Strategy & Transformation Executive Search

Strategy leaders for the inflection

Identify premier Chief Strategy Officers, Heads of Corporate Development, or transformation executives through the highest placement velocity of any function we anchor.

Start a Search Meet Our Partners
85% Return Rate
4.9 out of 5 rating
100 Median Days to Close
98% Placement Rate
The Function

Strategy & Transformation
executive search

Strategy stopped being a planning function. MIT Sloan reports that 67% of chief strategy officers now carry direct execution responsibility, so the role you are hiring for in 2026 looks little like the pure-strategy CSO of a few years ago. M&A has become continuous rather than occasional, with mid-market deal volume up 11% year over year, which means the head of corporate development you bring on has to keep a pipeline moving while integrating the last close. The operator-strategist who does both is the rare hire and the one worth the search.

Source:  McKinsey M&A Insights 2025

The Roles We Place

Strategy lives across many seats.

Four roles that decide whether the plan becomes the result. We’ve placed across all of them and we know which one your moment actually calls for.

 A Chief Strategy Officer carries both jobs at once: where the company goes and what it buys to get there. We place CSOs who have run that mandate through the moments that test it, pre-IPO preparation, post-acquisition integration, and the years in between. 

Operating at the pivotal intersection of corporate strategy, business development, and high-leverage partnerships, a dynamic Chief Development Officer opens expansive new market opportunities. We connect you with visionary growth leaders built to unlock untapped revenue channels and establish powerful strategic alliances.

Positioning themselves as a vital strategic bridge between the CEO and the board, a sophisticated SVP of Strategy translates high-level corporate ambition into decision-grade analysis and clear operational accountability. We secure visionary strategists who combine deep analytical rigor with a proven commitment to flawless execution.
Serving as the fundamental engine for inorganic growth, a progressive VP of Corporate Development masterfully commands your M&A pipeline, strategic diligence, and integration frameworks. We source elite corporate development executives who turn high-level strategic intent into successfully closed transactions and long-term asset value.
Sample of our work
Our clients

Companies trust ON Partners

Recent placements

Leaders recently placed

Successful Placement
Avio USA Senior Vice President, Business Development
Read More →

Avio USA Names New Senior Vice President, Business Development

Matt Steele Appointed as New Senior Vice President, Business Development for Avio USA

Jul 8, 2026 4:28:12 PM
Successful Placement
Easton Select Group Chief Financial Officer
Read More →

Easton Select Group Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

Brian Freeburg Named Chief Financial Officer at Easton Select Group

Jul 2, 2026 3:04:16 PM
Successful Placement
Amerit Fleet Solutions EVP, Supply Chain
Read More →

Amerit Fleet Solutions Names New Executive Vice President, Supply Chain

Chris Longhito Appointed as Amerit Fleet Solution's Executive Vice President, Supply Chain

Jul 2, 2026 2:16:24 PM
Successful Placement
Fortera Chief Financial Officer
Read More →

Fortera Names New Chief Financial Officer

Fortera Builds Out New Finance Leadership for Growth and Commercial Deployment with Appointment…

Jul 2, 2026 1:04:18 PM
Successful Placement
GSM Outdoors Appoints New Chief Financial Officer
Read More →

GSM Outdoors Appoints New Chief Financial Officer

William McDade Named Chief Financial Officer at GSM Outdoors

Jun 26, 2026 4:09:24 PM
Successful Placement
DecisionHR Hires New Chief Revenue Officer
Read More →

DecisionHR Hires New Chief Revenue Officer

Josh McIntosh Appointed as Chief Revenue Officer at DecisionHR

Jun 12, 2026 11:51:25 AM
View all placements
Common Questions

What leaders may ask before a search

Most commonly when the company has either completed its first acquisition, is preparing for a platform-build strategy, or has reached scale where M&A becomes a repeatable discipline rather than an episode.

A CSO is a C-suite executive who owns enterprise strategy, including but not limited to M&A. A Head of Corp Dev is typically a senior VP focused on the M&A pipeline, diligence, and integration.
Our median Strategy function search closes in 100 days, because we have the candidate pool well-mapped.  The executive search industry average sits around 90 to 180 days.
Pattern recognition under pressure. The best transformation leaders have lived through more than one transformation (carve-outs, integrations, restructurings) and can move fast without breaking what shouldn't be broken.