10 CRM Manager Executive Search Firms

The growing focus of businesses on customer experience and data-driven engagement has led to an increased demand for skilled Customer Relationship Management (CRM) leaders. According to Grand View Research, the global CRM market is predicted to grow at a 14.6% CAGR between 2025 and 2030. The growing demand for CRM leadership positions and senior-level professionals in this field becomes more evident because of this market prediction.

However, finding the right talent is no small feat, and this is where CRM manager executive search firms come in. These agencies leverage their extensive industry knowledge, talent network, and proven recruitment methods to source and link organizations with top CRM leadership talents.

In this article, we’ll explore what these firms do, the benefits of partnering with them, and the 10 best CRM executive recruiters. We’ll also discuss the most in-demand skills for these firms, how to choose the right agency, and more.

What Is a CRM Executive Search Firm?

A CRM executive recruitment firm is a company that specializes in sourcing, vetting, and placing leadership talent for roles specifically tied to customer relationship management. These roles range from CRM Managers to Directors and VPs.

The agency offers tailored recruitment services that go beyond traditional hiring methods. They work with clients to understand the company’s culture, growth plans, and specific CRM needs to ensure they place the right candidates who align with client needs. 

Businesses typically benefit most from using CRM recruiting agency services during rapid scaling, addressing leadership gaps, or fulfilling niche industry needs. For example, if a key CRM leader leaves the company or retires, a CRM headhunting firm can help quickly fill the gap with an experienced leader.

Why Partner with a CRM Executive Recruiter?

Partnering with a CRM executive employment agency comes with many benefits for businesses that want to build effective CRM leadership teams. Here are some benefits of working with the agency:

Expertise in CRM Leadership Recruitment

CRM executive recruitment agencies are highly specialized in identifying candidates with both technical expertise and leadership qualities essential for managing customer relationship strategies. They can help identify leadership talent with experience in customer data analysis, digital engagement, leadership, team management, and CRM platforms such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho CRM. 

These firms also offer added services such as compliance support and international payroll management, which makes them ideal for global organizations hiring across borders. 

Access to Passive CRM Talent

Executive recruiters build and maintain an extensive network of highly qualified CRM talents, including passive candidates not actively seeking new roles. These passive candidates may not be actively looking for new roles but can be persuaded when the right opportunity shows up.

For instance, N2Growth helped a tech and IT services company seeking its first Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) to identify and secure a passive candidate. The passive candidate is a senior executive from a larger rival who was not actively looking for work but was drawn to the client’s people-focused culture and highly collaborative leadership team.

Streamlined Recruitment Process

CRM executive headhunting firms utilize advanced tools and methodologies to refine the recruitment process. Methodologies such as talent mapping, psychometric assessments, and AI help ensure that clients find the right candidate quickly and efficiently. 

Traditional recruitment usually takes months to fill an executive position. However, by utilizing these advanced tools, executive search firms are able to reduce time-to-hire significantly. 

Confidential and Strategic Hiring

Executive headhunting firms ensure confidentiality when carrying out CRM leadership searches. This discretion is very important in preventing disruption within the team and external partners.  An example is when a self-funded SaaS company partnered with N2Growth to find its next Chief Operating Officer.

Top 10 CRM Manager Executive Search Firms

Here is a list of the top 10 CRM executive recruiters, chosen based on industry reputation, client success stories, and placement success rates:

1. Globy

2. Bespoke Partners

3. Korn Ferry

4. Russell Reynolds Associates

5. Heidrick & Struggles

6. Spencer Stuart

7. Egon Zehnder

8. Stanton Chase

9. Diversified Search Group

10. N2Growth

We also created a comparison table of these recruitment agencies that highlights key aspects, including industry specialization, geographic focus, key features, year of founding, and ratings.

Read more: 10 Best Recruiting & Staffing Agencies in Boston in 2025, 10 Best EOR Companies for Global Hiring in 2024/25.

1. Globy

Globy is a leading global executive recruiter that specializes in CRM leadership talent acquisition. Founded in 2022, the firm has helped multiple businesses fill their CRM executive roles across the finance, tech, and healthcare niches. 

Globy offers comprehensive recruitment services, including staff augmentation, managing the entire hiring process, cross-border payroll, and ensuring legal compliance with local laws. The recruitment agency is also strongly committed to diversity and inclusion. Globy has an extensive global reach and utilizes its resources to help businesses access talents from over 20 countries.

2. Bespoke Partners

Bespoke Partners is another executive headhunting firm that specializes in recruiting top CRM and Customer Experience Management (CXM) leaders, particularly for private equity-backed software and SaaS companies.  It boasts a unique Search 2.0 process. 

Bespoke Partners’ Search 2.0 is a comprehensive, data-driven search methodology. Search 2.0 is designed to align leadership recruiting with private equity firms’ value creation plans and investment.

Over the past decade, the firm has been able to find transformative CXM & CRM leaders in half the industry average time. It also boasts a 97% executive placement success rate in technology-driven industries. 

3. Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a renowned executive recruiting agency serving clients in over 50 countries.

Founded in 1969, the firm has gathered extensive experience in the recruiting business and is trusted by Fortune 500 companies. The firm adopts a comprehensive approach to executive recruitment, including CRM leadership roles. 

The recruiting agency does not just help clients determine which talent has the ideal skill set and mindset that match the company’s culture. It also builds the framework for retention and compensation that helps to attract the right leaders.

4. Russell Reynolds Associates

Russell Reynolds Associates is a globally renowned executive headhunting and leadership advisory firm recognized for rapid executive placement. The firm collaborates with clients to identify and recruit functional leaders in as little as 14 weeks. This makes it ideal for businesses undergoing transformation or needing urgent CRM leadership appointments.

Russell Reynolds Associates also boasts a high client satisfaction score of 96%, which shows its commitment to meeting client needs and delivering impactful results. With over 1800 people working in 47 offices across the globe, the firm is known to complete 1,000 searches each year, which reflects its extensive capacity and expertise in delivering high-quality talent.

5. Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles (H&S) is a top executive headhunting firm that specializes in senior-level executive recruitment, including CRM managers. With nearly 70 years of experience, the global provider of talent solutions has helped some of the world’s most renowned organizations build successful, diverse senior leadership teams. H&S has partnered with over 70% of Fortune 1,000 companies in virtually every sector around the world. 

The firm consistently executes searches with impressive speed, sophistication, and precision by leveraging its relationship-based approach. Through its tech-enabled assessments, H&S helps clients narrow down the candidate pool to find the ideal fit. After a successful placement, the firm also provides clients with the consultative expertise they need to succeed long-term.

6. Spencer Stuart

Spencer Stuart is a global executive recruiting agency renowned for its expertise in CRM leadership placements. Privately held since 1956, the firm has extensive experience and has helped build and enhance high-performing leadership teams for select clients from major multinationals to emerging companies and nonprofit institutions.

Spencer Stuart combines extensive industry and functional expertise with a proven search and assessment approach. The firm leverages this approach to help clients find leaders who align with their organization’s unique needs and can make a long-term impact.

7. Egon Zehnder

With over 600 consultants working across 67 offices and 36 countries, Egon Zehnder is a leading global executive headhunting and leadership consulting firm. Founded in 1964, the firm has extensive expertise in identifying top talent for customer experience and digital transformation roles. 

While not exclusively focused on CRM, Egon Zehnder’s capabilities make it a strong contender. The firm tailors each search to the client’s unique needs by considering the company, industry, team, and specific circumstances of clients to bring the right talent they need.

8. Stanton Chase

With more than 70 offices across 45 countries, Stanton Chase is known for its expertise in CRM leadership placements. Established in 1990,  with over 350 experienced consultants, the firm has been able to successfully place many leadership talents in many companies across various sectors. 

Stanton Chase offers a personalized search solution through its advanced retained search process, Search+®, to reduce bias, improve objectivity, and ensure exceptional transparency. Its personalized approach also makes it a great choice for businesses looking for tailored CRM leadership recruitment solutions. 

9. Diversified Search Group

Founded in 1974, Diversified Search Group (DSG) is a global executive recruiting and consulting firm that leverages diverse expertise to solve different executive recruiting needs. The firm caters to clients in more than 30 countries and 65 cities worldwide through its network of offices and partnerships.

DSG is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). While not CRM-specific, their inclusive leadership recruitment strategies are highly relevant to modern organizations.

10. N2Growth

N2Growth is a top executive recruiter and leadership advisory firm with over 50 locations across six continents (North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia). The company specializes in senior executive, board, and C-suite searches to help clients build best-in-class leadership teams. 

Its focus on leadership pipeline development makes N2Growth a valuable firm for organizations scaling their CRM functions. N2Growth has built a strong reputation as a top firm in identifying and developing executive talent. In 2024, it secured a spot among the top 20 on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms. 

What Makes These Companies Unique and the Best?

Here’s a summary of what makes each of the recruiters stand out :

1. Globy: Excels in international placements. Globy has a strong commitment to DEI and offers comprehensive recruitment services including staff augmentation, managing the entire hiring process, cross-border payroll, and ensuring legal compliance with local laws.

2. Bespoke Partners: Specializes in recruiting CRM and CXM leaders for private equity-backed software and SaaS companies, using a data-driven “Search 2.0” process. It boasts a 97% executive placement success rate and completes searches in half the industry average time.

3. Korn Ferry: Serves clients in over 50 countries, offers market-leading assessment, and builds the framework for retention and compensation that attracts the right leaders. Candidates hired using Korn Ferry’s assessments are 8x more likely to be promoted within three years.

4. Russell Reynolds: Known for rapid executive placement and working with clients to identify and recruit functional leaders in as little as 14 weeks. The firm is also known to complete 1,000 searches each year.

