 45 countries.
The firm says two-person partner teams personally run each search and that it does not delegate the work to junior staff. Services include executive search, executive assessment, board services, succession planning and executive onboarding, and the Los Angeles team includes managing directors for supply chain, capital markets and human resources.
Stanton Chase suits mid-market companies that want senior attention on every search with access to an international network.
ACCUR Recruiting Services was established in 2006 as a boutique executive search and recruitment firm. Its Los Angeles office is at 1800 Century Park East in Century City and serves Greater Los Angeles and Orange County.
The firm focuses on luxury goods, beauty, fashion and apparel, eCommerce and digital, hospitality and retail. It recruits middle to senior managers in sales and business development, retail, marketing and digital marketing, and supply chain, and offers retained executive search and professional search. ACCUR says it has been recognized by Forbes as a top executive search firm in multiple consecutive years.
ACCUR suits fashion, beauty and luxury brands that want recruiters who already know the consumer talent pool in Southern California.
10. Safire Partners — Leadership Search For Emerging Companies
Safire Partners is an executive search firm based at 269 S Beverly Dr, Suite 1213, in Beverly Hills. It describes its mission as recruiting top talent for emerging companies.
The firm runs VP-level and above searches for venture-backed, private equity-backed and small to mid-cap public companies, with a focus on technology, media, consumer and health technology businesses in the Los Angeles area.
Safire suits startups and growth-stage companies hiring their first senior leadership team. For more firms that work with technology companies, see our list of top IT and technology executive search firms.
How To Choose An Executive Search Firm In Los Angeles
Does The Firm Know Your Industry In Los Angeles?
Los Angeles sectors run on relationships. Ask for recent searches in your industry and at your level. Russell Reynolds highlights private equity and real estate, Carmichael Fisher bases its aerospace and industrial divisions here, and ACCUR focuses on luxury and beauty. A firm that knows the local candidate pool will reach a credible shortlist faster.
Will You Get Partner Time?
Ask who will run the search day to day and how many searches they are leading. Some firms, such as Stanton Chase, commit two partners to each search. Larger firms may use research teams, which can be an advantage for wide or international searches.
How Will Candidates Be Assessed?
Good firms test candidates against an agreed brief using structured interviews, referencing and, where useful, psychometric tools. Our guide to executive assessment explains the main methods and what to ask for.
What Are The Fees?
Retained firms usually charge a percentage of the role’s first-year cash compensation, billed in stages. Confirm the fee basis, expenses, guarantee period and off-limits terms in writing. Our explainer on executive search fees covers the common models.
Conclusion
Los Angeles employers can choose from the firm that started in Century City more than 50 years ago, other global leadership advisors with long-standing local offices, and specialists in aerospace, consumer brands and emerging companies. Match the firm’s sector depth and team structure to the role, then compare how each one will research, assess and close your search.
