Best 16 Tech Exec Recruiters in the World
A curated list of the world’s most respected tech executive recruiters, ranked for their impact, reach, and ability to place elite leaders. ↓
Top tech companies don’t rise on product alone—they’re built by visionary leaders recruited by the best in the business. Behind every iconic tech CEO, transformative CTO, or unicorn startup team is often a world-class executive recruiter who made that critical connection. These elite headhunters specialize in identifying and placing high-impact talent at the helm of the world’s most innovative organizations.
Below is a carefully curated list of 16 of the most respected tech executive recruiters globally—individuals who’ve shaped the leadership teams of companies like Google, Airbnb, Snowflake, DoorDash, and beyond.
- Andy Price
- Paul Daversa
- Gad Azuelos
- Katherine Graham Shannon
- Joe Riggione
- Henry Man
- Nick Steiner
- Alan Blum
- Giancarlo Hirsch
- Art Hopkins
- Michael Stover
- James M. Citrin
- Shawn Banerji
- Martha Heller
- Andy Legg
- Ben Hodzic
Each entry includes a brief explanation of why they are among the best, followed by their social media profiles.
Andy Price
Nationality: American
Andy Price is a Managing Partner at SPMB (Schweichler Price Mullarkey & Barry), one of the top West Coast executive search firms for technology. He has been instrumental in SPMB’s growth, helping it become “the #1 executive search firm serving the technology market” and one of the largest independents.
Price has overseen hundreds of C-level searches annually, with SPMB’s placements generating over $1 trillion in market value (via IPOs/M&As) for clients. He is known for recruiting transformational leaders into companies like Snowflake, Google Cloud, Airbnb, and many VC-backed disruptors. As Andy noted during a record year, SPMB has been “closing more searches” and outperforming benchmarks – a testament to their execution under his leadership.
- LinkedIn: Andy Price
Paul Daversa
Nationality: American
Paul Daversa is the founder and CEO of Daversa Partners, a leading executive search firm for the VC and startup community. Often dubbed “the headhunter of Silicon Valley,” Daversa is notorious for assembling impactful leadership teams at tech unicorns and high-growth startups.
He has placed C-suite teams for companies like Robinhood, Instacart, Square, DoorDash, and more. In the last three years alone, executives placed by Paul have earned over $2 billion in collective compensation – reflecting the immense value of talent he brokers. His firm’s success stories (Snapchat, Dataminr, Airtable, etc.) and his decades-long focus on tech innovators make him one of the most prominent independent tech recruiters globally.
- LinkedIn: Paul Daversa
Gad Azuelos
Nationality: French
Gad Azuelos is Korn Ferry’s Global Technology Industry Leader for EMEA, based in Paris.
He leads a team of senior partners across Europe, focusing on placing C-suite tech executives and delivering digital transformation talent strategies. Azuelos is respected for his strategic, “out-of-the-box” approach and has a track record of guiding major telecom and tech organizations through leadership changes and complex transformations. Profiles:
- LinkedIn: Gad Azuelos
- X (Twitter): @GadSalomon
Katherine Graham Shannon
Nationality: American
Katherine “Katie” Graham Shannon is a San Francisco-based partner at Heidrick & Struggles and global head of the Digital & Technology Officers Practice.
Over 20+ years at Heidrick, she has placed hundreds of technology leaders (CIOs, CTOs, CDOs), spanning emerging areas like AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. Renowned for her strong network and insight, Katie provides clients access to top tech talent across industries (including PE portfolio companies) and was featured in industry panels on the evolving CIO/CXO role.
- LinkedIn: Katie Graham Shannon
- X (Twitter): @Kgrahamshannon
Joe Riggione
The future of executive search is not just about who you know—it’s about what you know and how you use data to uncover potential others miss.
Nationality: American
Joe Riggione is co-founder and co-CEO of True, one of the fastest-growing global executive search firms focusing on tech talent. Since 2012, he has helped scale True into a top-10 global firm, known for placing executives in high-growth technology and PE-backed companies.