5. Heidrick & Struggles: Leverages a relationship-based approach and tech-enabled assessments to find ideal candidates. It offers clients consultative expertise after successful placement.

6. Spencer Stuart: Combines industry and functional expertise with a proven search and assessment approach to find leaders who align with the organization’s needs.

7. Egon Zehnder: Strong capabilities in identifying talent for customer experience and digital transformation roles and tailors each search to match the client’s unique needs.

8. Stanton Chase: Offers a personalized search solution through its advanced retained search process, Search+®, to reduce bias, improve objectivity, and ensure exceptional transparency.

9. Diversified Search Group: Committed to DEI and uses inclusive leadership recruitment strategies.

10. N2Growth: Specializes in senior executive, board, and C-suite searches to help clients build best-in-class leadership teams.

What Skills Are Most In-Demand for CRM Headhunting Firms?

CRM executive recruiting agencies prioritize skills that align with an organization’s growth, innovation, and overall strategic goals. Below are the most sought-after skills when sourcing CRM leadership talent:

Strategic Vision and Decision-Making

Executives must possess a clear vision for long-term business growth and the ability to make impactful decisions under pressure. This skill is essential for roles such as CRM Directors and Managers, who are responsible for driving customer-centric strategies that align with organizational goals.

Leadership and Team-Building

Building, motivating, and retaining high-performing teams is crucial for CRM executives. Effective leaders foster collaboration and create environments that drive employee satisfaction and productivity. In roles like CRM leaders, strong leadership and team-building capabilities directly influence organizational success by ensuring teams can execute complex customer engagement strategies efficiently.

Industry Expertise and Adaptability

CRM strategies vary significantly across sectors. As a result, search firms prioritize candidates with deep industry knowledge and can also adapt to changing market trends. They need candidates who can understand the nuances of customer behavior, compliance, and channel preferences within specific markets. For instance:

• In technology, understanding innovations like AI-driven CRM tools is vital.
• In healthcare, leaders must navigate regulatory changes while enhancing patient engagement.
• In finance, adapting to shifts in consumer behavior or economic conditions is critical.

Digital Transformation and Technology Savvy

With CRM platforms at the heart of digital transformation, firms are seeking tech-savvy executives who can lead digital initiatives and integrate emerging technologies (AI, machine learning, blockchain, and cloud-based systems). Roles such as CRM Chief Digital Officers require expertise in these emerging technologies to drive the organization’s digital transformation.

Data-Driven and Analytical Thinking

Since CRM is inherently data-centric, firms seek CRM leaders who are skilled in analyzing and interpreting customer data to make informed and strategic decisions. Executives skilled in interpreting customer data are critical for roles like CRM strategists, where analyzing customer data is a key responsibility to improve customer retention and sales growth.

Change Management and Crisis Leadership

In times of organizational change or external crises, such as market disruptions or global health emergencies, CRM leaders must remain calm, adaptive, and communicative. Firms value and seek executives who can restructure teams, maintain customer trust, and pivot strategy under such situations. These skills are highly sought-after in roles like Chief Transformation Officers or interim CRM leaders.

How to Choose the Right CRM Executive Headhunting Firm?

Selecting the right CRM executive headhunting firm is critical to finding leadership talent that aligns with your organizational goals. Here are some actionable tips to guide you through the selection process:

Assess Industry Specialization

A firm with expertise in your industry understands its unique challenges, trends, and leadership needs. For example, a firm specializing in technology will be better equipped to identify CRM leaders with digital transformation experience. So, when evaluating potential search firms, consider whether their expertise aligns with your company’s industry and the role you’re recruiting for.

Review Client Testimonials and Case Studies

Testimonials and case studies reveal details about a firm’s track record, client satisfaction, and ability to deliver results. To identify reputable agencies, look for client reviews on platforms like G2, Trustpilot, and Clutch. 

Pay attention to feedback on the firm’s communication, process efficiency, and candidate quality. Also, look for detailed case studies that highlight successful placements in roles like CRM Directors. 

Understand the Recruitment Process

A transparent recruitment process builds trust and ensures alignment between your expectations and the firm’s approach. So, ask about their search methodology, candidate evaluation techniques, and timeline. 

A good firm will outline steps such as market research, candidate sourcing, behavioral assessments, and post-placement follow-ups. Also, ensure they provide regular updates and involve you in key decision points during the search.

Conclusion

CRM Executive recruiting agencies play a vital role in sourcing top-tier CRM leadership talent. These firms offer customized strategic hiring solutions that assist businesses in navigating the hurdles of recruitment and ensuring the best match for leadership positions. If you want to build a solid CRM leadership team, explore the top 10 firms outlined above and choose the one that aligns best with your unique needs.

Read more: 10 Best International PEO Companies, 12 Best HR Executive Search Firms.

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Article author

Vit Koval

Co-founder at Globy

A top Global Hiring voice on LinkedIn, co-founder of Globy, and host of Default Global. Using deep expertise in global hiring, remote work, and global business expansion to help companies excel worldwide with innovative strategies.