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‘2026 Hunt Scanlon AI/Technology Recruiting Special Issue’ Newsletter

Executive Search Review has just released its 2026 AI/Technology Recruiting Special Issue Newsletter! We invite you to take a look at our latest issue by downloading the Free Newsletter PDF file. Here is a sampling of just some of what you’ll find when you open up this latest issue of ESR:

AI Redefining Search — Without Replacing Human Judgment
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping executive recruiting,
speeding up how firms identify, evaluate, and engage leadership
talent. As AI tools automate research and administrative work,
search teams can move faster and surface stronger insights—
changing what “best candidate” discovery looks like in practice.

Domain-Specific AI Transforming Executive Search
Mark Jacobson is the GM, executive search with Findem.ai, an AI-powered talent intelligence and recruiting platform used by companies to find, engage, and hire candidates more efficiently. Mr. Jacobson recently sat down with Hunt Scanlon Media to discuss how Findem’s foundation of context-rich, longitudinal talent data is changing executive search, allowing AI to move beyond keywords and résumés to support faster, more transparent, and insight-driven talent decisions.

The Evolution of Tech Leadership in Europe: 40 Years of Transformation
Since its creation in 1985, Hightech Partners has been at the forefront of identifying and developing technology leaders across Europe. From the early days of IT infrastructure and operational excellence to today’s era of artificial intelligence and digital ecosystems, the firm has witnessed—and guided—the profound evolution of what it means to lead in Technology.

Raffaele Jacovelli, managing director at Hightech Partners, recently sat down with Hunt Scanlon Media to discuss the key trends shaping the tech leadership landscape and the executive search industry today.

Hunt Scanlon Releases Latest Recruiter Rankings
Hunt Scanlon Top 50 Hunt Scanlon Global 40 Hunt Scanlon Big Five Global Search Firms Hunt Scanlon Legal Recruiting Power 100 Hunt Scanlon Non-Profit Top 70 Hunt Scanlon Private Equity Recruiting Power 100 Hunt Scanlon London 50 Hunt Scanlon Healthcare Top 50 Hunt Scanlon Life Sciences Top 50 Hunt Scanlon Canadian Top 60 Hunt Scanlon New York Power 60 Hunt Scanlon Financial 60 Recruiter Ranking Hunt Scanlon HR/Diversity Power 70 Hunt Scanlon Cyber/Technology Top 45 Hunt Scanlon Private Equity Recruiting Power 100 Hunt Scanlon London 50 Hunt Scanlon Top 50 Higher Education Recruiters Hunt Scanlon Top 40 Sports, Media & Entertainment
Hunt Scanlon EMEA Top 40 Hunt Scanlon Cleantech/ESG Top 25

Past Articles From The Archives

Executive Recruiters Upping Their Efforts to Help Organizations Achieve Diversity Goals

Anyone who works in executive search right now has seen, and will continue to see, a push for more lists of diverse candidates for open roles. “We are also seeing organizations start to mandate diversity numbers as a benchmark for DEI success, and seeing an influx of diverse candidates at the executive level as a

Spotlight: Presenting a Diverse Slate of Candidates

Blue Rock Search is a 100 percent minority/female-owned executive search firm. As a member of the SRA Network, the firm is also a Hunt Scanlon HR/Diversity Recruiting Power 65 recruiter. After a 25-year career in corporate human resources and HR executive search, Ruben Moreno and his two partners co-founded Blue Rock Search based on a

Spotlight: The Importance of Having a Diverse Workforce

Founded in 1998 by Tom and Paula Christopher (former HR executives with GE, Pepsi, Progressive Insurance, and Citigroup), The Christopher Group is a leading boutique HR executive search and staffing solutions firms. The firm is staffed by former HR professionals and trained search practitioners who use proprietary, scientific, and industry-leading systems, tools, and processes. The

The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion In the Workplace

Having a culture that supports DEI programs is integral to successful teams and better business performance, says a new report from Hanold Associates HR & Diversity Executive. We sat down with Val Lopez and Pamela Culpepper, who are key leaders in the firm’s DEI efforts, to discuss diversity and inclusion. Here is an excerpt. Diversity

Seeking Gender and Racial Equity

The past two years have seen significant progress in raising awareness and opening a national dialogue around racism and diversity, equity, and inclusion. In a recent study, executive recruitment firm Jensen Partners sought to better understand where DEI stands within the search industry, tracking 207 black front office distribution professional hires from Jan. 1, 2019

Financial Services Booming; CFO Role Continues to Evolve

The global financial crisis has brought increasing scrutiny from regulators and investors across the world. Combined with digital disruption, new technologies, and a high profile conduct agenda, financial institutions face a number of challenges to continued growth, according to Odgers Berndtson. The firm notes that today’s boards and executives need to foster a culture of

