C-suite, VP and Head of leadership for technology businesses
Executive search for technology businesses, with the risk shared
In short: Hurren & Hope Executive Search finds CEOs, CTOs, CIOs, CISOs, product, engineering, data, commercial and finance leaders for technology businesses in London, New York and San Francisco. We have run executive searches for decades. What is new is how you pay: 25% of base salary only, one third at engagement, then the balance monthly over 12 months. If your new leader leaves, the payments stop.
- 25%of base salary only
- ⅓at engagement
- 12monthly payments for the balance
- Stopif your new leader leaves
London, New York and San Francisco, and wherever your leadership team needs to be. Confidential searches welcome.
DefinitionWhat is risk-shared executive search?
Risk-shared executive search is a senior search in which the search firm carries part of the risk that the appointment does not work out. Instead of taking the whole fee in thirds before the new leader starts, the firm takes a smaller payment when the search begins and is paid the balance only while the leader stays.
At Hurren & Hope that means 25% of base salary only. One third is paid at engagement, so the search is properly committed. The balance is paid monthly over the leader's first 12 months through Pay While They Stay, and the payments stop if they leave. You can also pay the balance in one go on the start date, with the months after a departure refunded.
- Typical retained searchThirds on engagement, shortlist and appointment. Paid in full before day one.
- Risk-shared executive searchOne third at engagement. The rest only while your new leader stays.
In shortExecutive search, answered plainly
How much does executive search cost?
With us, 25% of base salary only. Bonus, equity and benefits are never added. Retained search firms typically charge 25 to 35% of first-year compensation, in thirds: on engagement, on shortlist and on appointment.
See the payment scheduleHow do I hire a CTO?
Agree what the business needs from its technology leader over the next few years, then run a structured, confidential search: brief, market map, approach, assessment, shortlist, interviews and offer.
See how a search runsWhich leaders do you search for?
CEOs and the C-suite, VPs and Heads of Engineering, Product, Data and Security, commercial and sales directors, and finance leaders, all for technology businesses.
Roles we search forHow long does a CTO search take?
Typically 37 to 51 days from brief to signed offer, about five to seven weeks. Most retained searches take 90 to 120 days. Then allow for your new leader's notice period.
The stages of a searchWhat it costsHow much does executive search cost?
Retained executive search typically costs 25 to 35% of first-year compensation, in the UK and the US, paid in three instalments: one third when the search is engaged, one third when the shortlist is presented and one third when the leader is appointed. That means you can spend tens of thousands before anyone is hired, with no guarantee that anyone will be.
Our fee is 25% of base salary only. You pay one third when we start the search, and the balance either on your leader's start date or monthly over their first 12 months. Nothing is due at shortlist.
Market ranges are from our September 2026 review of published UK and US fee guides for retained and executive search. Some firms add a minimum fee or expenses; check any terms you are comparing.
Worked exampleA CTO search, in real numbers
A London CTO on a base salary of £180,000. The typical retained search column uses 30%, the middle of the usual 25 to 35% range, and applies it to base salary only. UK fees are plus VAT.
A New York or San Francisco CTO on a base salary of $300,000. The typical retained search column uses 30%, the middle of the usual 25 to 35% range, and applies it to base salary only. No VAT for US clients.
| Stage | Typical retained search | Hurren & Hope, balance on start | Hurren & Hope, Pay While They Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | £54,000$90,000 (30%) | £45,000$75,000 (25% of base) | £45,000$75,000 (25% of base) |
| At engagement | £18,000$30,000 | £15,000$25,000 | £15,000$25,000 |
| At shortlist | £18,000$30,000 | Nothing | Nothing |
| At appointment or start | £18,000$30,000 | £30,000$50,000 on the start date | £2,500 a monthabout $4,167 a month for 12 months |
| Spent if the search ends after the shortlist, with no hire | £36,000$60,000 | £15,000$25,000 | £15,000$25,000 |
| Paid in total if your CTO leaves in month 5 | £54,000$90,000, usually with a replacement search rather than a refund | £27,500, after a £17,500 refundabout $45,833, after a refund of about $29,167 | £27,500, and the other £17,500 is never owedabout $45,833, and the other $29,167 or so is never owed |
Typical retained search is illustrative: many retained firms work the fee out on first-year total compensation, including bonus, which would make it higher than shown. Hurren & Hope fees are always on base salary only. The third paid at engagement covers the search itself and is not refunded on either Hurren & Hope option.
