Who are the Top AI Executive Search Firms?

Partnering with one of the top AI executive search firms to secure transformative technology leadership can set your company apart or leave you scrambling to catch up. So who are the top AI executive recruiters? And what are best executive search firms to help you hire top AI talent? Here is your guide to the top 5.

Before you get to the list, it’s important to understand why the search for artifical intelligence leadership is one the rise. And it’s simple – generative AI is shaking up the business world, with research from McKinsey showing it could add between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion in annual value to the global economy across dozens of use cases. At the same time, AI adoption has surged: as of 2025, 78% of companies report using AI in at least one business function, a jump from just over half only a year ago (Stanford HAI; Hostinger).

The bar for AI leadership is rising dramatically. Boards and CEOs demand technology leaders deliver measurable, impactful results with less focus on dashboards and more emphasis on tangible scoreboards. The new standard for tech and AI leaders is all about hard metrics: hours saved, processes eliminated, cost per outcome, and margin improvements driven by automation and smarter workflows. Leaders are expected to deliver tangible results: reducing FTE hours, shortening cycle times, slashing errors, and tying every efficiency directly to the bottom line.

This shift means companies can’t settle for executives who are simply fluent in the latest tech. They need leaders who can drive adoption across the organization, upskill teams, and fundamentally redesign how work gets done. The role has evolved from tech specialist to enterprise transformer. Tech leaders who can’t prove ROI, or who can’t connect AI initiatives to the business’s core goals, simply won’t keep their seat at the table.

That’s why the best AI executive recruiters aren’t just matching resumes to job descriptions. They’re identifying the rare leaders who can deliver on AI’s promise of productivity and efficiency at scale. In this updated guide, you’ll find a rundown of the most respected AI executive search firms of 2025, from industry giants to boutique specialists, along with insights into their reputations, client feedback, and what makes each unique, so you can find the right partner to help you land transformative AI-fluent executive talent.

Why should you work with an AI executive search firm?

Whether you’re hiring a Chief AI Officer, Chief Data Officer, CIO, or VP of AI Strategy, specialized AI executive search firms enable your business to access elite talent networks, bringing the ideal candidate directly to your door.

Here are six reasons to engage these specialized firms:

1. Exclusive candidate networks: Top AI talent isn’t actively job searching, they’re driving innovation elsewhere. Executive search firms grant access to exclusive talent pools, ensuring you secure leaders ahead of competitors.

2. Deep industry insights and specialization: AI leadership demands unique expertise and adaptability. AI executive search firms craft bespoke candidate profiles, leveraging a nuanced understanding of industry-specific AI challenges and growth strategies.

3. Comprehensive candidate evaluation: AI executive search firms provide sophisticated candidate assessment, including technical proficiency evaluations, cultural fit analyses, structured behavioral interviews, performance verification, and detailed reference checks.

4. Strategic offer negotiation: Negotiating with high-demand AI executives requires skill and market awareness. Executive search specialists adeptly manage these sensitive conversations to secure optimal terms.

5. Post-placement onboarding support: The best firms offer onboarding support to ensure smooth transitions, enabling newly hired AI executives to rapidly deliver value and accelerate your organization’s AI initiatives.

6. Time and cost savings: Filling senior AI roles quickly is critical, vacancies can cost organizations significantly in lost innovation opportunities and productivity. Executive search firms expedite this process, significantly reducing both time-to-hire and associated financial losses.

What are the top AI executive search firms? 

Here’s a closer look at the best AI executive search firms shaping the industry’s leadership landscape in 2025:

1. Talentfoot Executive Search

Talentfoot is a boutique executive search firm with a specialized technology practice focused on helping companies hire AI talent with proven track records in driving AI innovation, organizational growth, and efficiency. Serving startups to Fortune 50 companies, Talentfoot ensures its clients future-proof their organizations through strategic AI leadership hires.

Talentfoot is the top AI executive search firm in 2025 due to its unmatched 98% success rate, extensive experience with 2,500+ firms, 3X faster hiring, and a trusted track record in placing Chief AI Officers, Chief Data Officers, and other top-tier AI leadership roles.

