ZRG Partners Acquires Fortium
June 17, 2026 – ZRG Partners has acquired Fortium, a Dallas-based search firm that provides fractional, interim, and project-based CIO, CTO, and CISO leadership. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Companies are making more nuanced decisions about leadership than they did even a few years ago, particularly in technology,” said Mark Viner, leader of interim solutions & project consulting at ZRG. “Fortium has built a leading position in interim and fractional technology leadership, bringing experienced operators into the business in a way that is aligned to the actual need, not a default org chart.”
“Fortium adds a focused capability in an important functional area for our clients,” added Larry Hartmann, CEO of ZRG. “It strengthens one part of our business, but the value does not stop there. This creates meaningful opportunity to collaborate across the firm and to deliver more complete solutions when technology leadership is part of the answer.”
The acquisition adds a dedicated technology leadership offering to ZRG’s interim solutions & project consulting business, bringing a firm in the interim technology market into the platform and giving clients access to proven CIO, CTO, and CISO leadership on demand by placing experienced operators directly into the business – closing both the technology leadership credibility gap and the technology leadership continuity gap without the risk of a full-time hire, a single-person dependency, or a six-month search.
Burke Autrey, Founder and CEO of Fortium, will join ZRG as president of Fortium Partners, a ZRG company, along with Richard Harris, Stephen Lavin, Greg Pascuzzi, Helmut Oehring, and Brad Wheeler.
Founded in 2014, Fortium serves public, private, and private equity-owned organizations across 90-plus industries and operates across regional hubs in North America. The firm has built a network of more than 180 Fortium Partners, connecting clients to experienced technology operators through interim, fractional, and project-based engagements. Fortium’s model gives mid-market companies access to senior executives who can scale businesses, modernize operations, strengthen cybersecurity, and support leadership teams through critical technology decisions. Its client base includes more than 400 organizations across the U.S., Canada, and internationally, including Fortune 500 companies and private equity firms managing over $1 trillion in assets.
“Technology leadership is a business capability decision, not a hiring event – and how you deliver it is inseparable from the culture behind it,” said Mr. Autrey. ”Fortium was built on both: the conviction that companies need executive technology leadership with the credibility to lead at the C-suite and the continuity to last through every transition, and a working style built around people who operate closely with clients, execute without unnecessary complexity, and earn trust over time. That is exactly what we found in ZRG. This combination works because the culture matches, and culture is what shapes how we serve clients and how that trust holds when it matters most.”
Related: Inside The Deal: CEO Larry Hartmann Opens Up On ZRG’s Latest Strategic Acquisition
ZRG, founded in 1999, is a fast-growing global talent advisory firm with the financial backing of private equity investor RFE Investment Partners. It provides a full suite of executive, middle management, and customized search solutions through its offices in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. The firm finds leaders across a broad spectrum of business markets, including aerospace, consumer, education, healthcare services, and solutions, industrial, life sciences, non-profit, private equity and venture capital, and technology. ZRG is based in Rochelle Park, NJ.
Recent Acquisition
ZRG also recently acquired Sterling Martin Associates, a Washington, D.C.–based executive search firm specializing in professional associations, trade organizations, and mission‑driven non-profit organizations. Mr. Hartmann said the acquisition reflects ZRG’s disciplined approach to growth. “This is not about scale for scale’s sake,” he explained. “Sterling Martin brings earned credibility in sectors where leadership decisions carry lasting consequences. Their addition meaningfully advances our ENSI platform and our ability to serve organizations whose missions extend beyond the bottom line.”
ZRG has acquired NextCap Search, a boutique executive search firm with deep experience placing senior talent in investment banking and financial services. The move adds further depth to ZRG’s financial services practice at a time when firms are under increasing pressure to compete for proven leadership and revenue generators in a rapidly shifting market. The demand for senior-level professionals in investment banking and corporate finance has significantly grown in recent years, fueled by rising deal activity, greater regulatory complexity, and a revitalized emphasis on growth. With the acquisition, founders Jill Feldman and Tom Labadie will co-lead investment banking search efforts at ZRG.
“ZRG has built a strong foundation in the education, non-profit, and social impact space, and Sterling Martin meaningfully strengthens it,” said Rosa Morris, managing director and leader of ZRG’s education, non-profit & social impact practice. “They bring dedicated association expertise and judgment earned over time. Combined with ZRG’s reach and capabilities, this allows us to support boards with a sharper, more informed perspective when leadership decisions matter most.”
Founded by David Martin in 2006, Sterling Martin Associates has built enduring relationships with national associations and non-profit organizations, supporting leadership transitions at moments of growth, complexity, and transformation. The firm has advised organizations including the National PTA, the Society for Neuroscience, the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, and the Ecological Society of America, among others.
Mr. Martin will join ZRG as managing director. He will be joined by a geographically diverse team of consultants and professionals located in the Washington, D.C. area, Chicago, and Denver, further enhancing ZRG’s national capabilities and client reach.
Related: ZRG Acquires Jamesbeck
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