How it comparesThe same senior search, fairer terms
The search itself is the confidential, consultative process we have always run. The differences are in what the fee is worked out on, and when you pay it.
| What you are comparing | Typical retained search | Hurren & Hope Executive Search |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | 25 to 35% | 25% |
| What the fee is worked out on | First-year total compensation or total cash, which can include bonus | Base salary only. Bonus, equity and benefits are never included |
| When you pay | In thirds: on engagement, on shortlist and on appointment, all before your new leader starts | One third at engagement. The balance on the start date, or monthly over 12 months |
| Paid before anyone is hired | Usually two thirds of the fee, by the time you see a shortlist | One third of the fee, at engagement |
| If your new leader leaves in year one | The fee has been paid in full, and any guarantee is usually a replacement search rather than a refund | On monthly payments, the month you let us know is the last payment. Paid up front, we refund the balance for the months after that |
Roles we search forThe leaders who shape a technology business
The whole leadership team of a technology business, not just its CTO: from venture-backed startups and scale-ups to established companies.
Chief Executive and Managing Director
Leaders to run a technology business or a new region, from a first external CEO to a successor for a founder.
Chief Technology and Chief Information Officer
Founding CTOs through to CTOs taking a scale-up to exit, and CIOs running technology across a larger business, including confidential replacements.
VP and Head of Engineering or Platform
Leaders who run delivery, hiring and engineering culture as the team grows past the point one person can see all of it.
Chief Product Officer and product leadership
Product leaders who connect strategy, customers and engineering, and can build a product organisation around it.
Chief Data or AI Officer, VP and Head of Data
Leaders who turn data and AI into products and decisions, with the judgement to know what to build and what to buy.
Chief Information Security Officer and security leadership
Security leaders who can satisfy a board, a regulator and an engineering team at the same time.
Commercial and Sales Directors
Chief Revenue Officers, VPs of Sales and Commercial Directors who can sell technical products and build the team that sells them.
CFO and finance leadership
CFOs, Finance Directors and VPs of Finance for technology companies and startups, from the first senior finance hire before a raise to a CFO taking a business to exit.
Hiring below executive level? Permanent roles are 20% of base salary, with the same option to pay monthly. See permanent recruitment.
How a search runsHow does an executive search run? Six stages
Hiring a CTO, a CFO or a VP of Engineering is rarely about finding someone who is looking. The right person is usually doing well where they are, so the search has to find them, approach them discreetly and give them a reason to listen.
Typically 37 to 51 days from brief to signed offer. We agree the plan and timetable with you at the brief.
Talk to a hiring expert- 1
Brief and calibration
What the business needs from this leader over the next few years, what good looks like at your stage, and a realistic view of salary. We will challenge the brief if it needs it. One third of the fee is paid here.
- 2
Market map
We map the leaders who fit, including the ones not on the market, drawing on relationships built over decades of technology hiring.
- 3
Confidential approach
We approach people directly and discreetly. If you are replacing an incumbent, your company name stays out of it until you say otherwise.
- 4
Assessment and shortlist
In-depth interviews on leadership, technical judgement and fit. You see a short list of people we have met and would back, not a pile of CVs.
- 5
Interviews and offer
We run the interview process and help you close, so your preferred candidate says yes.
- 6
The first year
On Pay While They Stay the balance is paid monthly from the start date, and it stops if your new leader leaves. We only get paid in full if the hire works.
Why clients choose itSenior search, shared risk
Confidential by default
Replacing a leader, planning a restructure or hiring ahead of a raise: we keep the search discreet from the first call.
We share the risk
With the balance paid monthly, we are paid in full only if your new leader stays the year. Our incentive is the right hire, not a quick one.
Base salary only
Leadership packages lean on bonus and equity. Our fee ignores both, so a generous package does not mean a bigger invoice.
Senior people, directly
You deal with Mark or Mike from brief to offer: 26 and 19+ years in recruitment respectively.
Technology leaders placed for over 20 years
Hurren & Hope has recruited technology teams since 2013, and Mark and Mike have 26 and 19+ years in recruitment. We have placed CTOs and technical leaders for businesses from venture-backed start-ups to established software companies.
"With over 20 years in hiring, we are confident in our abilities and our historical data. It's why we have no trouble offering our clients a 12 month guarantee."
Case studiesLeaders who changed the outcome
Inawisdom: a founding CTO, then acquisition by Cognizant
We placed the founding technology leader who became Inawisdom's CTO, reached number one AWS Ambassador in EMEA and helped take the business to AWS Premier Partner status. Inawisdom was acquired by Cognizant in December 2020.
Read the case studyKaius: a founding engineer, then a head of product
Kaius, a US AI training company, hired its founding engineer and its head of product through Hurren & Hope, and we continue to support the team through Aligned.
"I'd work with Hurren & Hope again in a heartbeat, and they'd be my first call."Ryan Sullivan, Chief of Staff, KaiusRead the case study
"Hurren & Hope take the time to understand the requirements of a role and are not afraid to challenge your perceptions."