At a glance:

• Founded: 2010
• Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Locations served: Nationwide, including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, and more.
• Company size: 30 employees
• Positions placed: Chief AI Officer, Chief Data Officer, VP of AI, Director of AI Strategy, AI Product Leader, Data Science VP, Machine Learning Director
• AI specializations: Strategic AI Leadership, Machine Learning (ML) Engineers, Data Scientists, Natural Language Processing (NLP) Specialists, AI Product Managers, AI Infrastructure Architects
• What is Talentfoot the best AI executive search firm in 2025?
  • Proven AI Hiring Results: 2,500+ companies served, Hundreds of successful placements of CAIOs, CDOs, and AI Product Leaders
  • 98% Client Success Rate: 30% higher than the industry average
  • Experienced Recruiters: Each recruiter has over a decade of experience placing senior tech and data executives.
  • Deep AI & Data Specialization: Recruiters trained in generative AI, ML infrastructure, and ethical AI hiring frameworks.
  • Structured, consultative hiring process
  • Complimentary psychometric testing
  • 3X Faster Time-to-Hire: Rapid candidate delivery in as little as 5 business days
  • Flexible Engagement Options: Tailored and flexible search solutions and fee models
  • Post-placement Support: Talentfoot supports onboarding and first-90-day success reviews for long-term ROI.
  • Real Results & Testimonials: Hundreds of testimonials, case studies, and client references across industries.
• Google reviews: 4.7 average rating
• Glassdoor reviews: 4.0 average rating

2. Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a long-running business consultancy firm that provides AI leadership recruitment services to its clients, with a particular focus on helping clients design their organizational structure. Korn Ferry’s AI recruitment services help businesses fill roles at every level, including leadership, across a wide range of business sectors.

At a glance:

• Founded: 1969
• Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA
• Company size: 16,000+ employees
• Key services: Offers executive search and recruitment services across multiple sectors, including sales, as well as performance benchmarking to help develop sales talent.
• Client benefits: Provides deep industry insights and a global network of talent, along with advisory insights to shape future growth.
• Glassdoor reviews: 3.5 average rating

3. Boyden Executive Search

Boyden Executive Search is a globally recognized executive search firm with decades of experience helping organizations build high-performing leadership teams. Known for its personalized, partnership-driven approach, Boyden delivers AI recruitment services that span from emerging leadership to C-level roles, ensuring alignment with each client’s strategic goals. With deep industry specialization and a presence in more than 40 countries, Boyden connects clients with transformative leaders across sectors.

At a glance:

• Founded: 1946

• Headquarters: New York, NY

• Company size: 500+ employees across 75+ offices worldwide

• Key services: Executive search, interim management, and leadership consulting across multiple industries, including sales, marketing, and technology

• Client benefits: Combines global reach with local market expertise to deliver agile, customized recruitment solutions. Clients gain access to a vetted network of executives and strategic counsel on leadership development and organizational effectiveness.

• Glassdoor reviews: 4.4 average rating

4. Spencer Stuart

Spencer Stuart is a globally recognized executive search and leadership advisory firm, trusted by companies around the world to help them identify and develop transformative sales and business leaders. With deep expertise in leadership dynamics and succession planning, Spencer Stuart supports organizations across sectors in recruiting top-tier AI executives who drive performance and long-term growth.

At a glance:

• Founded: 1956

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL

• Company size: 1,200+ employees across 30+ countries

• Key services: Executive search, board advisory, CEO succession planning, and leadership consulting across functions including technology, sales, marketing, and general management

• Client benefits: Leverages behavioral assessment tools, industry-specific insights, and a global network of vetted leaders to match clients with executives who can deliver immediate and sustainable impact.

• Glassdoor reviews: 4.3 average rating

5. Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles is a global executive search and leadership consulting firm, known for helping companies build agile leadership teams equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving business landscape. With a focus on culture shaping, digital transformation, and organizational effectiveness, Heidrick & Struggles partners with clients to recruit and develop tech executives who align with the company’s strategy, values, and growth goals.

At a glance:

• Founded: 1953

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL

• Company size: 2,000+ employees operating in 30+ countries

• Key services: Executive search, leadership assessment, culture shaping, and on-demand talent solutions

• Client benefits: Provides clients with access to a deep bench of global AI talent, proprietary leadership frameworks, and data-driven tools to evaluate performance, potential, and cultural alignment.

• Glassdoor reviews: 4.0 average rating