The executive search industry has long been due for disruption—and ExactSearch.AI is making its move. Officially launching today, the firm is introducing a reengineered model for retained search: 17% fees, partner-led service, and AI-powered efficiency, challenging the 30–35% pricing and months-long timelines that have dominated the space for decades.
“We built ExactSearch.AI to cut the red tape, not the quality,” said Mike Caggiano, CEO and co-founder. “Clients are tired of waiting months and paying a third of a candidate’s salary just to get top talent. Our model is faster, smarter, and more cost-effective—without sacrificing results.”
What’s Broken in Traditional Executive Search
Despite its importance in shaping leadership teams, executive search has remained mostly unchanged for 75 years. The standard playbook? A slow-moving process bogged down by admin-heavy workflows, opaque pricing, and limited transparency—often with junior staff doing most of the heavy lifting.
ExactSearch.AI flips that script, combining seasoned recruiters with intelligent automation and a dramatically reduced cost structure. The result is a faster, more transparent search experience that appeals to organizations tired of overpaying for underwhelming results.
AI-Powered, Partner-Led
The firm’s AI-powered workflow automates much of the administrative drag that slows down traditional searches—tasks like sourcing, scheduling, and reporting. That lets the firm’s partners focus on what actually drives value: evaluating top-tier leadership talent.
Its proprietary AI Leadership Quotient™ (AI-LQ) adds another layer of sophistication by helping clients assess which candidates are best equipped to lead in an increasingly AI-enabled business environment.
The Team Behind the Disruption
The brains behind ExactSearch.AI aren’t Silicon Valley outsiders parachuting into HR. They’re search industry veterans who know exactly what’s broken—and how to fix it:
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Mike Caggiano, CEO & Co-Founder: Former co-leader of Robert Half’s executive search practice, which reached a #1 national ranking under his watch.
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Sandrine Ennis, President & Co-Founder: Longtime recruiting leader and founder of Talentstream, with deep experience in guiding C-suite searches in high-growth sectors.
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Steve Ankney, COO & Co-Founder: A systems architect with a track record of modernizing recruiting operations at scale, most recently for Robert Half.
Together, they’ve built a model designed not just for cost-cutting, but for speed, quality, and alignment with today’s hiring realities—particularly as businesses face growing pressure to find AI-literate, transformational leaders.
The Bottom Line: Executive Search That Moves at the Speed of Business
While legacy firms may still appeal to Fortune 100 brands with time and money to burn, ExactSearch.AI is clearly betting on the broader market—high-growth companies, lean HR teams, and forward-looking organizations that need fast, affordable access to leadership talent that can keep pace with change.
In an industry long resistant to evolution, ExactSearch.AI may just be the shake-up C-suites didn’t know they needed.
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