Spotlight: Today’s Demand for Senior Finance Leaders

Craig Lapham has served as CEO of The Lapham Group since 1997. Under his leadership, the firm has conducted senior executive search engagements on a global basis for multiple Fortune 100 insurance clients and smaller emerging insurance/ financial services firms across both P&C and life insurance. The Lapham Group is a boutique executive search firm

Spotlight: The Evolving CFO Role and What Has Changed

With a focus on helping PE and VC backed healthcare organizations, Tim Russell, managing partner of The Tolan Group, oversees the business development and recruitment activities for private equity and venture capital clients. Using market demographic data, Mr. Russell consults clients on candidate dynamics, compensation arrangement, and hiring probability. Using data driven analysis, Mr. Russell

Women CFOs at Top Companies See Gains in First Half of 2022

Although the percentage of chief financial officers hired by Fortune 500 and other notable companies continue to skew male, over a third of new CFOs hired by Fortune 500 companies and companies of note in the first half of 2022 have been female (36 percent), suggesting a steady incline in female representation among CFOs in

The Changing Requirements of Financial Leaders

Over the past year, Christian Schmidt and his colleagues have had dozens of discussions with CFOs to understand how they have been navigating the pandemic era and are adapting as leaders to this challenging and often unpredictable environment. What became apparent during these conversations is that the pandemic created or accelerated some key trends that

Surging Non-Profit Sector Seeks Senior Leaders

During a time of tremendous societal transformation, not-for-profit organizations provide support and stability for individuals and their communities. These mission-driven institutions create equitable opportunities for all, leverage funds and resources for critical social programs and initiatives, and ensure at-risk and underserved individuals are not left behind, according to WittKieffer. The value of not-for-profits has only

Spotlight: Non-Profit Recruiting and How its Changed Over the Years

Sam Pettway, a 30-year search veteran, launched BoardWalk Consulting in 2002. Over his career in executive search, he has worked with hundreds of board members and leadership teams with entities ranging from start-ups to mature multinationals in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. Mr. Pettway has served clients as varied as international relief agencies, national

Spotlight: What Types of Leaders Do Non-Profits Seek

Vetted Solutions specializes in helping purpose-driven organizations in all aspects of leadership – from defining their leadership needs and requirements, to developing entire teams of loyal, dedicated high-performers, and everything in between. Jim Zaniello is president and founder of the Washington, D.C.-based firm which focuses on serving the leadership needs of associations, non-profit organizations, hospitality

5 Tips for Launching a Second Career in Non-Profit

The pandemic has left many people recalibrating their career choices. Americans quit 4.5 million jobs in March – a record. Some are burned out; others want more purposeful work. Whatever their reasons may be, many employees are looking at transitioning into a second career, experts say. “There might be some initial hiccups but finding a

Replacing a Longtime, Non-Profit CEO

Many a search firm has encountered the following scene, probably more than once: A frantic board chair or search committee member calls because their esteemed founder and long-tenured leader (LTL) has decided to retire. The organization has no succession plan or otherwise strong internal candidates so they must engage a search firm. “It is never

The High Demand for Higher Education Leaders Continues

The higher education landscape is shifting across the world, and the next generation of university leaders require a unique set of skills to negotiate this change, according to executive recruiters. The traditional university model is being challenged by growing student migration, disruptive technologies, and an increasingly competitive market-driven economy, says Odgers Berndtson. “The higher education

Spotlight: Recruiting Leaders for Higher Education in a Time of Change

For over four decades, Academic Search has been a leader in designing and implementing search processes for leaders of colleges and universities across the country. The firm has completed hundreds of executive searches for higher education institutions and related organizations, for roles ranging from presidents to provosts to deans. L. Jay Lemons became president of

Odgers Berndtson Names Head of U.S. Collegiate Sports Practice

Odgers Berndtson has appointed Dan McHale as a partner and head of its U.S. collegiate sports practice. “We are thrilled to add Dan to our growing sport and entertainment practice,” said Drew Cloud, head of Odgers Berndtson’s U.S. sport and entertainment practice. “Dan is a great example of how we are building a team of

7 Qualities to Look for in a College President

Robin Mamlet, managing director, and Sheila Murphy, consultant, of WittKieffer wrote an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education on six essential qualities to look for in a college president. They were characteristics — such as a sense of emotional intelligence and an appetite for data and analysis — that search committees have identified time

FaithSearch Partners Appoints Leader of Higher Education Practice

FaithSearch Partners (FSP) has expanded with the addition of Andy Westmoreland as senior vice president and leader of its higher education service line. “Andy Westmoreland has dedicated his professional life to Christian academic institutions and I’m excited to have him lead our higher education practice,” said Ed Fry, president and chief executive officer of FaithSearch

Private Equity Market Booming and With it the Need for Top Talent is Expanding

Private markets bounced back in 2021. After a year of pandemic-driven turbulence that suppressed fundraising and deal activity, private markets rebounded. Fundraising was up by nearly 20 percent year over year to reach a record of almost $1.2 trillion. A new set of risks emerged at the beginning of 2022 with the potential to undermine

