Executive Search
Justin Abraham
Karim Akram
Laurence Ashby
Lucy Atkinson
Carl Bernadotte
Rob Bowerman
Hope Brick
Andrew Caraballo
Joyce Clinton
Zarina Contractor
Christelle COUESNON
Margot Desachy
Thomas Dove
Jamie Doyle
Shailja Dutt
Lee-Roy Fredericks
James Heinlein
Heike Hiss
Meghan Houle
Sharon Hulce
Amy Johnston
Kelly Kaufmann
James Kenyon
Samantha Larson
Holly Lithgow
Julia Markell
Jen Meyer
Daniel Müller
Chad Pace
Christine Parsons
Michael Pietrack
Gary Pikul
Yumi Prentice
Natasha Robbins
Gagan Saini
Michelle Smalls
Mark Di Staulo
Garrett Stephenson
Niklas Sutela
Laura Thomas
Hannah Vincent
Larry Weinberg
Annie Wenzel
Dr Ty Wiggins
About this category
Executive Search recognizes up to 100 honorees each year. The Class of 2026 includes 44 leaders in this category, put forward by peers or by our selection committees for the work they have done. They lead talent and recruiting work at organizations including Mercuri Urval, The Bowerman Group, Haleon, 17 Oranges, and ACC Recruiters. Each profile covers how they got into recruiting, how their team hires today, and what they think is changing about the work.
Honorees are selected through a dual-path process: about half are nominated directly by fellow people and recruiting leaders, and the rest by selection committees of senior talent practitioners and industry advisors who seek out leaders who may be under-recognized. Nominations are free and selection is based on merit. See the Talent 100 overview for the full process, or browse every category of the class.
Other Talent 100 categories
- Enterprise Technology - Talent leaders at the world's established technology companies.
- Technology & Digital Platforms - Talent leaders across software, cloud, and the digital platforms powering global business.
- Startups & Venture-Backed Tech - The people building teams at startups, scaleups, and venture-backed companies.
- AI, Data & Security - Talent leaders shaping hiring at AI, data, and cybersecurity companies.
- Financial & Professional Services - Talent acquisition across banking, fintech, insurance, legal, and consulting.
- Healthcare & Life Sciences - The talent leaders behind healthcare systems, biotech, and pharma.
- Consumer, Retail & Hospitality - Hiring leaders across consumer brands, retail, travel, and hospitality.
- Industrial, Energy & Manufacturing - Talent leaders powering industrial, energy, logistics, and manufacturing teams.
- Agency & Staffing - The standout talent leaders at agencies and staffing firms.
- Recruiting Operations & Enablement - The builders behind recruiting operations, tooling, and enablement.
- Talent Leadership & People Operations - Senior people leaders whose scope spans far beyond recruiting.
- Founders & Independents - Founders and independent practitioners charting their own course.