Organizations commonly engage a retained CIO executive search firm when the role is business-critical, the executive market must be proactively researched, the strongest candidates are unlikely to apply, the search requires confidentiality, multiple stakeholders must align around the leadership profile, or the organization is navigating modernization, growth, AI adoption, cybersecurity, succession, or transformation.

A retained CIO search creates a dedicated process for defining the leadership mandate, researching the executive market, recruiting passive leaders, assessing candidates against business outcomes, guiding stakeholders, managing finalist relationships, and supporting the engagement through a successful appointment.

Yes. Discovery and position strategy can help clarify what the incoming leader should own, the business outcomes expected from the role, how responsibilities should interact with CTO, CISO, data, AI, product, and other functions, and which experience is truly essential before the search enters the market.

Scion combines national market research, target-company mapping, its broader executive and professional network, referrals, direct identification, networking, and confidential outreach to engage leaders who may not be actively seeking or applying to new positions.

Yes. Retained search can be structured around sensitive executive transitions, confidential replacements, succession situations, restructurings, and other circumstances where discretion matters.

Yes. Scion conducts national executive searches across the United States and can recruit for onsite, hybrid, and remote-enabled leadership environments depending on the requirements of the organization and position.

Executive search fees depend on the scope, structure, and terms of the engagement. Scion can discuss the search mandate, expected process, engagement model, and applicable fees directly with the organization before an engagement begins.

Yes. Scion recruits CTOs, Chief AI Officers, CISOs, Chief Data Officers, Chief Digital Officers, Chief Product Officers, engineering executives, infrastructure leaders, data executives, cybersecurity leaders, enterprise applications executives, digital transformation leaders, and other senior technology roles.

Begin by sharing the organization, position, leadership priorities, location, business context, and hiring need with Scion Executive Search. The initial conversation can clarify the CIO mandate, discuss search strategy, and determine next steps.