KiTalent · International Management & Executive Search Founded London & Turin, 2016
An advisory note from KiTalent

Executive search for the management hires that matter most.

International management and executive search for technical, culture-critical and cross-border senior hires. Validated shortlists in seven to ten working days, on the mandates we are built for.

Discuss a search mandate How Proof-First works
Validated shortlist in 7 to 10 working days on suitable mandates. Four hubs, each search runs in the market it serves. Turin, Nicosia, Almaty, New York. NPS 72, 96% one-year retention, 8+ years average partnership.
Senior management, specialist leadership Country managers, heads of function, technical leads, the center of our practice.
Four hubs, in-market Turin · Nicosia · Almaty · New York. Each search runs in the market it serves.
Three buying routes Proof-First for new partnerships. Retained search for confidential mandates. Talent Mapping First before a role opens.

Engagement models · Defined term

What is Proof-First™ Search?

Proof-First™ Search is KiTalent's executive search engagement model where the validated shortlist comes before the commitment. The firm delivers a market-mapped, interview-tested shortlist within 7 to 10 working days, charging an interview fee only at that point. The placement fee follows on hire. The structure suits buyers who want evidence of search feasibility before committing to a full retained engagement.

Ideal use cases

  • Candidate-short markets where search feasibility is uncertain
  • Confidential replacements where premature commitment carries risk
  • Cross-border or specialist roles where the buyer wants validated market access before retainer
  • First engagement with a new firm where mutual trust is being established

Typical timeline

  • Days 1–3Market mapping and direct outreach
  • Days 4–7Shortlist interviews and validation
  • Days 8–10Shortlist delivery and client review
  • Weeks 2–6Process completion and placement

Commercial structure

  • No upfront retainer
  • Interview fee on shortlist delivery
  • Placement fee on hire
  • All fees disclosed in the engagement letter
Review Proof-First™ Search How retained search compares
Trusted by leading organizations · 200+ on the books Average partnership 8+ years · NPS 72
IVECO Group BNP Paribas Generali LVMH Kering
KiTalent's team stand out for their enthusiasm, competence, effectiveness and professionalism. They've demonstrated great ability in understanding our specific needs and proposing the best candidates.
Generali
Talent Acquisition Director Generali Group
We've created a real partnership, based on cooperation and mutual trust, clear and effective communication. They provide attentive high-quality service.
Bulgari
Talent Attraction Director Bulgari (LVMH)
Reliable and dynamic professionals with a strong background and a very active network, which allows them to move quickly and stay current with market trends.
Zurich
Talent Acquisition Partner Zurich Insurance Group

Engagement models · At a glance

Three engagement structures. Two peer models for senior leadership.

Side by side on the six dimensions that decide which engagement structure fits a mandate. Retained search and Proof-First™ Search are peer models for senior leadership. Contingency is a separate category for volume hiring.

Dimension Contingency Volume hiring Retained search Peer model · senior leadership Proof-First™ Search Peer model · senior leadership
Engagement category Volume and replacement hiring Peer model for senior leadership mandates Peer model for senior leadership mandates
Typical use High-turnover roles, mid-level positions Confidential, mission-critical, C-suite, board and succession New partnerships, time-sensitive senior mandates, risk-sensitive roles
Commercial structure Success fee on hire; multiple agencies competing Milestone fees across the search; exclusivity No upfront retainer; interview fee on validated shortlist; placement fee on hire
Shortlist discipline Applicant flow; CVs in days Continuous market mapping; bespoke assessment sequence Continuous market mapping; validated shortlist in 7 to 10 working days
Off-limits & confidentiality Limited Full off-limits protection and full confidentiality Confidentiality on request; standard off-limits
Best when Speed and breadth matter more than fit Stakes, confidentiality and process discipline are paramount The buyer wants evidence of the work before the major commercial commitment

Retained search and Proof-First™ Search are peer engagement models for senior leadership. They share the same operational standard: continuous market mapping, direct headhunting, structured assessment, weekly visibility. The commercial structure changes according to the risk profile of the role and how the organization buys search. Contingency is a separate category for volume hiring.

