HIRE TALENT  /  LEADERSHIP & EXECUTIVE  /  CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Construction Executive Search

Hire a CEO

Retained CEO search for GC, CM, owner, and developer firms — delivered enterprise leadership, board-facing composure, and construction-industry judgment. Confidential outreach, board-referenced. Board Member & Advisor placements available.

Hire a CEO → How it works
Photo of a Vetted CEO CandidateExample profile
Andre B.
Vetted Specialist
Leadership & Executive
Chief Executive Officer
Board-Facing · PE Sponsor · Enterprise P&L
Sector coverage
8 mission-critical sectors
Data center · Healthcare · Life sciences · more
Engagement type
Retained executive search
Confidential outreach, board-referenced
Geography
US + EMEA
Active CEO network in both markets
Placement warranty
Replacement guarantee
Every C-suite placement
How It Works

Hire a CEO in 3 steps

A structured retained-search process for the hire that anchors the enterprise — where getting the CEO wrong doesn’t just cost a year, it costs the executive bench, the client base, and the board’s confidence.

Step 01

Board / sponsor kickoff

60–90 minute session with the board or sponsor. Align on succession context, mandate, executive-team situation, cultural priorities, comp architecture, and confidentiality needs.

Step 02

Retained-search shortlist

Discreet outreach across a targeted candidate universe. Shortlist of 3–5 CEO candidates with detailed board memos, references, and independent 360 diligence.

Step 03

Board slate & placement

Final board slate with succession-plan integration. Replacement guarantee protects the placement through the transition window.

Why iRecruit.co for CEO Hires

What makes our CEO shortlist different

The CEO seat is where enterprise culture, board relationships, and long-term client trust converge. Enterprise leadership history, board judgment, and construction-industry context separate a CEO who compounds the firm from one who becomes the reason the board convenes an emergency session.

01

Enterprise leadership verified

Every CEO candidate has delivered enterprise P&L history and multi-division leadership. Reference-verified from prior boards, CFOs, and executive teams. Not VP-level candidates aspiring to CEO.

02

Board-facing judgment

Verified board-relationship discipline, executive-team communication, and strategic-plan judgment. Referenced from prior board members, board chairs, and PE sponsors.

03

Construction-industry context

Every candidate has construction, real-estate, or capital-programs enterprise leadership context. Not tech-industry CEO resumes claiming construction adjacency.

Meet Vetted CEO Candidates

The caliber of CEO you’ll interview

Every candidate is board-referenced, executive-team-referenced, and matched to your enterprise context. Anonymized examples below reflect real retained-search profiles.

Vetted SpecialistMale CEO - national GCExample profile

Gregory A.

National GC CEO
  • 15 years CEO / President tenure across 2 national GCs
  • $3B annual delivery, 4 divisions, PE-sponsor experience
  • Board-referenced across 3 board cycles
Board-FacingPE SponsorEnterprise P&L
Vetted SpecialistFemale CEO - construction managementExample profile

Sofia A.

Construction Management CEO
  • 12 years CEO of $1.5B national CM firm
  • Grew enterprise from $600M to $1.5B over 8-year window
  • Owner-relationship durability across 3 CFO turnovers
Board-FacingGrowth CEOM&A
Vetted SpecialistMale CEO - developer platformExample profile

Paul D.

Developer Platform CEO
  • CEO of $6B AUM industrial developer platform
  • Institutional-capital-partner relationship durability
  • Board-referenced across 2 fund cycles
Investor-FacingBoard-FacingCapital Markets
CEO Specializations

Match the CEO specialty to your firm

“CEO” means different things across firm types, ownership structures, and sector focus. Below are the retained-search specializations we handle:

