# Executive search for the management hires that matter most. - URL: https://kitalent.com/ - Language: en - Family: core_support_corpus - Description: International management and executive search for technical, culture-critical and cross-border senior hires. Validated shortlists in 7 to 10 days. ## Page Content International Management & Executive Search # Executive search for the management hires that matter most. Senior management and specialist leadership searches where technical depth, cultural judgment and cross-border reach all matter, run with executive-search discipline. [Discuss a Search Mandate](/contact?intent=mandate-brief&source=index-hero#hubspot-contact-page-form-container) [How Proof-First Works](/interview-fee-model) Validated shortlist in 7 to 10 working days on suitable mandates. Proof-First available with no upfront retainer. Retained search available for confidential and mission-critical work. ## Trusted by international talent and leadership teams. 8+ years average partnership · 96% one-year retention · NPS 72 [How we measure these numbers](/methodology#performance-metrics) ![IVECO Group](/assets/img/referral-IVECO.svg) ![BNP Paribas](/assets/img/referral-BNP.svg) ![Generali](/assets/img/generali-logo-1.svg) ![LVMH](/assets/img/referral-lvmh.svg) ![Kering](/assets/img/referral-Kering.svg) > "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." **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." **Talent Attraction Director**, Bulgari, LVMH Group > "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." **Talent Acquisition Partner**, Zurich Insurance Group --- ## Senior people on the mandate. Every search is led by senior people who are visible to the client and accountable for the shortlist. [Meet the team](/about#team): Alessio Montaruli, Chiara Giacoletti, Sonia Sarnataro, Katia Belous, Milena Vitale and Nicholas Finato. --- ## Where we earn our keep. Some management searches sit in the space between standard recruitment and traditional executive search. They are not always board-level, but the wrong hire slows a market launch, weakens a technical function, breaks a team or leaves a strategic country uncovered. Four families of mandate live in that space, and they are the work we are built around. ### Technical and specialist leadership Searches where the recruiter has to understand the work, not only the title. 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. ### Culture-critical leadership hires The candidate is right on paper and wrong in the company. 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](/culture-fit-assessment-senior-hires), not only ones who match the job description. ### Cross-border and multi-market searches Most of our mandates involve language, relocation, market mapping or regulatory complexity across borders. Our [markets coverage](/markets) 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. ### Senior management as the core, selected executive search where it fits 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. --- ## 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. ### 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](/interview-fee-model) ### 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](/contact?intent=retained-search&source=index#hubspot-contact-page-form-container) ### Talent Mapping First For roles that are not open yet, market-entry decisions, compensation questions and succession planning where leadership needs evidence before committing to a full search. * Target-company and candidate universe map * Compensation, mobility and availability signals * Feasibility recommendations before the brief is final * Converts naturally into Proof-First or retained search when the mandate is approved [Explore talent mapping](/talent-mapping) --- ## Performance, defined. Every claim links to how it is measured, and to the hiring-quality outcomes those measurements are meant to protect. | Metric | Definition | |---|---| | **7 to 10 working days** | Typical time to a validated shortlist on mapped senior-management mandates | | **15 days** | Average time to introduce the candidate eventually hired | | **42% faster** | Time-to-hire improvement against the benchmark used in our methodology | | **96% one-year retention** | Hires still in role after twelve months | | **80% passive-market benchmark** | Working assumption for senior search design: most qualified leaders are not active applicants, so direct search is needed to reach the hidden pool | | **NPS 72** | Net Promoter Score, twelve-month rolling client survey | | **8+ years** | Average length of active client relationship | [Read the measurement methodology](/methodology#performance-metrics) [How executive search improves hiring quality](/executive-search-hiring-quality) --- ## In practice. ### Ten Polish-speaking insurance