An advisory note from the founder

Thirteen years in executive search have taught me that most senior hires fail not from lack of effort, but from one confusion: capability and identity are not the same thing. Skills can be taught. The way someone reads a room cannot. KiTalent exists to find the rare combinations of technical depth and cultural fit that produce senior tenures lasting eight or ten years. We assess slowly, on both capability (soft, hard, and management skills) and identity (values, motivation, character). But we scout fast, because the right candidates do not stay reachable for long.

Alessio Montaruli, Founder & Group CEO of KiTalent

Alessio Montaruli · Founder & Group CEO

Read related editorials

The qualitative edge of speed in talent mapping Culture fit and soft skills are not the same

Research papers

Three papers, three research traditions, one argument.

The firm's position on senior hiring is grounded in a coordinated research cluster. Three converging papers, written from organizational psychology, phenomenological philosophy, and analytic philosophy, establish the same operational distinction between capability and identity. Each paper is final, peer-citable, and authored by Alessio Montaruli.

The Capability-Identity Distinction in Executive Hiring

Why culture fit and soft skills are not the same.

By Alessio Montaruli · 12 min read · Position paper

Capability (technical, soft, and management skills) and identity (personality, values, motivation) belong to different assessment registers. Distinguished from informal cultural matching, grounded in organizational psychology.

Read the paper

The Ontological Boundary of Algorithmic Assessment

AI, Heidegger, and the irreducibility of identity in executive search.

By Alessio Montaruli · 25 min read · Position paper

AI can map the field of public, already-formalized intelligibility. It cannot perform the singularizing judgment required to assess identity-fit in a concrete executive mandate. A phenomenological grounding for consultant-led senior hiring.

Read the paper

The Candidate Is Not the Profile

Competence without comprehension and the category mistake of AI-led executive assessment.

By Alessio Montaruli · 28 min read · Position paper

Mapping is not judgment, representation is not assessment, a profile is not a person. Analytic-philosophical grounding for the distinction between AI-assisted mapping and consultant-led identity assessment.

Read the paper
See all research
Mandate families, four recurrences

Where we earn our keep.

Across the searches above and the hundreds we do not publish, four families of mandate recur. They are the work we are built around, not always board-level, but the kind where the wrong hire slows a market launch, weakens a technical function, breaks a team or leaves a strategic country uncovered.

  1. i. Mandate family

    Technical and specialist leadership

    When the recruiter has to read the role, not just the title.

    • Software Architects
    • Risk & Actuarial
    • Investment Managers
    • Industrial Automation

    Senior technical leads, software architects, actuarial and risk leaders, investment and portfolio managers, regulatory specialists, industrial automation directors, data infrastructure leaders. The brief is wrong, and the shortlist is wrong, when the consultant cannot read the role.

  2. ii. Mandate family

    Culture-critical leadership hires

    "Right on paper, wrong in the company" is the failure we work to prevent.

    • Leadership Replacements
    • Team Turnarounds
    • Founder-to-Manager
    • Post-Merger Integration

    We calibrate leadership style, decision rights, stakeholder context, team maturity and operating environment before outreach begins. The shortlist is built to introduce candidates who can succeed inside your organization, not only ones who match the job description.

  3. iii. Mandate family

    Cross-border and multi-market searches

    Most mandates involve language, relocation or regulatory complexity across borders.

    • Relocation Searches
    • Multilingual Roles
    • Regional HQ Hires
    • Multi-Country Mapping

    Our markets coverage and four hubs in Turin, Nicosia, Almaty and New York are designed so each search runs in-market with sector-native consultants, rather than out of a single head office. Compensation, mobility and employer-brand reality are tested early.

  4. iv. Mandate family

    Senior management as the core, selected executive search where it fits

    Country managers, heads of function and selected C-suite mandates for clients we know well.

    • Country Managers
    • Heads of Function
    • Senior Directors
    • Selected C-suite

    Country managers, heads of function, department directors, senior technical leads and specialist leaders are the center of our practice. We also run selected C-suite, board, succession and confidential mandates, especially for clients where we already understand the sector, culture and leadership context.

Case studies, Nº 01 / 02 / 03

In practice.