Board Member / Advisor
Independent board seat placement
Hire for this specialty
GC CEO
General contractor CEO
Hire for this specialty
CM Firm CEO
Construction management CEO
Hire for this specialty
Owner-Side CEO
Capital-programs CEO
Hire for this specialty
Developer Platform CEO
Development platform CEO
Hire for this specialty
PE-Sponsored CEO
PE portfolio company CEO
Hire for this specialty
Founder-Succession CEO
Founder-to-professional CEO transition
Hire for this specialty
President
President reporting to Chairman / CEO
Hire for this specialty
COO (peer role)
C-suite ops leader
Hire for this specialty
CFO (peer role)
C-suite finance leader
Hire for this specialty
Chief Development Officer
C-suite development leader
Hire for this specialty
Confidential CEO Search
Retained, board-referenced
Hire for this specialty

Not sure which CEO specialty fits?

We’ll help you scope the mandate on the board / sponsor call — enterprise scope, succession context, and comp architecture.

Hire a CEO →
Vetting Criteria

What we verify on every CEO candidate

CEO hires live and die on enterprise leadership, board judgment, and construction-industry context. Below is what every candidate has documented before you meet them:

Enterprise leadership verified

Reference-verified enterprise P&L and multi-division leadership from prior boards, CFOs, and executive teams.

Board-facing judgment

Verified board-relationship discipline referenced from prior board members, board chairs, and PE sponsors.

Executive-team bench leadership

Reference-verified executive-team retention, VP-bench culture, and succession planning.

Client / investor durability

Verified client / investor / capital-partner relationship durability across leadership turnover.

Compensation & comp-architecture fit

Base + variable + LTI + equity architecture aligned with board and sponsor expectations before finalist interviews.

Reference & independent 360

Independent 360 diligence across boards, executive team, and top client / investor accounts. Documented, not hearsay.

FAQ

Hiring a CEO: frequently asked questions

How long does a CEO retained search take?

Time to board-facing shortlist is typically 4–6 weeks. Total time to placement (shortlist through offer acceptance) is typically 60–120 days depending on succession complexity and confidentiality.

What does a CEO retained search cost?

All CEO searches are retained. Fee is typically 30–35% of first-year cash comp, structured in retainer + progress + placement installments. Retention flexibility available for confidential incumbent replacement.

Do you handle confidential incumbent-replacement CEO searches?

Yes. Retained-search discretion, discreet outreach, and market-signal management are standard for CEO-level replacement.

Do you place Board Members and Advisors?

Yes. Independent board seats, advisory board seats, and PE-portfolio board seats are core coverage. Anchor section on this page covers Board Member / Advisor placements.

Do you handle PE portfolio company CEO searches?

Yes. PE-sponsor CEO searches are a specialty — sponsor-facing composure, portfolio-integration discipline, and exit-planning judgment are core vetting criteria.

Do you offer a placement guarantee?

Yes. Every CEO placement carries a replacement guarantee. Guarantee terms are confirmed in the retained-search agreement.

How do you screen for founder-succession fit?

Founder-succession searches carry unique dynamics — founder-to-professional CEO transitions, family-firm leadership, and cultural-continuity discipline. Every candidate is vetted on founder-relationship management before shortlist.

How is iRecruit.co different from a generalist executive-search firm?

Generalist ES firms lack sector delivery fluency at the CEO level. iRecruit.co CEO recruiters verify construction / real-estate / capital-programs enterprise leadership — every candidate is matched to your firm and ownership structure.

Related Placement

Board Member / Advisor

Board Member and Advisor placements bring construction, real-estate, or capital-programs judgment onto your board or advisory board. Common for PE-portfolio company boards, founder-succession situations, and firms building governance ahead of a transaction.

Hiring a Board Member or Advisor?

Independent board seat placement. Retained-search, sponsor-referenced.

Hire a Board Member / Advisor →
Ready to hire

Talk to a construction CEO search partner

60–90 minute board / sponsor kickoff. We’ll align on succession context, mandate, executive-team situation, and confidentiality needs — then start the retained-search process.

Hire a CEO →
Related: COO hiring  ·  Executive search services
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