Executive Search Industry Growing Amid Tough Global Market

April 17, 2013 – Executive search industry trend data released by HSZ Media, LLC shows an industry growing domestically, declining globally and struggling with changing dynamics within it's core recruitment service offerings. The Executive Search Review rankings study released by HSZ Media reports that the Top 25 U.S. and Americas search firms grew by nine percent last year; the top five global firms declined by four percent. Specialist firms in retail, non-profit, financial officers and healthcare/life sciences all reported gains. “An ability to search for chief marketing officers and chief financial officers who can navigate companies through tough times is in high demand right now,” said Christopher W. Hunt, an HSZ Media director who coordinated the report's findings. The report coincides with one from the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), which revealed a 6.4 percent annual decline in worldwide retained executive search industry revenues – putting estimated 2012 revenues for the executive search and leadership consulting profession at $9.74 billion. According to the association, the number of new executive search mandates fell 7.1 percent in 2012. North America accounted for 45 percent of the global executive search marketshare and experienced the least annual decline in the number of new searches started.