ON Partners Named to New York Power 60 Recruiting Firms

ON Partners is named to Hunt Scanlon’s annual roundup of the 60 most prominent executive search firms in New York

Connect With ON

---

ON Partners, a leading pure-play retained executive search firm has once again secured a place on Hunt Scanlon’s 2024 New York Power 60 list. This marks three consecutive years the firm has been recognized among the nation’s top executive search firms building leadership teams in New York.

As the firm expanded over the last few years it also was recognized with prominent industry accolades and awards. Recently, ON Partners was also recognized in the Private Equity Power 100 list by Hunt Scanlon. In addition, ON Partners was named once again to Hunt Scanlon’s CleanTech/Sustainability Top 25, HR/Diversity Recruiting Power 65, and Cyber Technology Top 45 list.

To add to the growing number of accolades, ON Partners announced the company is No. 22 on Forbes’ “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” List.  The list is a prestigious ranking based on survey responses from more than 5,200 external recruiters, HR or hiring managers, and executive job seekers with recent experience working with a recruiting firm.

ON Partners was recognized on Forbes’ List of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms for the sixth consecutive year. The firm was also ranked number 12 on the list of America’s Top 49 Retained Executive Search firms from C-Suite CV Secure, Inc., a resume-sharing and tracking technology company for C-Suite executives.

“ON Partners’ recognition with Forbes list proves that not only are we delivering in our commitment towards innovation and impact, but that our work is being acknowledged within the industry amongst our influential executive peers,” said Tim Conti, partner at ON Partners.  “ON Partners continues to rise in this ranking each year and prioritize our efforts towards the overall executive search experience, which is why we’ve consistently received a 4.9 out of 5.0-star experience rating from clients and executive placements over the last two years.”

---

New Additions to ON Partners

 

Recently, ON Partners announced its expansion in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. With the new addition of Jessica Johnson, the firm further strengthens its expertise to meet the growing demand for executive leadership across the C-Suite in areas such as Healthcare Services, Healthcare Technology, Life Sciences Technology, Medical Devices, and BioPharma. This strategic investment underscores ON’s commitment to delivering exceptional leadership solutions across these critical industries within growth equity, private equity, and public organizations.

Johnson brings over 25 years of experience in healthcare and life sciences executive search, specializing in C-suite and senior executive roles for organizations spanning venture capital-backed startups to Fortune 500 public companies, with substantial emphasis on private equity. Her client portfolio includes more than 500 completed searches for industry leaders, with significant overlap in ON’s client portfolio, including Summit Partners, Francisco Partners, Thermo Fisher, and Insight Partners.

She joins a team of experts at ON Partners, including partners Nina McMaster and Suzanne Zebedee, Ph.D., both recognized for their industry-leading experience and deep commitment to the firm. Johnson will also collaborate with partner Ashley Day, Ph.D., who joined the firm in September, further solidifying ON Partners’ healthcare market expansion.

Additionally, ON Partners announced the addition of Chris Clements as a new partner. Clements is a highly experienced search executive with profound expertise in energy transition, climate tech, industrials, and software sectors.

Over his decade-long career, Clements has led high-level executive searches in cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, energy, automotive and mobility, aerospace technology, smart cities, buildings, and the Internet of Things. He has served both large public and private companies, as well as growth-stage firms.

---

2025 CEO Report

 

ON released its 2025 CEO Report exploring multi-faceted pathways to the CEO role this past month. Utilizing first- and third-party data, the firm analyzed 25,000 candidates and current CEOs to uncover key findings in the evolving landscape of executive leadership.

The report reveals that 40% of CEO candidates possess prior CEO experience, and nearly 70% of those hired were already seasoned CEOs. This underscores the importance of experience in organizations’ decision-making processes when selecting top leaders.

{Related Article: A Blueprint for Future CEOs published in Fast Company}

The data highlights several common career trajectories. Presidents make up the largest group, with nearly 30% of CEOs having previously held this role. Similarly, senior operational leaders such as general managers (GM), senior vice presidents (SVP), and executive vice presidents (EVP) contribute another 29.5%.

Functional roles also play a part, with 5.7% of CEOs rising from chief financial officer (CFO) positions, 4.6% from chief revenue officer (CRO) roles, and 3.8% from chief marketing officer (CMO).

On average, a CEO’s career includes nine roles across seven companies, reflecting the diverse experience and adaptability required to lead.

However, the path to leadership varies by organization type. Public companies often prioritize candidates with broad leadership experience and the ability to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes, with roles like SVP, EVP, GM, and president serving as key stepping stones to the CEO position.

Read more by downloading the 2025 CEO Report today!