CEO Executive Search for Engineering Firms

WHO WE WORK WITH

CEO searches we run

Our CEO searches usually fall into one of four situations, and each one needs a different kind of leader.

Founder and owner succession

• First non-founder CEO
• Founder moving to chair or board seat
• Planned partner or family transition

Growth and new investment

• Firms preparing for outside investment
• CEOs to lead a growth plan agreed with investors
• Leaders to scale from one region to several

ESOP and employee-owned firms

• CEOs for ESOP-owned engineering firms
• Leaders who can communicate with employee owners
• Succession planned with the trustee and board

Turnaround and reset

• Firms with flat revenue or falling margins
• Boards replacing a CEO confidentially
• Leaders to refocus the firm on core markets

We also recruit managing directors, board directors and COOs who work alongside the CEO. See all engineering leadership roles we recruit.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

What to look for in an engineering firm CEO

A strong resume shows where a candidate has been. These four areas show whether they can lead your firm.

Commercial results at the right scale

Ask what revenue, margin and backlog they were accountable for, and how those moved under their leadership. A CEO who has run a business close to your size and ownership model will make the transition faster.

Credibility with technical people

Engineers follow leaders who understand the work. The CEO does not need to be the best engineer in the building, but they must be able to judge technical risk, respect quality and talk to clients as a peer.

Ownership and governance experience

Look for experience working with boards, owner groups, ESOP trustees or investors. Good candidates can explain how they reported results, handled disagreement and planned succession.

Building the next leadership team

In most firms, the CEO’s biggest job is developing the people who will run the business after them. Ask who they promoted, who they hired, and who left, and then check it in references.

WHY HIRES FAIL

Why CEO hires fail in engineering firms

In our experience, failed CEO appointments usually trace back to one of three early decisions.

An unclear mandate from the owners

If the founders, board and shareholders disagree about strategy or how much control the new CEO really has, even a strong leader stalls. For that reason, we agree the mandate in writing before the search starts.

Hiring for the wrong scale

A leader from a very large firm may expect support teams that a privately owned firm does not have. Equally, a leader from a small firm may not be ready for multiple offices and a formal board. So match the scale and pace.

A founder who cannot step back

When the previous leader keeps making decisions, the new CEO loses authority with staff and clients. As a result, the best searches agree the founder’s future role, and how handover will work, at the outset.

TIMELINE

How long a CEO search takes

Every search is different, but most follow the same rhythm, and you get a progress update every week.

2 to 4 weeks

To a shortlist

of fully interviewed and briefed candidates, each assessed with RoleDNA™ Mapping.

4 to 8 weeks

To an accepted offer

from the day you instruct us, for most searches.

Weekly

Progress updates

covering who we have approached, how the market is responding and what comes next.

CEO searches are often confidential, so we agree how the role is described to the market before outreach begins. To understand how fees work and what affects them, see what engineering executive search costs.

OUR PROCESS

How our CEO executive search works

Because the search is retained, your appointment gets a dedicated team, clear milestones and a process built on evidence.

Define success

First, we agree what the leader must achieve. Then we build a behavioral blueprint with the McQuaig Job Survey.

Map the market

Next, we map CEOs, presidents and proven number twos at comparable engineering and infrastructure firms, by ownership model, size and market.

Approach confidentially

We approach candidates directly and discreetly rather than advertising the role.

Assess in depth

Every shortlisted candidate goes through RoleDNA™ Mapping, which covers eight levels, and is scored against your success profile.

Shortlist and close

Finally, you review two to four scored candidates. Then we manage references, offer and onboarding.

You can also see our executive search process step by step or read how we work with clients.

RoleDNA™ Mapping: evidence before the first interview

Every shortlisted CEO candidate goes through RoleDNA™ Mapping, which covers eight levels, so your board can compare leaders fairly before you meet them:

1. Job Location Mapping
2. Executive Summary
3. Professional Photo
4. Candidate Introduction
5. Key Competency Responses
6. Behavioral Assessment
7. Verified References
8. Detailed Resume

For example, the Candidate Introduction is a short video, so owners and board members can see how each leader would come across to staff and clients. In addition, the Behavioral Assessment uses the McQuaig Word Survey, matched to the role profile from the McQuaig Job Survey.

Results are then scored against the success profile for your role and shared in a 24/7 online client dashboard. Learn more about RoleDNA™ Mapping.

References from every angle

For CEO roles, we take references from board members, owners, peers and people who reported to the candidate. That way, we can check commercial results, how they handled owners and investors, and whether strong people stayed with them.

RESULTS

The evidence behind our CEO executive search

Two numbers we track on every search, backed by a free replacement guarantee.

98%

Fill rate

of the searches we take on end with a candidate placed.

96%

Retention at 12 months

of the leaders we place are still in the role 12 months later.

12 months

Free replacement

as standard, extended to 2 years for senior roles.

A free replacement guarantee on every placement

Every placement comes with a 12-month free replacement guarantee as standard, extended to 2 years for senior roles. If the person leaves within the guarantee period, we find a replacement free of charge, subject to the agreed terms of engagement. How our guarantee works.

Our work does not stop at the signed offer, either. We support negotiation and the notice period, and we stay involved through onboarding and the first critical months.

Firms of every size

We work with engineering firms of every size, from national businesses to growing regional firms. In a growing firm, a single CEO hire can change the direction of the business, so we also run a dedicated executive search process for growing engineering firms.