Roundtable of Executive Search Firms

Designed for efficiency and flexibility, our academic executive search and academic career services are high precision but inexpensive. Savings are passed to the client. Executive Search: Six search options for every need and budget. The only constant - a unique search process driven by experienced recruiters, researchers and academics guaranteed to attract the ideal candidate. We work with the client until we find the right fit. Academic Career Services offers critical insight to aspiring higher education candidates.

For more than four decades, Academic Search has offered executive search services to higher education institutions, associations, and related organizations. Academic Search was founded by higher education leaders on the principle that we provide the most value to partner institutions by combining best practices with our deep knowledge and experience. Our mission today is to enhance institutional capacity by providing outstanding executive recruitment services, executive coaching, and transition support, in partnership with our parent organization, the American Academic Leadership Institute.

AGB Search focuses exclusively on higher education leadership. We offer interim appointments to preserve continuity, full search services to help institutions navigate the hiring process, transition assistance to set up leaders for long-term success.

​Buffkin / Baker is a partner-led executive search firm focusing on Healthcare, Higher Education, Private Equity, Digital Transformation, Technology, Media & Telecom, and Non-Profit. As leaders in their respective fields, each partner has over a decade of retained search experience. Combined, the firm's partners have more than 175 years of search experience and more than 220 years of industry/operating experience. Office locations include Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, St. Simons Island, Washington, DC, and Winston-Salem with an affiliate office in London.

Consultants from Storbeck Search, Diversified Search, and Koya Partners form the Education Practice of The Diversified Search Group (DSG), a single firm comprising a portfolio of search firms focused on specialized market sectors. Founded by women, the three firms are recognized leaders in the areas of diversity and inclusion. The Diversified Search Group family of firms also includes BioQuest and Grant Cooper, with niches in life sciences and academic medicine. DSG is the official U.S. partner of AltoPartners, an international alliance of executive search firms.

​Founded in 2004, Greenwood Asher & Associates (GA&A) is a full-service executive search firm with a specialization in identifying top tier executives to lead higher education institutions, K-12 school districts, and education nonprofits across the nation. GA&A’s full-time search professionals, many who have personal experience as education executives, bring an uncommon ability to adapt professional best practices to each institution’s unique context in ways that exceed clients’ expectations. As a result, GA&A has a notable repeat client rate – a testament to our expertise, strong relationships, skilled recruiting, and exceptional outcomes.​

​Harris Search Associates is a leading global executive search and board advisory consulting firm. Our practice is focused on identifying and attracting leaders to support the growth of clients in the areas of research, science, engineering, academic medicine and commercial enterprises. Clients include the foremost universities, research parks, institutes, academic medical centers and commercial organizations driving global innovation and discovery. Specialties: CAO, CEO, CFO, CHAIR, CIO, CS/PA, DEAN, DIR, VP

​Jack Farrell & Associates finds the best talent in academic libraries - from Dean of Libraries/ University Librarian to Associate Dean, Associate University Librarian, and all other leadership levels in the organization. We are experts are building candidate pools that are deep and diverse. We work seamlessly with Search Committees to deliver swift and winning results for our clients. Our fees are typically less than others doing this work, and our results are second to none. Please tell us how we can help you!

Lindauer is a global search and talent firm with a true understanding of the nonprofit world and what it takes to succeed in its challenging environment. Our proven success across multi-disciplines includes higher and secondary education; hospitals and academic research centers; think tanks, research facilities and foundations; and advocacy, public service, social justice and other mission-driven nonprofits. Our client list today represents the most prestigious and innovative organizations.

​NES, a national higher education search firm, focuses on recruitment and placement of enrollment professionals in admission, financial aid, and marketing leadership roles. We align searches to strategically match the goals of each institution. Established in 2014 as Napier Executive Search, NES consists of seasoned enrollment professionals with considerable consultative experience. The mission of NES is to build on our national reach, demonstrate excellence in enrollment searches, and work with synergy as a team to provide results to institutions.

R. William Funk & Associates, is recognized for its unparalleled record in recruiting many of the nation's most esteemed college and university leaders. During the past two decades, no higher education search firm has had a greater impact on college and university leadership nationally than RWFA and its consultants. We have conducted many of the most important university and system President, Provost, VP, and Dean searches in the nation. RWFA was founded on the belief that we are partners with our clients, working towards a mutual goal of advancing the universities and colleges we serve. 

​Founded in 1992, the Registry is the "Gold Standard" interim leadership firm in higher education. The Registry has contracts with over 600 former college and university presidents and senior administrators, in over 49 states, all of whom have been selected for membership based upon nominations and pre-screening evaluations. Experience confirms that the Registry interim function increases the probability of success for the permanent president or senior administrator. Specialties: ADV, CAO, CEO, CFO, CIO, CS/PA, DEAN, GC, SPO, VP

Russell Reynolds Associates is an executive search team that helps clients identify and develop future-ready leaders who share the values of an organization and move the business forward. We take a broad, creative approach to identifying potential candidates. We evaluate candidates against both what your needs are and what success looks like across your industry. During the interview stage, we gather feedback and manage candidate expectations-serving as your trusted advisor throughout the entire recruitment process.

Spelman Johnson is a premier executive search firm serving higher education. Recruiting talented leaders, Spelman Johnson's success is strengthened by their deep, diverse relationships and their investment in the development of a leadership pipeline.

​William Spelman Executive Search is a retained executive search firm specializing in identifying and recruiting highly qualified and diverse candidates for executive positions in higher education. Our searches are rooted in the close partnerships we form with our clients, with whom we share a commitment to finding the best and brightest to carry out the important work of educating the world's future leaders. Specialties: ADV, ATH, CFO, CIO, DEAN, DIR, SPO, VP