Riggione himself is an experienced recruiter turned entrepreneur; he spearheads True’s data-driven approach to finding “unicorn” talent. Under his leadership, True has expanded worldwide and even launched innovative talent platforms. Joe is also a thought leader who writes about leadership and hiring (e.g., Finding Hidden Leadership Potential), making him a key figure in modern tech recruiting.
- LinkedIn: Joe Riggione
Henry Man
Nationality: American
Henry Man is co-founder and Managing Partner of Candela Search, a boutique tech executive search firm operating across the US and Europe.
With 20+ years’ experience (dating back to the dot-com boom), Henry has placed senior technology and digital leaders across industries. He’s particularly known for recruiting CIOs/CTOs for transformative roles. Man’s global perspective (80+ countries traveled) and passion for technology leadership make him a sought-after advisor, especially for companies seeking agile, transformative tech executives. Candela’s success in both Silicon Valley and European tech hubs is a testament to Henry’s network and reputation.
- LinkedIn: Henry Man
Nick Steiner
Nationality: Australian
Nick Steiner leads Egon Zehnder’s Digital, Technology & Communications Practice in Asia Pacific, advising organizations across Australia/Asia on CEO succession and tech leadership.
Based in Sydney, Steiner specializes in CIO/CTO, CDO, and CMO placements for both tech companies and traditional companies undergoing digital transformation. Formerly a media COO, he brings first-hand insight into digital disruption. Steiner is valued for helping institutions “deal with disruption and transformation” by finding innovation-focused leaders across APAC.
- LinkedIn: Nick Steiner
- X (Twitter): @NickSteiner_SYD
Alan Blum
Nationality: American
Alan Blum is a Managing Partner at Options Group, where he oversees the global technology practice from New York. He has 15+ years at Options Group, focusing on senior placements in financial technology – particularly in trading systems, quantitative analytics, and fintech engineering.
Known as a “well-known name” in quantitative finance recruiting, Blum has a track record of filling highly specialized CTO and engineering roles for Wall Street’s trading firms. Clients and peers note his breadth in trading tech – one recruiter told BI that trading systems technology is “his bread and butter”. Before recruiting, Alan worked in finance (DLJ), giving him a strong domain insight.
- LinkedIn: Alan Blum
Giancarlo Hirsch
Nationality: American
Giancarlo Hirsch is a Managing Director at Glocomms (part of Phaidon International) and a go-to recruiter for cybersecurity leadership. Over 8 years at Glocomms, he built and now leads a specialist team that places CISOs, security architects, and tech risk executives across finance, fintech, and insurance sectors.
Hirsch’s clients trust him to find talent as firms consolidate security functions; he advises candidates to highlight the scope of their cybersecurity ownership given companies’ more disciplined hiring. As Wall Street and other industries “come back online” in hiring, Giancarlo is on the front lines of delivering the next generation of cybersecurity leaders to safeguard critical systems.
- LinkedIn: Giancarlo Hirsch
Art Hopkins
Nationality: American
Art Hopkins leads RRA’s Global Technology Officers Practice and co-leads its Diversity & Inclusion Practice.
He specializes in recruiting CTOs, CIOs, Chief Digital/Data Officers, often for transformative roles. Hopkins has conducted high-profile searches – including CIOs for major companies and even the first Chief Inclusion Officer at a leading e-commerce firm. With a background as a former tech CEO himself, he brings a nuanced understanding of client needs. He frequently speaks on how tech leadership roles are evolving, as highlighted in industry forums.
- LinkedIn: Art Hopkins
Michael Stover
Nationality: American
Michael Stover leads The Omerta Group’s Americas practice and has 26 years of experience recruiting top tech and quantitative talent for financial institutions.
Formerly a talent acquisition executive at firms like Citadel and UBS, Stover now places trading technology leaders and CTOs into multi-strategy hedge funds and trading firms. He brings a unique perspective, having worked both in front-office and tech recruitment.
Stover has witnessed trends from the dot-com era to today’s AI arms race on Wall Street – he notes a “race” among quant funds to leverage sophisticated data and tech as a massive differentiator in hiring and performance. His long-standing network in both finance and tech makes him one of the most seasoned executive recruiters in fintech/quant circles.