Transformation Director, STL Technologies
"If you're looking for a true partner in executive hiring, one who prioritises long term success over quick placements, I highly recommend Hurren & Hope."
Talent Acquisition Manager, Saffron Building Society
Some of the companies we have hired for
Replacing a leader, or hiring your first?
A confidential 20 minute call with Mark or Mike. You get a view of the market, salary and a search plan before you commit to anything.
Executive search questions
How much does executive search cost?
Retained executive search typically costs 25 to 35% of first-year compensation, paid in thirds: on engagement, on shortlist and on appointment, all before the new leader starts. Hurren & Hope charges 25% of base salary only, with no bonus, equity or benefits added. You pay one third at engagement and the balance on the start date or monthly over 12 months. UK fees are plus VAT.
What is risk-shared executive search?
It is executive search in which the search firm shares the risk that the appointment does not work out. At Hurren & Hope you pay one third of a 25% of base salary fee at engagement, and the balance monthly over the new leader's first 12 months through Pay While They Stay. If they leave, the payments stop.
How much can a retained search cost before anyone is hired?
Usually two thirds of the fee, because the first two instalments fall due on engagement and on shortlist. On a £180,000 base at 30%, that is £36,000 before a hire is made, and more if the fee is worked out on total compensation. With us, the most you pay before a hire is the one third at engagement: £15,000 on the same salary.
How does paying monthly work for executive search?
One third of the fee is paid when we start the search. The remaining two thirds are split into 12 monthly payments from your new leader's start date, through Pay While They Stay. If they leave, the month you let us know is the last payment and nothing more is owed.
What if we pay the balance up front and our new leader leaves?
You get the same 12 months of protection. We refund the balance for every month after the month you let us know they are leaving, or put it towards a replacement search if you prefer. The third paid at engagement covers the search itself, so it is not refunded on either option.
What would a CTO search cost?
For a CTO on a £180,000 base salary the fee is £45,000: £15,000 at engagement, then £2,500 a month for 12 months, plus VAT. For a US CTO on a $300,000 base it is $75,000: $25,000 at engagement, then about $4,167 a month for 12 months.
How do I hire a CTO?
Start by agreeing what the business needs from its technology leader over the next few years, and what good looks like at your stage. Then run a structured search: map the market, approach people who are not actively looking, assess them in depth and close the offer. A specialist search partner does most of that work and keeps it confidential.
What does a CTO recruiter do?
A CTO recruiter helps you define the role, maps and approaches technology leaders who fit, assesses them, manages the interview process and helps you negotiate and close the offer. A good one will also challenge the brief if the role you are describing is not the one you need.
How long does a CTO search take?
Typically 37 to 51 days from brief to signed offer, about five to seven weeks, against the 90 to 120 days most retained searches take and the six to eight weeks the fastest specialist firms publish. The start date then depends on notice: often three months for a UK leader, and two to four weeks in the US. We agree the timetable with you at the brief.
Can the search be confidential?
Yes. Many executive searches are, for example when an incumbent is being replaced or a new role has not been announced. We approach people without naming your company until you are ready.
Which roles count as executive search?
CEO, CTO, CIO, CISO, Chief Product Officer, Chief Data or AI Officer, CFO and other C-suite roles, plus VPs and Heads of Engineering, Product, Data, Security, Sales and Finance, in technology businesses. Permanent roles below executive level are 20% of base salary.
Do you only recruit technology leaders?
No. We search for the whole leadership team of a technology business: the CEO, finance, commercial and sales leaders as well as technology, product, data and security. What they share is that they lead in a technology company, which is the market we have worked in for over 20 years.
Where do you run executive searches?
Our executive searches are focused on London, New York and San Francisco. Clients often ask us to find leaders for their satellite teams elsewhere in the UK, the US and Europe, and we do. You speak to Mark Hurren or Mike Johnson directly throughout the search.
Is there an executive search firm that does not take the whole fee before the leader starts?
Yes. Hurren & Hope takes one third of its 25% fee at engagement. The balance is paid monthly over your new leader's first 12 months through Pay While They Stay, and the payments stop if they leave. Most retained firms take the full fee, in thirds, before anyone starts.
What is the difference between retained and contingency executive search?
Retained search is paid in stages, usually in thirds before the hire starts, and suits senior or confidential roles that need a structured market map. Contingency recruitment is paid only when someone is hired, and suits roles with a larger pool of active candidates. Our executive search sits between the two: one third at engagement so the search is committed, then the balance only while your new leader stays.
We are VC-backed. Is there another option?
Yes. Aligned, on hurrenandhope.vc, lets venture-backed companies defer up to 75% of the fee until their next funding round. If that round doesn't happen, the deferred part isn't owed.
Hiring a technology leader? Let's talk in confidence.
