Rise in Executive Search Activity Reported

November 23, 2009 – Third quarter data released by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) indicates a rise in senior recruiting activity during July to September 2009 compared to the second quarter of this year. While annual trends continue to reveal far lower levels of search activity this year, the short term picture shows signs of recovery. Search industry revenues rose 10.5 percent during the period against the previous three months, as did the number of search assignments and revenue per consultant. As anticipated, large year-on-year declines are still prevalent across all regions and sectors with revenues dropping as much as 34 percent. However, annual declines in this year are less than the year before and survey results show that marked improvements are underway. Sector strength saw technology with the most significant rise of 25.1 percent, followed by financial and then the consumer secotr. “These results are an encouraging confirmation that the worldwide search profession has reached a tipping point in its fortunes and that the need for executive talent is again becoming a priority for many organizations,” said Peter Felix, president of the AESC.