PE Headhunters List (2026)
Last updated Oct 2026.
This is the complete list of private equity headhunters currently in the OnCycle directory: 31 firms, grouped by the focus area we have recorded for each. For every firm you'll find the headquarters, the levels it reportedly recruits for, its founding year where known, and — where public reporting exists — a sample of the funds it has been reported to cover. Each name links to a full firm profile with sources.
Two caveats apply throughout. First, coverage lists come from public reporting (mainly Business Insider and Transacted) and are dated; fund–headhunter relationships change, so treat them as indicative rather than current. Second, "focus" is our shorthand label, not a ranking. If you have first-hand knowledge that something is out of date, please send a correction.
How to use this list
If you are a banker or consultant targeting pre-MBA associate roles at large funds, the Mega/UMM, Mega/MM, Mega/Growth and Mega/Tech groups are the most relevant, since those firms are reported to run on-cycle processes for large sponsors. Middle-market candidates should also look at the MM groups. The executive-search and portfolio groups mostly handle senior and operating roles rather than junior deal-team hiring. For timing, see the on-cycle timeline and our 2026 on-cycle guide.
Mega/UMM headhunters (3)
- CPI (Continuity Partners) — HQ: New York; founded 1996; levels: Pre-MBA and post-MBA focus (sources talent across levels). Founded by CEO Brian O'Callaghan. Transacted notes CPI sometimes asks for a paper LBO in the intro meeting. Reported coverage (Aug 2022) includes Advent International, American Securities, Ares Management, Berkshire Partners, Brookfield and others.
- Henkel Search Partners (HSP) — HQ: New York; founded 2011; levels: Pre-MBA, post-MBA, principal. Founded by Eleni Henkel and Leah Trabich after SG Partners; reports 2,000+ placements. Reported coverage (2022–2025) includes Carlyle, KKR, TPG, Warburg Pincus, CD&R and others.
- SG Partners — HQ: New York; founded 1991; levels: Junior PE through senior; also hedge funds, real estate, IB. Founded by Sheri Gellman; reports 3,500 placements, 39% junior PE. Reported coverage (Aug 2022) includes Blackstone, Crestview Partners, DigitalBridge, Global Infrastructure Partners, Sixth Street and others.
Mega/MM headhunters (1)
- Amity Search Partners — HQ: New York; founded 2009; levels: Unknown (pre-MBA focus reported by guides). Founded by Pamela Hickory Esterson and Susanna Nichols (ex-SG Partners); reports 2,000+ placements. Reported coverage (2022–2025) includes Bain Capital, Centerbridge Partners, Trian Partners, Clearlake, H.I.G. Capital and others.
Mega/Growth headhunters (1)
- Ratio Advisors — HQ: New York; founded 2017; levels: Pre-MBA, MBA students, post-MBA, VP/principal. Spun out of Amity; led by CEO Vedica Qalbani. Reported coverage (Aug 2022) includes Apollo, General Atlantic, Francisco Partners, Abry Partners, Charlesbank and others.
Mega/Tech headhunters (1)
- Gold Coast Search Partners — HQ: San Francisco; founded 2009; levels: Junior, mid-level and senior. Founded by ex-CPI recruiters Anna Brady, Janelle Matthews, Beth Grossman. Reported coverage (2022–2025) includes TPG Capital, Thoma Bravo, ICONIQ Growth, Arcline, Patient Square Capital and others.
MM headhunters (4)
- The Oxbridge Group — HQ: New York; founded 1988; levels: Unknown (PE, growth, credit, HF searches). Reports 3,500 placements: 52% PE, 28% growth, 10% hedge funds. Reported coverage (Aug 2022) includes Genstar Capital, Gryphon Investors, Great Hill Partners, The Jordan Company, Vector Capital and others.
- BellCast Partners — HQ: New York; founded 2010; levels: Pre-MBA to Partner. Founded by ex-CPI MDs Alison Bellino Johnston and Danielle Caston Strazzini. Reported coverage (Aug 2022) includes Stonepeak, Harvest Partners, HGGC, Siris Capital, Wind Point Partners and others.
- Opus Advisors — HQ: New York; founded 2006; levels: Investment associate; all levels at MM funds. Founded by Holly McCarthy; ~60% of business is PE/credit associate recruiting. Reported coverage (2022–2025) includes L Catterton, HarbourVest, Waud Capital, Webster Equity Partners, Dynasty Equity.
- GoBuyside Investment-management recruiting platform; cited by M&I among PE headhunters.