Three recent searches, told plainly. Each links to the full case file with method, metrics and what we got wrong on the first pass.

Insurance case study Insurance · IT / PL
Case Nº 01 · Insurance · Italy / Poland

Cross-border insurance talent for relocation to Italy

Ten Polish-speaking insurance specialists sourced for relocation to Italy after an internal process had stalled. Brief recalibrated, candidates calibrated for relocation appetite, shortlist landed inside three weeks.

10 hires · cross-border relocation
Financial Services case study Financial Services · DE
Case Nº 02 · Financial Services · Germany

Financial controllers in Berlin, after two agencies failed

Two Financial Controllers placed in six weeks and below budget by recalibrating the role and running a direct search after two agencies had been unable to close.

2 hires · 6 weeks · under budget
Real Estate case study Real Estate · multi-sector
Case Nº 03 · Real Estate · Multi-sector

Building a new business division from concept

Eight adjacent sectors mapped, 100+ interviews completed and a new operating division built through targeted leadership search and structured candidate calibration.

8 sectors · 100+ interviews
Engagement models

Three buying routes, one search standard.

Every mandate follows the same operating discipline: role calibration, market mapping, direct headhunting, structured assessment, evidence-based shortlist delivery and post-placement follow-up. The commercial model changes according to the risk profile of the role and how your organization buys search.

The shared six-stage process

  1. Role calibration
  2. Market mapping
  3. Direct headhunting
  4. Structured assessment
  5. Evidence-based shortlist
  6. Post-placement follow-up
Best for new partnerships

Proof-First™ Search

For new partnerships, time-sensitive searches and risk-sensitive mandates.

  • No upfront retainer
  • Validated shortlist in 7 to 10 working days
  • Interview fee, then a placement fee on hire
  • Shortlist evidence and market feedback before any major fee commitment
Review Proof-First™ Search
Best for confidential mandates

Retained search

For confidential, mission-critical, C-suite, board and succession mandates.

  • Standard retained structure with milestone fees
  • Off-limits protection and exclusivity
  • Deeper stakeholder calibration and assessment sequence
  • Same six-stage process, same weekly visibility
Discuss a retained mandate
Best before a role opens

Talent Mapping First

For roles that are not open yet, market-entry decisions, compensation questions and succession planning.

  • Target-company and candidate universe map
  • Compensation, mobility and availability signals
  • Feasibility recommendations before the brief is final
  • Converts naturally into search when the mandate is approved
Explore talent mapping
Fit, stated up front

Where we are the right firm, and where we are not.

Saying so within the first call saves everyone time.

Talk to us when the search needs executive-search discipline.

  • Technical or specialist mandates
  • Culture-critical leadership hires
  • Cross-border and multilingual roles
  • Searches stalled through standard channels
  • Confidential or off-limits assignments

Pass on us when a different route will solve it.

  • Volume or junior hiring
  • Administrative roles
  • Briefs well-served by in-house TA
  • Job-board friendly searches
Watch · 2 min

How we complement great internal recruitment teams.

A worked example of the four areas where we add the most value, and how a single strategic search can deliver close to a million dollars in net value to the business.

Performance, defined

Every claim links to how it is measured.

  • 7–10 days To a validated shortlist on mapped senior-management mandates.
  • 96% One-year retention: hires still in role after twelve months.
  • NPS 72 Twelve-month rolling client satisfaction survey.
  • 8+ years Average length of an active client relationship.

Read the measurement methodology →

Coverage

Eight sectors, across four hubs.

Sector-native consultants calibrated against the real difficulty of each market. Search execution anchored close to where candidates compete, not run from a single head office.

  1. Financial Services & Professional Services

    Explore →

  2. AI, Technology & Digital Infrastructure

    Explore →

  3. Industrial Manufacturing & Robotics

    Explore →

  4. Energy, Natural Resources & Infrastructure

    Explore →

  5. Mobility, Aerospace & Defense

    Explore →

  6. Healthcare & Life Sciences

    Explore →

  7. Consumer, Retail & Hospitality

    Explore →

  8. Real Estate & Built Environment

    Explore →
Hubs

Four hubs. In-market execution.

