The right leaderchanges everything
Getting there requires
the right partner
ON Partners is a partner-led retained executive search firm. We find C-suite and board leaders for companies where getting it wrong — or getting it slow — has real consequences.
When a critical leadership role opens, the clock starts whether you’re ready or not. Strategic momentum stalls. Boards start asking questions. Teams read into the silence. And the firm you choose to run that search either shortens that window or extends it.
“We were never trying to be the biggest firm. We were trying to be the one clients called back — and told their peers about. For nearly two decades, that’s held.” Tim Conti
Searches completed
%
Placed executives still in role at 2 years
out of 5 star rating from clients and candidates
Forbes best executive search firm
A Wish List That Became a Firm
In 2006, co-founders Shawn Oglesbee, Josh Nathanson, and Tim Conti sat around a kitchen table in Cleveland with a wish list. They’d all come from bigger firms. They knew the model: senior partners sell, junior teams deliver, and somewhere in that handoff, the client gets a search that’s less personal than it needed to be. So they built something different. One partner, one vote. No volume targets dressed up as strategy.
The firm they built name came from two of the founders — O for Oglesbee, N for Nathanson. The broken circle in the mark was intentional: a symbol of what they were trying to undo in an industry that had grown comfortable with distance between the person selling the search and the person actually running it.
That model has held. ON has grown to 25+ equity-owning partners operating nationally, completing more than 400 searches a year. But the growth was never the goal. Every client either came through a referral or came back for another search. That’s still how it works.
The proof is in the outcomes. 97% of the executives we place are still in their roles two years later. That number reflects not just speed or process — it reflects the judgment that comes from partners with skin in the game. When you’re an equity owner, every search has your name on it.
Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firms — Seven Consecutive Years.
Inc. 500/5000 — Nine Times. Ranked among the top 20 retained executive search firms in the U.S.
Partner-Led Executive Search
For Private Equity, Public and High-Growth Companies
ON Partners works with organizations where leadership decisions that cannot afford to be slow. And boards or sponsors who will remember how the search went.
PE & Venture Capital PE sponsors and operating partners who need a firm that already understands the language — value creation timelines, fund dynamics, what a missed hire actually costs a portfolio company. No learning curve. No account managers in the middle. | Public Companies CHROs and CEOs at public companies who need a search that is discreet, moves at the pace the board expects, and does not generate more uncertainty than it resolves. And for CEO or board-level succession, a partner who has run these before. | High-Growth Private Founders and CEOs at venture-backed or bootstrapped companies making the hires that determine whether the next phase works. First CFO. First CRO. The build-out that cannot wait six months for a search that loses momentum at week three. |
Four Commitments.
Every Client. Every Search.
High Touch The partner you meet on the first call presents your shortlist and closes the placement. No handoffs. Behind every search: a Partner who owns it, a Consultant with functional and industry depth in your specific role, and a Project Coordinator keeping communication tight. Everyone reachable. Directly. That’s what human-first means in practice. | High Trust 4.9 / 5 — from clients and candidates both. But the number that matters most: 85% of clients return for their next search, and 95% come through referral. That’s not a marketing stat — it’s what happens when you don’t cut corners, don’t overpromise, and treat every search like your reputation depends on it. Because it does. Seven consecutive years on Forbes’ Best Executive Recruiting Firms. |
High Tech Our proprietary database doesn’t just store candidates — it surfaces the right one for your specific role. Built from years of relationships and market intelligence, it’s the reason we move fast without moving blind. Every search runs through a real-time portal where you see exactly who’s in the pipeline, where they stand, and why. No black boxes. No chasing updates. Full visibility, always — because transparency isn’t a feature, it’s how we work. | High Speed Most searches are in market within one week of kickoff. While larger firms are still navigating approval chains and internal handoffs, we’ve already mapped your candidate universe, begun outreach, and handed you live portal access. Within 72 hours your search strategy is confirmed and market research is underway. A qualified shortlist typically lands within 3–4 weeks — not because we rush judgment, but because we’ve removed everything that slows it down without adding value. The boutique model isn’t just a size difference. It’s a speed advantage. |
Ready to Talk?
Most conversations start as: a role that is open or about to be, and a timeline that does not have much room. Have a direct conversation with a partner about the role, the timeline and the right fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions About Our Retained Executive Search Services
What makes ON Partners different from larger global search firms?
At ON, the person you meet on the first call runs the search. Same partner, first conversation through final offer. If you’ve worked with a large firm before and felt the handoff, you’ll notice the difference.
How long does a retained executive search typically take?
Most ON Partners searches deliver a qualified shortlist within 3–4 weeks of kick-off. Speed is a function of partner engagement, not headcount.
What functions and industries do you specialize in?
ON Partners has deep expertise across C-suite and board-level placements in technology, private equity, healthcare, financial services, consumer, and industrial sectors. Functional specialization spans CEO, CFO, CRO, CHRO, CPO, COO, and board director searches.
How do you handle conflicts of interest and off-limits restrictions?
Because ON is a boutique, we carry significantly fewer off-limits restrictions than global retained search firms. That means a broader, more competitive candidate universe for every client. We are transparent about any restrictions at the start of every engagement — no surprises mid-search.
What is your placement guarantee?
We offer a replacement guarantee on all retained executive search engagements. With 97% of placed executives still in role at two years, it rarely comes up. But it’s there if it does.