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Houston, Texas
Houston’s retained executive search firm since 1996.
Allen Austin was founded in Houston and has run its practice from the Galleria area for 30 years. Boards and CEOs across energy, manufacturing, healthcare, professional services and private equity engage us when a C-suite hire has to be right the first time. Our Foresight™ process defines fit before the search begins, and our placements stay: 92% at two years against a 55% industry average.
Houston Executive Recruiters
Why Houston companies choose a Houston firm.
Houston’s leadership market has its own rules. Energy cycles move talent in waves. Manufacturing and industrial companies compete with the energy majors for the same operators. Healthcare systems, universities and nonprofits need business-caliber leaders at not-for-profit scale. Private equity sponsors want portfolio CEOs who can run a Houston business, not a coastal one.
Every Allen Austin senior partner has run businesses here. We know which executives are genuinely available, which ones are not, and what it takes to move a leader to Houston or keep one here. That local knowledge sits on top of a national research capability, so a Houston search still surfaces the hidden candidates the broader market has not found.
What we search for in Houston: chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief operating officers, CHROs, CIOs, general managers and board directors for energy and oil & gas, industrial and manufacturing, healthcare, professional services, construction and engineering, consumer and food, and private-equity-backed companies.
Allen Austin, Houston headquarters
1800 St. James Place, Suite 510
Houston, TX 77056
Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm Central. Partners are available by appointment outside those hours for confidential searches.
Houston Practice Areas
The searches we run most in Houston.
Each practice is led by a partner with operating experience in the sector.
Energy, Oil & Gas
CEOs, COOs, CFOs and operations leaders for upstream, midstream, oilfield services and power. Placements include Burckhardt Compression and Trecora Resources.
Manufacturing & Industrial
Plant, operations and commercial leadership for industrial companies across the Gulf Coast. Placements include Powell Industries and Overhead Door.
Healthcare & Not-for-Profit
Executives for health systems, associations and institutions including Houston Community College and the Energy Corridor District.
Private Equity Portfolio Companies
CEOs and CFOs for sponsor-backed Houston businesses from pre-close assessment through exit.
Professional Services & Construction
Leadership for engineering, legal, accounting and construction firms, including CTCI Americas and Lexitas.
Board of Directors
Independent directors and board advisory for Houston public, private and family-owned companies.
Beyond Search
Leadership advisory for Houston boards and CEOs.
Search is where we started. The same partners deliver assessment, coaching and culture work for Houston clients.
Leadership Assessment
VantagePoint™ evaluation of candidates, successors and teams.
Executive Coaching
Senior-led coaching for Houston executives in transition.
CEO & Board Advisory
Succession planning and board counsel for founder-led and family-owned businesses.
“Allen Austin is pound for pound, the best executive search firm on the planet.“
Jim Eggleston · Board Member, Silberline Manufacturing Company
Questions we hear most
Before you call, a few straight answers.
What does a Houston retained executive search cost?
Retained search fees are typically one-third of the placed executive’s first-year total compensation, billed in three installments. Every placement above $250,000 carries our full two-year guarantee, double the Houston market norm.
How quickly can you start a search in Houston?
A partner can meet you this week. The organizational and position needs analysis takes about two weeks, and most Houston searches present a slate within six to eight weeks.
Do you recruit executives to Houston from other markets?
Regularly. Relocating a leader to Houston is part of many searches, and we handle the positioning, the family considerations and the offer structure that make it work.
Where is your office?
1800 St. James Place, Suite 510, in the Galleria area of Houston, Texas 77056. We also serve Austin, Dallas and San Antonio from here.
From the TPL Insights archive