Research methodology
TopExecutiveSearchFirms.org is published by Executive Search Research LLC. It serves employers researching executive search firms. It is not a recruitment service, CV service or candidate placement service. This methodology applies from 23 October 2026. Contact: contact@topexecutivesearchfirms.org. Legal: legal@topexecutivesearchfirms.org.
Purpose and directory scope
Our directories help employers research executive search firms by US and international city, by industry and by profession or function. Existing records began as legacy lists. Existing records are not yet verified individually and sources have not been checked for all entries. Shared firm lists now show published firm names alphabetically and unranked. Earlier ordinal numbers, generic unsourced descriptions and blanket service labels have been removed. The public list is a research aid, not a ranking.
What a listing means
A firm’s presence, order or directory category does not certify a local office, specialist expertise, current availability, a recommendation or quality. A documented city or country office requires an official office or contact page. Regional or remote service is different from a local office and is labelled as such. Where no verified source is found, the position is unknown. It is not proof that a firm lacks an office, practice or capability.
Source and verification standards
We link a primary source and record the checked date for claims. We distinguish company self-report from independent corroboration. Industry or function inclusion needs evidence of a specific practice or relevant assignment, not general brand copy. Priority sources are audited filings and annual reports, company office and practice pages, dated releases and professional body directories. A source may support one claim but not another, so we assess each claim on its evidence. We do not invent quality scores, placement outcomes, people, addresses or dates.
Financial disclosure reviews
Our selected annual disclosure reviews cover 2018 to 2026 and were published on 23 October 2026. Reviews for 2018 to 2025 are retrospective coverage reviews. They are not papers originally published in those years. The 2026 review uses current sources as of 23 October 2026, and the calendar year is incomplete. Rows keep the source currency, period, fiscal year end and revenue measure. We do not add, rank or convert incomparable figures, and we do not infer a global market total. Comparisons should be made only where source basis and scope align. The covered firms are a selected source set, not the whole industry. Missing private-firm data is not zero.
Labels and editorial standards
Financial labels show whether figures are audited or unaudited and whether scope is firmwide or search only. Sponsorship must not buy position. Material conflicts must be disclosed beside affected coverage. Publisher ownership and funding relationships remain unconfirmed, so we do not claim blanket independence. Our editorial policy sets out these standards in full.
Updates, corrections and contact
We use actual dates and make material corrections based on evidence. We do not backdate publication history. To ask for a correction, use contact us with the page URL, firm, disputed claim and source link. Do not send CVs. AI may assist drafting, but it is not a primary source. The publisher remains responsible for published content. Our research library holds the annual reviews.
Publisher Selections addendum
Legacy directories remain alphabetical and unranked. Publisher Selections is a clearly scoped ordering exception. Publisher-directed placements are disclosed before entries. Entry order is not comparative quality, revenue or outcome evidence. Selection is publisher opinion, not an independent performance assessment.
Official linked sources support service and reach descriptions; they are company self-reports unless an independent source is identified beside an entry. Counts are named entries, not claims of independently owned or non-overlapping businesses. Known relationships are noted beside affected entries. Corporate ownership is not verified for every entry.
Primary evidence standards, actual research dates, corrections and disclosure of known conflicts remain part of the method. No Hunt Scanlon affiliation or awards claim is made. Sponsorship must not buy a research position.