2019 Executive Search Research Review
Retrospective review published 23 October 2026. Coverage: 2019 and the reporting periods shown below.
This page records selected public disclosures for 2019. It is not a market total, a ranking or a quality assessment. Each row reflects a different reporting boundary, so the figures are not additive and no currency conversion is made.
Year-specific findings
Egon Zehnder reported global revenues of CHF 746 million for fiscal 2019, a 3 per cent increase over 2018 at constant exchange rates. The release covers all services and does not separate executive search from leadership advisory. Heidrick & Struggles reported Executive Search net revenue of US$646.4 million for calendar 2019, with the Americas at US$415.5 million, Europe at US$135.1 million and Asia Pacific at US$95.8 million. The release tables are unaudited, and the same 2019 figures appear unchanged as audited comparatives in the firm’s 2021 Form 10-K. Korn Ferry reported Executive Search fee revenue of US$774.8 million for the fiscal year ended 30 April 2019, with total revenue of US$793.4 million. This was its first year under ASC 606, adopted from 1 May 2018 on a modified retrospective basis; the filing states that comparative periods were not restated. The search segment name was unchanged in a year when other segments were rebranded.
| Firm | Period | Measure and native currency | Figure | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egon Zehnder | Fiscal 2019; year-end not stated in release | Global revenues, all services, CHF million | 746; growth 3 per cent at constant exchange rates | Release, 26 March 2020 |
| Heidrick & Struggles | Calendar 2019 | Executive Search net revenue, USD thousands | 646,352 total; Americas 415,455; Europe 135,070; Asia Pacific 95,827 | Release, 24 February 2020 |
| Korn Ferry | Fiscal year ended 30 April 2019; ASC 606 | Executive Search fee revenue, USD thousands | 774,842; total revenue 793,377 | Form 10-K, filed 28 June 2019 |
AESC profession estimate
For 2019 the AESC 2023 snapshot shows US$16 billion. It covers executive search and leadership consulting together and does not publish its method on the page. AESC source.
Methodology and limits
Data are taken from the linked disclosures and kept in their native periods and currencies. The AESC estimate is presented separately because it includes executive search and leadership consulting. See methodology, editorial policy and contact.