A retained executive search firm is engaged to lead a dedicated search for senior leadership. The work typically includes defining the leadership mandate, mapping the relevant executive market, confidential direct outreach, candidate assessment, stakeholder advising, finalist management, references, compensation discussions, and support through appointment.

Scion recruits CEOs, Presidents, board leaders, CFOs, COOs, CAOs, CHROs, CMOs, CROs, Chief Commercial Officers, Chief Sales Officers, CIOs, CTOs, Chief AI Officers, Chief Legal Officers, Chief Compliance Officers, Chief Strategy Officers, Chief Risk Officers, Chief Product Officers, Chief Science Officers, Vice Presidents, and other senior functional leaders.

Yes. Scion conducts retained executive searches nationwide across the United States, including searches involving relocation, distributed organizations, hybrid structures, remote leadership, and multi-market operations.

Scion uses structured market mapping, research, referrals, professional networks, direct headhunting, and confidential outreach to identify and engage executives beyond the active applicant market. This is especially important when the strongest potential leaders are already performing successfully elsewhere.

Scion serves organizations across artificial intelligence, consumer packaged goods, education, energy, ESG and sustainability, finance and accounting, enterprise companies, legal, life sciences, manufacturing, marketing and communications, media, nonprofit and foundations, private equity, professional services, sports and entertainment, startups, and technology.

Employers receive a dedicated search built around the leadership mandate, executive market mapping, direct and confidential outreach, candidate evaluation, a curated finalist process, stakeholder communication, reference support, compensation and offer guidance, and search leadership through successful appointment.

Yes. Confidential executive search can support succession, sensitive replacements, newly created positions, investor-led changes, restructuring, and other leadership situations where discretion is essential. Search communications and outreach can be structured around the confidentiality requirements of the engagement.

A job posting primarily reaches people who choose to apply. Retained executive search proactively defines the relevant market and directly approaches qualified leaders, including executives who are not actively looking. The process also adds structured assessment, search accountability, market counsel, and dedicated management of the engagement.

Yes. Many organizations begin with a leadership need rather than a finished position profile. The discovery process can help clarify the mandate, reporting structure, business outcomes, leadership competencies, compensation considerations, target market, and the experience most likely to create the desired organizational impact.

Evaluation is built around the specific mandate. Scion considers relevant accomplishments, leadership scope, strategic and operating capability, market experience, team leadership, motivation, communication, organizational context, stakeholder needs, and the outcomes the executive will be expected to deliver.

Retained search is especially useful when the role is business-critical, confidential, difficult to recruit, highly specialized, or likely to require direct access to passive executives. It is also appropriate for CEO succession, C-suite appointments, board leadership, transformation, growth, investor-backed leadership changes, and other consequential hiring decisions.

Start with a confidential conversation about the organization, leadership challenge, role, location, timing, stakeholders, compensation considerations, and the outcomes the next executive must deliver. Scion can then help define the mandate, discuss the executive market, and determine the appropriate retained search strategy.