- LinkedIn: Michael Stover
James M. Citrin
Nationality: American
James Citrin is an iconic tech headhunter who leads Spencer Stuart’s North American CEO Practice. In 25+ years at the firm, he has completed 775+ CEO, board, and top management searches, especially for media and technology companies.
Citrin has placed chief executives at Yahoo, Twitter, eBay, PayPal, Cisco, Hulu and more, often behind the scenes of Silicon Valley’s biggest leadership moves. He’s also a best-selling author on careers and leadership. Clients value his ability to identify candidates who balance capability, credibility, and “attractability” for high-profile tech roles.
- LinkedIn: James Citrin
- X (Twitter): @Jamescitrin
Shawn Banerji
Nationality: American
Shawn Banerji is Managing Partner for Caldwell’s Data, Digital & Technology Leaders Practice, advising organizations on technology-driven transformation.
Over two decades in executive search (formerly with Russell Reynolds), Banerji has specialized in recruiting “catalyst” tech leaders – CIOs, CTOs, Chief Digital/Data Officers, CISOs – who can reset business value through innovation. He’s a noted thought leader on IT leadership (board advisor at Columbia University’s tech management center, MIT CIO Symposium contributor) and an advocate for diversity in tech. Banerji’s reputation in both enterprise IT circles and digital startups makes him one of the go-to headhunters for tech executives in North America.
- LinkedIn: Shawn Banerji
Martha Heller
Nationality: American
Martha Heller is the CEO of Heller Search and a widely recognized recruiter of CIOs, CTOs, and other IT executives.
Over her career, she has placed hundreds of technology leaders and become a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 CIOs. Heller is a prominent thought leader – author of The CIO Paradox and Be the Business, and a longtime CIO.com columnist – shaping how companies think about IT leadership. Her firm is a top boutique specializing in IT executive roles, and Martha’s influence in the CIO community (she founded the CIO Executive Council) has cemented her reputation as a go-to recruiter for senior technology talent in the U.S.
- LinkedIn: Martha Heller
- X (Twitter): @marthaheller
Andy Legg
Nationality: British
Andy Legg is a Director at boutique firm Riviera Partners, where he helps lead the quantitative technology and AI practice.
With a decade of experience placing top tech talent on Wall Street, Legg specializes in recruiting machine learning engineers and quantitative technologists for hedge funds and fintech clients. He’s passionate about transferring “brain share” from Big Tech to finance – in fact, he placed his first ML engineer in a hedge fund back in 2013. Andy’s unique background includes in-house recruiting at major hedge funds (Point72, Two Sigma, etc.), giving him an edge in understanding the niche intersection of high finance and cutting-edge tech talent.
- LinkedIn: Andy Legg
Ben Hodzic
Nationality: American
Ben Hodzic is Managing Director and Head of Selby Jennings (North America), a financial-services-focused recruiting firm. He specializes in placing software engineers, AI/ML experts, and quantitative developers into top banks and hedge funds.
Ben has had an especially busy year as Wall Street’s demand for AI talent surged – he helps clients navigate the “war for talent” by recruiting across all levels, from senior engineering leaders to specialized quant researchers. With a background in both agency recruiting and deep knowledge of finance, Hodzic has become one of Wall Street’s favorite tech headhunters, known for delivering candidates with cutting-edge skills in AI and data.
- LinkedIn: Ben Hodzic
Wrap Up
These elite tech executive recruiters have redefined how top talent is sourced—by launching specialist firms, placing C-level leaders, and opening doors to emerging markets. But working with them isn’t always easy: demand is high, and fees can be steep.
A practical alternative is hiring great tech executive experts through EchoGlobal, where we combine deep industry insight and extensive networks to efficiently connect you with the right talent.
Note: We’ve dedicated significant time and effort to creating and verifying this curated list of top professionals. However, if you believe a correction or addition is needed, feel free to reach out. We’ll gladly review and update the page.
Lou Reverchuk