ECA Partners

ABOUT US

ECA Partners is an evidence-based executive search and flexible talent firm specializing in private equity firms and PE-backed portfolio companies. ECA helps investors, boards and management teams recruit leaders who can execute value-creation plans across growth, transformation, operational improvement, M&A and post-acquisition integration.
Retained Executive Search | Interim & Fractional Executives | On-Demand Consultants
We work across private equity, healthcare and life sciences, business services, industrials, manufacturing & natural resources, consumer and retail, technology, and financial services.
Searches span CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CHROs, operating partners, portfolio operations leaders, finance and accounting executives, M&A and corporate development leaders, strategy and transformation executives, technology leaders, and sales/GTM leaders.
ECA combines an evidence-based recruiting methodology with our proprietary CASCADE talent management platform. We have conducted 4000+ searches for 1000+ clients.
Locations: Los Angeles | New York | Dallas | Chicago | Phoenix

Recent Placements

ECA Partners

Solutions and Expertise

ECA is a specialized project staffing and executive search firm focused on private equity and PE portfolio companies. We provide our clients with the very best talent in strategy, finance, and operations roles to execute their value creation plans.

Solutions
  • Advisory Services
  • Data Analy./Mrkt. Intell.
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Executive Search
  • Interim
  • Leadership Consulting
  • Mgmt. Consulting
  • On-Demand Recruiting
  • Temporary Staffing
Industries
  • Advertising/Marketing
  • Aerospace/Defense
  • Agriculture
  • Asset Management
  • Automotive
  • Biotechnology
  • Business Services
  • Chemicals
  • Clean Tech./Sustain.
  • Clinical Research
  • Cloud Based
  • Commercial Banking
  • Communications
  • Construction
  • Consulting
  • Consumer
  • Consumer Products
  • Consumer Services
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data & Analytics
  • Devices
  • Energy
  • Engineering & Archit.
  • Family Offices
  • Financial Services
  • FinTech
  • FinTech
  • Global Markets
  • Healthcare Services
  • Hedge Funds
  • High Tech
  • Industrial
  • Industrial Products
  • Insurance
  • Internet
  • Investment Banking
  • Investment Mgmt.
  • Legal/Compliance
  • Life Sci./Healthcare
  • Luxury
  • Machine Learning
  • Manufacturing
  • Manufacturing and Retail
  • Media & Entertainment
  • Medical
  • Medical Devices
  • Mobile
  • Natural Resources
  • Oil & Gas
  • Payments/Processes
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Portfolio Companies
  • Private Banking
  • Private Equity
  • Private Equity
  • Private Equity Backed Companies
  • Professional Services
  • Quantitative Finance
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants
  • Retail
  • Software
  • Sovereign Wealth
  • Sports
  • Supply Chain
  • Technology
  • Trade Finance
  • Transportation
  • Travel, Hosp. & Leisure
  • Utilities
  • Venture Capital
  • Wealth Management
Functions
  • Business Development
  • C-Level
  • C-Suite
  • CEO
  • CEO/President
  • CFO
  • COO
  • Corporate Development
  • Data/Analytics
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Finance/Accounting
  • General Management
  • GM/Operations
  • Human Resources
  • Information/Digital
  • Invest. Mgmt./Banking
  • Investor Relations
  • Manufacturing
  • Marketing & Sales
  • Medical/Clinical
  • Operating Partner
  • Operations
  • Private Equity Portfolio Operations
  • Research & Develop.
  • Risk Management
  • Strategy & Corporate Development
  • Supply Chain
  • Technology Leadership

ECA Partners

News Briefings

Private Equity Takes a Harder Look at Leadership Assessment

Private equity firms examine every line of the financial model and pressure-test the commercial thesis from multiple angles. However, an assessment of the leadership team is often the least rigorous part of diligence. Deal teams will spend weeks validating a revenue forecast and only a matter of hours forming a view on the CEO expected

When to Use an Executive Search Firm

Executive hiring is one of the few business decisions where the consequences compound for years. The right leader can accelerate growth, strengthen culture, improve execution, and create enterprise value far beyond their compensation package. The wrong leader can stall momentum, disrupt teams, and force organizations to spend valuable time and resources correcting course. As companies

Why Structured Interviews Lead to Better Hiring

As organizations compete for leadership talent, many are reexamining how executive interviews are conducted and whether traditional hiring instincts are leading to the best decisions. Increasingly, research is showing that structured interviews built around standardized questions and evaluation criteria deliver more reliable hiring outcomes than conversational, free-flowing assessments. Talent experts say the approach not only