MM/West Coast headhunters (1)
- CarterPierce — HQ: Unknown (offices: NY, Nashville, Phoenix, SF, LA); founded 2005; levels: Associate to Partner. Employee-owned; founded by Jill Pierce. Reported coverage (2022–2025) includes Blackstone, KKR, Bain Capital, Ares, Sixth Street and others.
HF/PE headhunters (2)
- Dynamics Search Partners — HQ: New York; founded 2008. Strong hedge-fund practice; PE practice led by Josh Grauer. Reported coverage (Aug 2022) includes Apax Partners, GI Partners, GTCR, Leonard Green, Citadel and others.
- SearchOne Advisors — HQ: New York; founded 1998; levels: Junior through senior. Founded by Michael Garmisa.
MM/HF headhunters (1)
- Glocap Search — HQ: New York; founded 1997; levels: Analysts and MBA grads through senior. Founded by Adam Zoia; CEO Annette Krassner.
PE/HF headhunters (1)
- Odyssey Search Partners — HQ: New York; founded 2010; levels: Pre-MBA through partner. Founded by Adam Kahn; reports 1,500+ placements.
Europe headhunters (5)
- Dartmouth Partners — HQ: London; founded 2012; levels: Graduates through senior leaders. Part of Kernel group.
- Kea Consultants — HQ: London; levels: Analyst to Partner. Boutique search focused on alternative investments.
- Circle Square — HQ: London; levels: Analyst to Investment Director; senior exec search. Boutique with a specialist PE & VC division.
- Walker Hamill — HQ: London. Listed alongside PE recruiters by Kea's LinkedIn competitor data; details unverified.
- PER (Private Equity Recruitment) — HQ: London. Private-markets search; MD Gail McManus named in Hunt Scanlon PE London Power 50 (2024).
Senior/Exec headhunters (7)
- Heidrick & Struggles (Private Capital practice) — HQ: Chicago; levels: Senior / executive (funds and portfolio companies). Retained executive search; not a typical pre-MBA on-cycle shop.
- Redgrave Search — levels: C-suite & operating partners for PE-backed companies. Portfolio-company leadership, not deal-team junior roles.
- Sheffield Haworth — HQ: London; founded 1993. Global executive search and talent consulting firm with private markets and alternatives practices.
- Spencer Stuart — HQ: Chicago; levels: Senior / executive. Global executive search and leadership consulting firm; recruits senior executives and board members, including for PE clients.
- Russell Reynolds Associates — HQ: New York; levels: Senior / executive. Global executive search and leadership advisory firm; recruits senior leaders, including for private equity and portfolio companies.
- Egon Zehnder — HQ: Zurich; levels: Senior / executive. Global leadership advisory and executive search firm; senior-level searches, including for private capital clients.
- Korn Ferry — HQ: Los Angeles; levels: Senior / executive. Global organizational consulting and executive search firm; senior-level searches, including for PE firms and portfolio companies.
PE exec / Portfolio headhunters (3)
- Beecher Reagan — HQ: Houston; levels: Senior / executive. Retained executive search firm with a private equity practice recruiting executives for PE firms and PE-backed companies.
- Falcon Partners — levels: C-suite, operating partners. Retained search firm that exclusively serves PE firms and portfolio companies, focused on C-suite and operating partner roles.
- Press & Associates — levels: Senior / executive. Executive search firm focused on private equity investors and their portfolio companies, including portfolio operations roles.
Financial services headhunters (1)
- Rice Search Partners — HQ: London; founded 1997. Global executive search boutique with offices in London and New York covering financial services, including private equity.
Notes on the data
Where a field says "Unknown" or is missing, we have not yet verified it from a public source. Coverage counts are funds named in public reports, not complete client lists. Many funds work with more than one headhunter, and the same fund can appear under several firms. The sortable directory lets you search by fund name to see which headhunters have been reported to cover it.
FAQ
Which PE headhunters cover mega-funds?
In our data, the firms labeled Mega/UMM are CPI (Continuity Partners), Henkel Search Partners (HSP), SG Partners. Others such as Amity Search Partners, Ratio Advisors and Gold Coast Search Partners also have reported mega-fund coverage.
Is this list of PE headhunters complete?
No. It covers 31 firms drawn from public sources. If a firm is missing, let us know.
How current is the fund coverage?
Coverage is labeled with its as-of date on each firm page (for example Aug 2022 or 2022–2025). Relationships change, so verify before relying on it.
Do I need to contact every headhunter?
Opinion: most candidates focus on the firms that cover the funds they want. Use the directory search to find which headhunters are reported to cover a given fund.