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Capabilities: Executive Search
We don’t fill roles. We find leaders who stay.
Executive search has not fundamentally changed in a hundred years. Most retained executive search firms source from the same visible pool, screen against a job description, and hand you a finalist. We built our entire process, Foresight™, around the problem that method consistently produces: leaders who look right on paper but fail in practice.
Why Most Searches Fail
The root cause of executive failure is almost never the résumé.
The root cause is fit: the cultural, behavioral and contextual fit that standard assessment tools and rushed processes are not designed to surface. When a $350,000 executive hire fails after 18 months, the cost is not the fee. It is organizational disruption, lost momentum, a damaged culture, and eighteen months you can never recover.
Allen Austin’s founder, Rob Andrews, learned this as an operating president, not as a recruiter. He has sat in the seat of the executive making the hire, watched what happens when fit is wrong, and designed this process to prevent that outcome before the first interview is scheduled.
Meet the partners who run every searchThe Foresight™ Process
A search that begins with your organization. Not our database.
Developed and refined over 30 years, Foresight™ is an evidence-based methodology that establishes cultural fit, performance expectations and success criteria before we identify a single candidate. This is not due diligence after the fact. It is the architecture of a search that actually works.
01
Organizational & Position Needs Analysis
We develop a comprehensive understanding of your culture, operating environment, leadership expectations and the specific conditions for success in this role. The result is a performance specification that governs every subsequent phase.
02
Define “The Pivot”
Most firms describe the role. We define what winning looks like inside it: the three or four things the incoming executive must accomplish to be considered successful. Then we search for that.
03
Original Research & Talent Sourcing
Original research, big data and predictive analytics surface high-fit candidates who are invisible to the broader search community, rather than recycling the names the market already knows.
04
Candidate Self-Appraisal & Fit Screening
Before any candidate is presented, a structured self-appraisal compels less-than-ideal candidates to acknowledge gaps in fit. It protects your time and raises the quality of every slate.
05
360° Reference Audit
Every shortlisted candidate is audited for true strengths, development areas, behavioral tendencies and cultural-fit indicators before you meet them. A complete picture, not a curated one.
06
Partner-Led Execution & Aftercare
Senior partners execute every mission-critical phase with no junior handoffs, then provide structured onboarding support for at least a year, because the first year is when placements succeed or fail.
★ Full two-year guarantee on every placement above $250K total compensation.
Double the industry norm. Because when fit is defined first, leaders stay. 92% of ours do.
Positions We Place
Board to C-suite. Every mission-critical role.
We conduct retained searches for board members and senior executives across every major function. Each functional practice is led by a partner who has held or hired for the role.
Chief Executive Officer
Founder succession, PE-backed CEO placement and turnaround leadership.
Chief Financial Officer
CFOs for growth, transformation, liquidity events and public-company readiness.
Chief Operating Officer
Operational leaders who translate strategy into execution at scale.
Board of Directors
Independent directors, committee chairs and board composition advisory.
Chief Human Resources Officer
People leaders who build culture, capability and organizational health.
Chief Marketing & Revenue Officers
Commercial leaders who connect brand to business outcomes and scale revenue engines.
Chief Information Officer
Technology leaders who align digital capability with strategic direction.
Chief Legal Officer
General counsel and CLOs for complex, high-stakes legal environments.
Private Equity Portfolio Leadership
Pre-close assessment through post-acquisition team building.
Industries We Serve
Deep experience. Across every sector.
Our partners bring genuine industry expertise, not just search expertise. We understand the specific leadership challenges, cultural dynamics and performance expectations of your industry before we begin.
Energy, Oil & Gas
Upstream, midstream, services and power from our Houston home base.
Manufacturing & Industrial
Manufacturing, distribution, infrastructure and supply chain.
Consumer Products & Retail
CPG, grocery, specialty retail and direct-to-consumer brands.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Health systems, healthcare services, medtech and biotech.
Private Equity & Family-Owned
Portfolio companies and founder-led businesses at inflection points.
Professional Services, Technology & Not-for-Profit
Firms and mission-driven organizations that need business-caliber leadership.
“The firm’s team members are true professionals and conduct searches expeditiously, professionally, and when necessary, confidentially.“
Barry Coombs · President & CEO, Old San Francisco Steak House
Questions we hear most
Before you call, a few straight answers.
What does “retained” executive search mean, and how is it different from contingency recruiting?
A retained search firm is engaged exclusively and paid in stages to run a defined, consultative process for one role. Contingency recruiters are paid only on placement and compete to send résumés fast. Retained search is built for senior, mission-critical roles where the cost of a wrong hire far exceeds the fee.
How long does a retained search take?
Most Allen Austin searches present a qualified slate within six to eight weeks and close within 90 to 120 days. The needs analysis at the front end is what makes the back end fast: we are not re-scoping the role mid-search.
What does the two-year guarantee cover?
If an executive we place above $250,000 total compensation leaves or is terminated for performance within two years, we re-run the search at no professional fee. The industry norm is one year or less.
Do you work outside Houston and Texas?
Yes. Allen Austin is headquartered in Houston and serves clients across North America and Europe. About a third of our engagements are outside Texas.