The same search standard, anchored close to where senior candidates actually compete, with native-language calibration and on-the-ground references.

i. Europe HQ -

Turin

European HQ and origin of the firm. Core coverage across Italy, Southern Europe, industrial markets, financial services, legal, consumer and luxury-linked mandates.

Explore Turin
ii. Mediterranean & MEA -

Nicosia

Mediterranean, Middle East and strategic-accounts hub. Confidential, multilingual searches connected to Cyprus, GCC, energy and cross-border corporate structures.

Explore Nicosia
iii. Central Asia -

Almaty

Central Asia and Asia-facing hub. Supports searches across Kazakhstan, CIS, Asian growth markets and multilingual, relocation-led assignments.

Explore Almaty
iv. Americas -

New York

Americas hub for North American searches and international mandates involving US-based leadership, investors, regional headquarters and cross-Atlantic coordination.

Explore New York
The bench

Senior people on the mandate.

Every search is led by a partner who knows the sector, the market and the brief. No handoffs.

  • Alessio MontaruliAlessio MontaruliFounder & Group CEO
  • Chiara GiacolettiChiara GiacolettiCEE & Turin HQ
  • Sonia SarnataroSonia SarnataroSouthern Europe
  • Katia BelousKatia BelousMiddle East & Asia
  • Milena VitaleMilena VitaleLegal & KiLawyers
  • Nicholas FinatoNicholas FinatoNew York & Americas
Meet the team
Frequently asked questions

The questions we are asked, before we are hired.

What roles does KiTalent typically fill?

The center of our practice is senior management and specialist leadership: country managers, heads of function, department directors, senior technical leads, risk and investment leaders. We also run selected C-suite, board, succession and confidential mandates for clients where we already understand the context.

How is KiTalent different from a standard recruitment agency?

We start with continuous market mapping and direct headhunting, not applicant flow. The process is built for passive senior candidates, with technical and leadership assessment, weekly visibility and shortlist evidence. The difference is most visible when the role is technical, culture-critical, cross-border, or has already failed through standard channels.

How is KiTalent different from a large retained search firm?

Large retained firms are strongest at board and C-suite advisory work. We are built around the senior-management and specialist mandates that international companies need filled repeatedly across markets, sectors and functions, with executive-search discipline, retained search for confidential work and Talent Mapping First when the role is not ready to launch.

Do you only work on the Proof-First model?

No. Proof-First Search is one buying route. We also run retained searches for confidential, mission-critical, executive, board, succession and ongoing leadership programs, and talent mapping when the role is not ready to launch.

What is Proof-First Search?

Proof-First Search is our risk-reversed engagement model. No upfront retainer, a validated shortlist delivered in 7 to 10 working days, an interview fee only when the shortlist is strong enough to validate, and a placement fee on hire. It is designed for new partnerships and time-sensitive mandates where the client wants to see evidence of the work before any major commercial commitment. Full details on the Proof-First page.

What is retained search?

Standard retained executive search with milestone fees, off-limits protection and a dedicated search team. We use this model for confidential, mission-critical, C-suite, board and succession mandates where exclusivity, deeper advisory involvement and process discipline matter most. The operational standard is the same as Proof-First: continuous market mapping, direct headhunting, structured assessment and weekly visibility.

How quickly can you deliver candidates?

Most senior-management mandates receive a validated shortlist within 7 to 10 working days, because we map markets continuously rather than reactively. Confidential, niche or board-level searches may require a longer mapping and assessment sequence.

Do you assess culture fit?

Yes. We treat culture fit as a structured calibration of leadership style, decision rights, stakeholder context, team maturity and operating environment, not as personality matching. The work happens before outreach, not after the shortlist.

Where do you operate?

Cross-border is the default rather than the exception. Most mandates involve at least one international element, and our hubs in Turin, Nicosia, Almaty and New York allow each search to run in-market.

Next step

Discuss a search.

Tell us the role, the market and what makes the search difficult. We will tell you whether the mandate is best run as Proof-First Search, retained search, or a preliminary talent map.

Discuss a search mandate Request a capability briefing

For confidential briefs, use the secure mandate form so the request reaches the right search route.