For companies
The shortlist, not the search.
Seat & Signal™ fills leadership seats for startups, VC-funded, PE-backed, and mid-market companies: two to three vetted executives per mandate, a flat success fee quoted before work begins, and direct contracts between you and the Executive. No retainer to start, no percentage-of-compensation math, and no directory of two hundred maybes.
Which engagement fits?
Two ways to fill a leadership gap.
Fractional executive search
Senior judgment on retainer — CFOs, COOs, CIOs, CTOs, CMOs, CROs, CHROs, and CPOs working with you part-time, alongside one or two other clients.
Learn more →Interim executive placement
A senior-level leader in the seat full time through a transition: a departure, a turnaround, a carve-out, a sprint to exit.
Learn more →Not sure which you need? That is normal — the discovery call exists precisely to sort engagement shape before anyone talks candidates.
How we differ
Not a search firm. Not a staffing agency. Not a marketplace.
- Versus retained search: a flat fee at a fraction of retained-search cost, slates in days for fractional roles rather than months, and no exclusivity retainer to begin.
- Versus staffing agencies: we are not an employer of record — you contract directly with the Executive or their firm, and we take nothing from their fees.
- Versus talent marketplaces: curation is the product. Every member passed a selective review before entering The Collective, and every introduction comes with written reasoning for the fit.
Before the call
What to prepare before a search.
Fifteen minutes of preparation makes the discovery call dramatically more useful. Come knowing, even roughly:
- The problem on your desk — the real one, not the job title. "Our numbers require proper diligence and prior audit experience" is a better brief than "we need a CFO."
- Stage and shape: headcount, funding or ownership structure, and who this leader answers to.
- Time horizon: is this a permanent capability need (fractional), a bounded transition (interim)?
- Budget posture — a range is enough; we will tell you what the market actually clears at.
Ready to discuss an engagement?
Tell us the mandate, the stage, and the timeline. We’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit.