Contact

Kessler provides executive search and leadership advisory across six specialist offerings: retained executive search, leadership assessment, succession planning, board and non-executive director search, interim leadership, and talent mapping. The firm is based in London, New York, and San Francisco and works with private, venture-backed, and institutional clients across diverse markets.

Search timelines vary by scope and seniority. A retained executive search typically runs 8 to 16 weeks from brief to offer acceptance. A board or non-executive search runs 8 to 18 weeks depending on process. A leadership assessment runs 3 to 8 weeks. Succession planning runs 12 to 36 weeks. Interim placements move fastest, often within 1 to 3 weeks. We provide a detailed timeline estimate after the initial briefing.

Every engagement begins with an initial briefing, in person or online, to understand the role, the team, and the leadership gap. From there, we prepare a tailored proposal covering recommended scope, fees, timeline, and assessment approach for approval. We can begin the search once the appointment is signed and the initial retainer is settled.

Yes. Kessler is based in London, New York, and San Francisco and works with private, venture-backed, and institutional clients on searches across diverse international markets. We coordinate with research and assessment partners as required, and international mandates are run from the office closest to the role location.

Our search process moves through six clearly defined stages: initial brief and market mapping, research and approach, assessment and shortlist, interviews and referencing, offer and negotiation, and onboarding review. Each stage concludes with a formal update meeting and a deliverable that the client approves before the next stage begins. The full process is described in our engagement handbook, shared with every client at appointment.

Yes. Confidential and replacement searches form a core part of our work. We run discreet mandates where an incumbent is still in post, where market sensitivity is high, or where the brief itself is commercially sensitive. Candidate approaches, references, and shortlists are handled with complete discretion, and we agree a confidentiality protocol with every client at the outset.

Kessler focuses on senior leadership, executive, and board appointments, typically from Director and VP level through to C-suite and board roles. Our typical mandate is a functional or divisional leader, a C-suite hire, or a non-executive appointment. We are selective about more junior roles and take them on only where they form part of a broader leadership build-out for an existing client.