Cowen Partners Executive Search

Firm Overview

Cowen Partners Executive Search is a top 100 retained executive search firm advising boards, CEOs, and investors on C-suite and senior leadership recruitment for mid-market to large-cap organizations.

Ranked among the nation’s best by Forbes, Business Insider, and Hunt Scanlon, we don’t compromise on speed, quality, or results.

Instead, our experienced executive recruiters deliver: Senior partner-led searches. Total market access to proven executives. Qualified candidate slates in three weeks.

Our functional expertise spans key leadership roles across operations, finance, technology, human resources, and beyond, ensuring that every search aligns with the strategic demands of your organization.

With more than 500 executive placements nationwide and a 99% retention rate, we’ve earned the trust of boards and CEOs who refuse to settle for anything less than proven transformational leadership.

When you partner with Cowen Partners Executive Search, you’re not just hiring a search firm. You’re gaining advisors who are forever invested in your organization’s success.

Off-Limits Policy

2 years

Average Time to Completion on Assignment

3 months

Recently Completed Assignments

News Briefings

When Founders Step Aside: Navigating Leadership Transitions In Private Equity

A recent Harvard Business Review article examining founder transitions highlights just how precarious these leadership handoffs can be. Founder CEO transitions carry a risk of failure or performance decline two to three times greater than standard CEO successions. The reason is simple: founders are rarely just executives. They are often the cultural center of gravity, the strategic...

Cowen Partners Executive Search Launches Steward, Family-Office Practice

Vancouver, WA-based Cowen Partners Executive Search has launched Steward, an advisory practice dedicated to serving family offices and private enterprises across generations. Jacob Gamble, principal at Cowen Partners Executive Search, leads the practice and specializes in identifying senior executives for family offices. “Family offices operate on a generational horizon, which demands leadership that can balance operational excellence with...

Why Boards Keep Selecting Yesterday’s Leaders for Tomorrow’s Problems

Boardrooms across America keep hiring the familiar. The CEO who worked miracles at the last company, the leader with the spotless resume, the safe bet. Yet, the uncomfortable truth is that yesterday’s corporate savior often becomes tomorrow’s expensive mistake, according to a recent report from Shawn Cole, founder and president of Cowen Partners Executive Search....

Cowen Partners Assists United American Indian Involvement with CEO Search

Vancouver, WA-based Cowen Partners Executive Search has assisted in the recruitment of John R. Reeves as the new CEO of United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII). This follows a national executive search led by Cowen Partners in partnership with UAII’s executive search committee, which included board members, staff, and community stakeholders. Sam Torres, managing director, led the...

Cowen Partners Seeking CEO for United American Indian Involvement

Vancouver, WA-based Cowen Partners Executive Search was recently called in by United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII) to lead in its search for a new CEO. Sam Torres, managing director, is leading the assignment. “In a period of evolving community needs and dynamic partnerships with tribal, city, county, state, and federal stakeholders, it is essential for UAII to...

Cowen Partners Places CEO at Signal Financial Federal Credit Union

Vancouver, WA-based Cowen Partners Executive Search has assisted in the recruitment of Kenyahda Cahoon as the new CEO of Signal Financial Federal Credit Union. He succeeds Francois Verleysen, who served as president and CEO of Signal Financial since 2014. Mr. Verleysen retired from the organization in January 2025. “On behalf of the board of directors, we welcome...