ECA Partners Strengthens PE-Focused Talent Solutions

Santa Monica, CA-based search firm ECA Partners has appointed Damon Reynolds and Tim Fetzer as senior directors. These strategic hires further strengthen ECA’s capabilities across finance, digital transformation, and industrial manufacturing sectors. “Damon and Tim represent the caliber of specialized talent we’re strategically adding to serve our clients’ evolving needs,” said Ken Kanara, CEO of ECA

ECA Partners

Press Releases

ECA Partners Makes Key 2026 Hires to Build Out Interim & Consulting Practice

Firm adds three Directors and elevates a Senior Director from Executive Search as private equity and enterprise demand for flexible, project-based talent accelerates Santa Monica, CA. October 6, 2026 — ECA Partners, a Top-50 executive search firm known for its evidence-based, data-driven recruiting process, today announced a series of key additions to its Interim &

ECA Partners Welcomes JD Baptiste as Senior Director

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 18, 2026—ECA Partners, a retained executive search firm serving private equity and portfolio companies, has named JD Baptiste as senior director to lead the firm’s searches across private markets and financial services. JD brings executive search experience across private equity and alternative investment management, with a particular focus on capital formation

ECA Partners Names Burton Francis Managing Partner

August 11, 2026 – ECA Partners is pleased to announce the promotion of Burton Francis to Managing Partner from Managing Director, recognizing his contributions to the firm’s continued growth and his leadership in helping establish ECA as one of the premier human capital partners serving the private equity community. The promotion marks an important milestone

ECA Partners Welcomes Damon Reynolds and Tim Fetzer as Senior Directors, Strengthening PE-Focused Talent Solutions

Santa Monica, CA – February 9, 2026 – ECA Partners, a leading executive search firm specializing in private equity and portfolio company talent solutions, today announced the appointment of Damon Reynolds and Tim Fetzer as Senior Directors. These strategic hires further strengthen ECA’s capabilities across finance, digital transformation, and industrial manufacturing sectors. Reynolds will expand

ECA Partners

MULTIMEDIA

Open Role Video Series
Open Role: Head of Product, Growing Behavioral Health Training Company
Open Role: Head of Marketing, Growing Behavioral Health Training Company
Open role: Sr. Director, Home Care, PE-Backed Health Tech Platform
Open Role: Executive Director of Operations, Mental Health Clinic Network
Open Role: Manager, Market & Company Research, Private Equity Firm

Case Studies
Interim Chief Financial Officer – PE-Backed Uniform Distribution Company
Due Diligence Consultant – Middle Market PE Firm
Interim Controller – PE-Backed HVAC Contractor & Service Provider
IT Strategy Consultant – PE-Backed Manufacturing Company
PMO / PMI Consultant – PE-Backed Business Services Company

To see more, ECA Partners’ Case Studies, please view: https://www.eca-partners.com/case-studies/ 

Insights
What is a Search Fund? A Guide to Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
The Top 5 HR Search Firms: A Comparison
What is a Chief Transformation Officer?
What is an Interim CHRO: A Comprehensive Guide to Hiring
Fractional COO: A Comprehensive Hiring Guide
Private Equity Outlook 2025: A Promising Landscape for Multisite Healthcare Providers and Leadership Talent
Virtual CFO Services: Industry Leading Advisors and Financial Leaders
Stitched Up with Private Equity: Understanding Value Creation in Fashion and Specialty Retail Acquisitions
The Rise of Fractional M&A Services
A Guide to Fractional CFO Services in 2025
Top 5 CFO Search Firms: A Comprehensive Comparison

To view all recent ECA Partners’ insights, please view: https://www.eca-partners.com/eca-insights/

Podcast – Beyond Consulting
74: From Consulting to PE-Backed Healthcare Operations Software
73: From Consulting to Life Science Software
72: From Consulting to Insurance
71: From Investment Banking to Manufacturing

To view all ECA Partners’ “Beyond Consulting” podcasts, please visit: https://eca-partners.com/beyond-consulting/

Podcast – Not So Private Equity
Season 2 Episode 13: Where PE-Backed GTM Meets AI
Season 2 Episode 12: Ralph Shayne – Altamont Capital Partners
Season 2 Episode 11: Beyond the Numbers: How a COO Drives Real Value in PE-Backed Companies

To view all ECA Partners’ “Not so Private Equity” podcasts, please visit: https://eca-partners.com/not-so-private-equity/