What you’re up against
A generation of principals and senior project managers is exiting, and the bench behind them is thin. The leaders you need aren’t posting résumés. They’re running studios, P&Ls, and regions, and being recruited quietly.
The leaders worth hiring are not on the market. They are running studios, P&Ls, and regions, and being recruited quietly by someone else.
The shortlist looks strong and the wrong person still gets hired. Technical fit got measured; studio culture and partner chemistry did not.
Industry retention sits near 67 percent at the two-year mark. The second search starts before the first one paid off.
A Top 10 Global Executive Search Firm
A short list of firms we’ve helped staff
Why TRANSEARCH
AEC leadership searches fail on chemistry, not credentials. The wrong cultural fit derails a strong résumé every time. Here’s how we take that risk off the table.
You hire a partner, not a process. The senior partner who takes your brief is the same person who sources candidates, makes the calls, and walks you through every shortlist, no handoff to a junior associate the moment the contract is signed. One accountable owner, from the first conversation to the signed offer.
We’ll tell you when a search isn’t ready to launch, when your best candidate is already inside the building, or when the package on the table won’t move the leader you described. We’d rather protect the relationship than bill a search we don’t believe in.
A résumé shows you a track record. Orxestra®, our proprietary card-sort methodology, shows you fit: culture, performance, leadership, team, and integration. It’s the reason nine in ten of the executives we place are still leading two years on.
Proof, not promises
The part nobody screens for
Our proprietary Orxestra® methodology measures the five things a résumé will never tell you.
How a leader works, decides, and communicates, measured against how your organization actually operates.
The outcomes the role must deliver, and the evidence a candidate can deliver them.
How a leader builds, motivates, and holds a team, and whether that style suits the moment you’re in.
Chemistry with the people around the role: peers, board, and the teams they’ll inherit.
A structured first-100-days plan so a strong hire becomes a successful one, not an expensive miss.
Beyond the interview
The Orxestra® tools provide a unique perspective regarding culture, performance, leadership, and team ‘fit’, helping new leaders integrate quickly and successfully.
With Hogan Assessments, you can be sure that you are hiring candidates that are a good fit for your company culture and will excel in their roles.
Real mandates, real outcomes
Senior searches we’ve run in this sector, and what changed for the client because of them.
Accountability
We take a small number of searches each year. The partner you meet at kickoff is the partner who calls you with shortlist decisions. No handoff to a junior team once the contract is signed.
We measure our work by who is still in the seat two years later. That’s why we’ll tell you when a search is not ready to launch, when an internal candidate is the right answer, or when the role you described will not attract the leader you described.
No junior bench
How We Run a Search
What People Say
Search is just the start
TRANSEARCH is a global executive search firm that helps organizations find world-class leaders to maximize performance and achieve their boldest ambitions.
Good to know
TRANSEARCH places senior leaders across architecture, engineering, and consulting firms: principals, studio and practice leaders, regional and office managing directors, CEOs and presidents, CFOs, and board members. These are the roles that carry P&L, win work, and shape firm culture.
The leaders worth hiring in AEC aren't posting résumés. They're running studios, P&Ls, and regions, and being recruited quietly by someone else. Reaching them takes a sector network and a confidential, research-led process, not a job listing. A specialized firm also knows how to read what actually predicts success: studio culture fit and partner chemistry, not just a project list.
A generation of principals and senior project managers is exiting, and the bench behind them is thin. Demand for proven leaders outstrips supply, and the strongest candidates are passive, already leading work and not actively looking. That makes a proactive, relationship-based search essential.
TRANSEARCH is built to land the right leader the first time. The Orxestra® Method measures studio culture and partner chemistry alongside technical credentials, which is reflected in a 92.5% search completion rate and 90% two-year retention on the executives we place, so you fill the seat with someone who stays and performs.
From the field
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Read More →Experience the Difference
We have the world’s best industry experts, proprietary innovation, and an unparalleled global network. Let’s find the leader your organization needs.