specialists, relocated to Italy ![Insurance case study](/assets/img/articles/article-case-study-insurance-home.webp) Insurance · Italy / Poland Language requirement, relocation complexity, insurance-market knowledge and direct outreach to passive candidates, after an internal process had stalled. [Read case study](/case-studies/cross-border-insurance-poland-italy) ### Two financial controllers in Berlin, after two prior agencies failed ![Financial services case study](/assets/img/articles/article-case-study-finance-home.webp) Financial Services · Germany Brief recalibrated, market narrowed, direct search run in-market by a sector-native consultant. Six weeks to placement, below budget. [Read case study](/case-studies/financial-controllers-berlin) ### A new business division built from concept ![Real estate case study](/assets/img/articles/article-case-study-facility-home.webp) Real Estate · Multi-sector Eight adjacent sectors mapped, more than 100 interviews completed, an insurance and property synergy turned into a profitable operating division through targeted leadership search. [Read case study](/case-studies/new-business-division-real-estate) --- ## What we cover. ### Roles Country and regional managers, heads of function, department directors, senior managers, senior technical leads, principal consultants and architects, risk and compliance leaders, actuarial leaders, investment and portfolio managers, and selected C-suite and board mandates for established clients. ### Sectors Eight sectors with sector-native consultants and one disciplined process. ![Financial Services and Professional Services sector](/assets/img/sector-backgrounds/financial-services-recruitment-practices.webp) [Financial Services and Professional Services](/financial-services-and-professional-services-recruitment) ![AI, Technology and Digital Infrastructure sector](/assets/img/sector-backgrounds/ai-technology-recruitment-practices.webp) [AI, Technology and Digital Infrastructure](/ai-technology-and-digital-infrastructure-recruitment) ![Industrial Manufacturing and Robotics sector](/assets/img/sector-backgrounds/industrial-manufacturing-recruitment-practices.webp) [Industrial Manufacturing and Robotics](/industrial-manufacturing-and-robotics-recruitment) ![Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure sector](/assets/img/sector-backgrounds/energy-infrastructure-recruitment-practices.webp) [Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure](/energy-natural-resources-and-infrastructure-recruitment) ![Mobility, Aerospace and Defense sector](/assets/img/sector-backgrounds/mobility-aerospace-defense-recruitment-practices.webp) [Mobility, Aerospace and Defense](/mobility-aerospace-and-defense-recruitment) ![Healthcare and Life Sciences sector](/assets/img/sector-backgrounds/healthcare-life-sciences-recruitment-practices.webp) [Healthcare and Life Sciences](/healthcare-and-life-sciences-recruitment) ![Consumer, Retail and Hospitality sector](/assets/img/sector-backgrounds/consumer-retail-hospitality-recruitment-practices.webp) [Consumer, Retail and Hospitality](/consumer-retail-and-hospitality-recruitment) ![Real Estate and Built Environment sector](/assets/img/sector-backgrounds/real-estate-built-environment-recruitment-practices.webp) [Real Estate and Built Environment](/real-estate-and-built-environment-recruitment) ### Hubs [Turin](/turin) · [Nicosia](/nicosia) · [Almaty](/almaty) · [New York](/ny) --- ## Where we are not the right firm. Fit matters as much as capability. We are not the right partner when: * You need volume hiring or junior recruitment * The brief is fully owned and well-served by your in-house team * The role is administrative or non-managerial * A targeted job-board posting will reasonably solve the search When that is the case we will say so up front, often within the first call. The mandates we take on are the ones where executive-search discipline genuinely changes the outcome. --- ## Discuss a Search Mandate. 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](/contact?intent=mandate-brief&source=index-bottom#hubspot-contact-page-form-container) [Request a Capability Briefing](/contact?intent=capability-briefing&source=index-bottom#hubspot-contact-page-form-container) --- ## Frequently asked questions. ### 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. [See the comparison with standard recruitment agencies](/executive-search-vs-recruitment-agency). ### 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](/retained-search) for confidential work and [Talent Mapping First](/talent-mapping) 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](/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](/interview-fee-model). ### 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](/culture-fit-assessment-senior-hires) 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.