Executive search research

Research beyond the obvious shortlist.

Cruvo turns your brief into a reviewed market map and ranked candidate long-list. Every candidate comes with career evidence and the reasoning behind their fit.

Send the briefSee a finished long-list

Email the job description or the notes you already have.

Illustrative workspace preview

Brief · Northvale · CFO search

Longlist · 47 candidates

  • 01Maren HollowayVP Finance · Greyline Analytics
  • 02Idris OkaforDir, FP&A · Northvale Health
  • 03Priya RamanathanCFO · Tessera Bio
  • 04Jonas WeltmanGroup Controller · Halcyon
  • 05Saoirse BrennanHead of Strategic Finance · Lumenpath
  • 06Marco VillanuevaSVP Finance · Atria Logistics
  • 07Lila TanVP, Corporate Development · Stonefield

Maren Holloway

VP Finance · Greyline Analytics · San Francisco

Strong fit
Work history
  1. 2022 — Now
    VP Finance · Greyline Analytics
    $40M → $180MSeries D closeIPO readiness
  2. 2019 — 2022
    Director of Finance · Cordova Labs
    Built FP&A, 1 → 6Series B → C
  3. 2014 — 2019
    Senior Manager · Deloitte · Transactions
    Healthcare M&A

Took Greyline from $40M to $180M run-rate over three years, closed a Series D, and carried IPO readiness for 18 months before the team paused the process. Before that, built the FP&A function at Cordova through Series B–C. Healthcare M&A grounding from Deloitte.

The direct answer

What is executive search research?

It's the work behind a senior search: interpreting the brief, mapping relevant organisations, finding plausible candidates, and assessing their career evidence against the mandate.

Research builds the evidence base. Your team or search consultant still decides who to approach, interview, and progress.

Cruvo gives separate research agents different routes into the market, then reviews the result before delivery. The output is a ranked long-list, not a raw profile export.

Choose the research model

Three ways to research a senior search.

The right approach depends on how familiar the market is, how much research capacity you have, and how much evidence the brief requires.

See the research workspace

Starting point

Database

Filters, keywords, and the database's indexed fields

In-house researcher

A researcher interprets the brief and chooses each route

Cruvo

A structured mandate with pass, fail, and weighted criteria

Research breadth

Database

As far as the filters and available profiles allow

In-house researcher

As far as one researcher's time and market knowledge allow

Cruvo

Separate agents investigate direct markets, adjacencies, and career paths

Assessment

Database

Your team reviews the returned profiles

In-house researcher

The researcher applies judgment and records notes

Cruvo

Candidates share one brief, with reasoning reviewed before delivery

Output

Database

Search results or a profile export

In-house researcher

A list, map, or notes in your existing system

Cruvo

A ranked long-list with career evidence and a reusable workspace

The finished research

Evidence your team can act on.

The brief, market, and candidate reasoning stay connected. That makes the result useful before the first approach and after the search closes.

01

A map of the market

Relevant companies are grouped into direct and adjacent areas, so the search is not limited to the first sector or title that matches.

02

A ranked candidate long-list

Each candidate is assessed against the brief. Career evidence and fit reasoning make it clear why a name belongs on the list.

03

Research that carries forward

Candidate records remain available in your organisation's Rolodex, so later searches can build on work already completed.

See each workspace surface

How it works

From mandate to ranked long-list.

You bring the role and context. Cruvo handles the research layer, while your team keeps control of the search.

  1. STEP 01

    Send the brief

    Email the job description, your search notes, or the mandate you already use. Cruvo turns it into the criteria that guide the research.

  2. STEP 02

    Research the market from several angles

    Separate agents investigate direct competitors, adjacent sectors, geographies, and less obvious career paths. Each candidate is read against the same brief.

  3. STEP 03

    Review the ranked long-list

    Cruvo reviews the research before it reaches you. You receive the candidates, supporting evidence, and reasoning needed to decide who should move forward.

For in-house talent acquisition

Add research capacity without adding another search tool.

Cruvo takes on the investigation behind a difficult senior brief. You keep the hiring-manager relationship, run the process, and decide who moves forward.

For executive search firms

Put deeper research beneath consultant judgment.

Your team keeps the client relationship, shapes the mandate, approaches candidates, and advises on the shortlist. Cruvo runs the research layer underneath.

See a finished long-list

Common questions

Before you send a senior brief.

What does an executive search researcher do?

An executive search researcher interprets a hiring mandate, maps relevant organisations, identifies potential candidates, and records evidence about why each person may fit. That research gives the consultant or hiring team a stronger base for outreach and assessment.

What does Cruvo deliver?

Cruvo delivers a reviewed, ranked candidate long-list with career evidence and fit reasoning inside an invited workspace. The associated market map and prospect records can support later searches.

How is Cruvo different from a candidate database?

A database returns profiles that match filters. Cruvo investigates the brief from several angles, including adjacent sectors and career paths, then assesses each candidate against the agreed criteria.

Does Cruvo replace an executive search consultant or internal recruiter?

No. Cruvo handles the research beneath the search. Your team owns the mandate, candidate approach, interviews, judgment, and final decision.

Does Cruvo contact candidates?

No. Cruvo finds and assesses potential candidates. Your team runs outreach and manages the candidate relationship.

Can Cruvo support confidential searches?

Yes. Every brief is treated as confidential, and Cruvo can sign an NDA before the research begins.

Can executive search firms use Cruvo?

Yes. Cruvo works with selected search firms as well as in-house talent-acquisition teams. The search firm retains the client relationship and uses Cruvo for the underlying candidate research.

Your next search

Bring the difficult brief.

Send the role, mandate, or notes you already have. Cruvo will walk through whether the research model fits the search.

Email the brief