Spotlight: Redefining the Search Sector for PE Leaders

Smooch Repovich Rosenberg is the founder and CEO of Smooch Unplugged. She brings strategic investor relations officer search consulting focus to the PE arena as a means to helping firms realize their portfolio company valuations as these entities contemplate entering the public markets. Her 30-plus year collaborating with pre-IPO companies across industry sectors is one

Spotlight: Strong Resurgence in Search Activity in the Private Equity Sector

With a focus on helping PE & VC backed healthcare organizations, Tim Russell, managing partner of The Tolan Group, oversees the business development and recruitment activities for private equity and venture capital clients. Using market demographic data, Mr. Russell consults clients on candidate dynamics, compensation arrangement, and hiring probability. Using data driven analysis, Mr. Russell

Bespoke Partners Launches 3 Dedicated PE Executive Search Practices

Recruiting high-impact leaders for PE-backed software companies who can execute on portfolio company value creation plans with immediate impact is big business for one of the nation’s top search boutiques. San Diego, CA-headquartered executive search firm Bespoke Partners has launched three new dedicated executive search practices to accelerate recruiting of high-impact leaders for private equity-backed

How On-Demand Talent is Unlocking Value for Private Equity Investments

One constant about private equity is that the landscape is always changing. For some, those changes can lead to obsolescence; but for those with vision, change is an opportunity to unlock new opportunities for alpha returns, according to a new report from Upwork. “One relatively slow-moving change? The differentiating levers that a PE firm can

Remote Working in Private Equity

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed working life. In-person attendance from Monday to Friday, set working hours, and a fixed workplace in the office appear to be in large part a thing of the past. Flexible arrangements now rule most workplace environments. To understand the new work norms in a post COVID-era in private equity,

Executive Recruiters Scrambling to Find Cybersecurity Leaders

Increasingly, organizations of all sizes are awakening to the perils posed by cyber attacks. For years, many groups tried to ignore the problem, dismissing cybersecurity as a concern only for the biggest, most high-profile entities, be they government or corporate. These days, more groups are coming to understand how ruinous such intrusions can be. A

Spotlight: The Ins and Outs of Finding Cybersecurity Leaders

Sophie De Ferranti joined ZRG Partners in 2021 as managing director, cyber, and member of the financial services practice. She has served as a keynote speaker on the topic of the war for cyber talent at events in Singapore, Zurich, London, Hong Kong, and Jakarta and participated in TV interviews with the London Stock Exchange

Spotlight: Finding Cyber Talent in a Hyper Competitive Market

A pioneer in the development of the cybersecurity recruiting industry, Matt Comyns co-founded Artico Search with Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor to lead the team helping companies protect against cyberwarfare. He built the original cybersecurity search practices at two global firms – Russell Reynolds Associates and Caldwell – filling more than 300 executive level searches in a hyper-competitive

The Challenge of Recruiting Cybersecurity Talent

“Recruiting cybersecurity executives can be extremely challenging,” said Frank Scarpelli, managing partner and chief executive officer of technology-focused search firm HireWerx. “The top performers are certain to be fully engaged, so posting a job advertisement on LinkedIn unfortunately isn’t likely going to yield the best results. That said, there are many factors that can motivate

Cybersecurity is the No. 1 Risk Leaders Can’t Ignore

Increasingly, organizations of all sizes are awakening to the perils posed by cyber attacks. A new report from IMSA Search outlines the threats and dangers cybersecurity attacks and how to prevent them. The risk of cybercrime to organizations of all sizes is escalating, with significant costs, and can no longer be ignored by business leaders.

Executive Search Firms Shatter Growth Records as Surge Into 2022 Intensifies

SHREK firms added $2 billion in global revenue in 2021, reporting $6.5 billion in professional fees, a 42 percent jump. In the U.S., boutique recruiters offering more bespoke industry and functional solutions, reported $2.2 billion in revenues, a 58 percent rise, shattering old records as the flight to search specialists intensifies. Executive recruiters posted their

ON Partners Takes a Look at Demand for Leadership and Competition for Talent

Tim Conti, managing partner and co-founder of ON Partners, has 15-plus years of experience working in executive search. He has completed over 150 C-level and board searches across a wide range of industries with a primary focus on public organizations as well as private equity institutions. Prior to founding ON Partners, Mr. Conti worked as

Top Talent Trends to Watch for In 2022

In professional services, “digitization,” “acceleration,” and “diversity, equity and inclusion” are already forming the new narrative. But as we look toward a more hopeful year ahead, what words will describe 2022? Pundits are making all sorts of predictions for the year based on our collective experience over the past two years. But as we all

7 Executive Search Trends to Impact Recruiting Firms in 2022

According to a new report from the International Executive Search Federation, among the trends for recruiters to pay attention to in the months ahead: a candidate driven market, remote recruitment, reaching passive candidates, longer notice periods, talent mapping, international hiring, and investing in existing talent. Among the many problems faced over the last 12 months,

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