Top Investment Banking Headhunters to Know

The top investment banking headhunters split into two camps. Specialist recruiters such as Selby Jennings, Dartmouth Partners and Maven Partnership place analysts, associates and VPs on lateral moves. Global executive search firms such as Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles and Russell Reynolds handle managing director and leadership hires.

For you, the practical point is simple. Pick the headhunter that works at your level and in your market, and build a relationship before you need a move.

We rank the first three by the eFinancialCareers 2026 Ideal Recruiter results for investment banking, published in April 2026, and group the rest by type in no particular order.

Investment banking headhunters at a glance

The table shows each firm’s group, the levels it is best known for and one dated fact.

The three highest-rated banking recruiters

The eFinancialCareers ranking for investment banking draws on more than 7,500 survey responses from finance professionals. Respondents named their industry and the best recruiter they had used in it.

1. Selby Jennings

Selby Jennings came first for investment banking “by quite some margin”, according to eFinancialCareers. It is the main brand of the recruitment group Phaidon International.

• 2026 rankings: #1 for investment banking, sales and trading, and support functions, and #3 for technology and quantitative finance, per its June 2026 release.
• Offices: the US, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Zurich, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
• Best for: analysts, associates and VPs moving between banks in the US, Europe and Asia.

Selby Jennings’ October 2025 trends report said senior hires were building out execution teams and that banks preferred lateral candidates from comparable platforms. It listed sign-on bonuses, deferred compensation buyouts and guarantees as common tools, and named Tampa, Charlotte, Dallas and Minneapolis as growth cities.

2. Dartmouth Partners

Dartmouth Partners was founded in London in 2012 by Logan Naidu, a former PwC analyst. It also has offices in New York and Charlotte.

• Coverage: M&A, ECM, broking and secondary advisory at both integrated and independent banks.
• Levels: Analyst, Associate, VP, Director, MD and Partner.
• Best for: junior and mid-level bankers in London and the US who want coverage of both large and independent banks.

3. Maven Partnership

Maven Partnership was founded by Gaurav Sethi in 2007 and has more than 80 staff. It rebranded from Maven Search in October 2025 and is led by CEO Will Hannaford.

• Offices: New York, West Palm Beach, London, Dubai and Hong Kong.
• Practices: global banking and markets, private capital, investment management, technology and board searches.
• Best for: bankers in New York, London, Dubai and Hong Kong, from mid-level to board roles.

Other specialist and buy-side recruiters

These firms are worth knowing for specific levels or moves.

Sheffield Haworth

Sheffield Haworth was founded in 1993 and has banking practice heads in New York, London, Hong Kong and Sydney. Its banking team covers M&A advisory, ECM, DCM, leveraged finance and restructuring. Its listed placements are senior, such as an EMEA Head of Consumer and Retail and a Vice Chairman of Healthcare.

Robert Walters

Robert Walters is a generalist recruiter founded in 1985 that also lists front office banking roles. A May 2025 London listing for an M&A Associate at a mid-market bank offered £70,000 to £100,000 a year.

Glocap

Glocap began in New York in 1997 and recruits investment professionals, mainly for the investment management industry. Its job categories include investment banking alongside hedge funds, venture capital and corporate development, which makes it a useful contact if you are weighing a buy-side exit.

Global executive search firms for senior bankers

These firms are retained by banks to hire MDs, group heads and leadership teams. They rarely place analysts or associates.

Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry reported $924.1m of executive search fee revenue in the year to 30 April 2026, out of $2,907.5m in total fee revenue. It ended the year with 566 executive search consultants.

Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles was taken private by a consortium led by Advent International and Corvex Private Equity in December 2025, at $59 a share and about $1.3bn of equity value. Its executive search revenue was $239.1m in the third quarter of 2025 alone.

Russell Reynolds Associates

Russell Reynolds Associates had 47 offices and more than 500 consultants in January 2025. That month it added a managing director to its Asia-Pacific financial services team.

Spencer Stuart

Spencer Stuart was founded in Chicago in 1956 and has more than 60 offices in over 30 countries. It has been owned by its employees since 1974.

Egon Zehnder

Egon Zehnder runs a banking and markets practice within financial services. Its New York office opened in 1977 and has 120 team members, the firm’s largest in the US.

How headhunters fit into banking recruiting

Headhunters are most useful after your first job. Graduate and summer programmes are run by banks directly, so a headhunter will rarely help with your first analyst offer.

The work splits by level:

• Analyst and associate laterals: contingent recruiters such as Selby Jennings, Dartmouth Partners and Robert Walters. They are usually paid by the bank only when a hire happens.
• VP and director moves: the same specialists, plus firms like Maven and Sheffield Haworth on more senior briefs.
• MD and group head hires: retained search firms such as Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds, Spencer Stuart and Egon Zehnder. The bank pays the firm to run the search.

A useful rule: below VP, you call the recruiter. From director up, the retained firm usually calls you, so your deal record and reputation inside the bank do most of the work.

If you are planning a lateral move, our guide to lateral moves in investment banking covers timing and how to explain the switch.

How to choose and use a headhunter

The best headhunter for you is the one with live mandates at the banks you want. Use this checklist:

• Match the level: ask what share of their placements are at your level. A partner who places MDs will not prioritise an Analyst 2.
• Match the market: pick a recruiter with a desk in your city and product, such as London M&A or New York leveraged finance.
• Ask about the bank: ask which banks they have placed at in the last year and which teams are hiring now.
• Control your CV: ask the headhunter to name each bank before they send your profile, so you are never submitted twice.
• Prepare the numbers: know your base, bonus and unvested deferred pay. Selby Jennings’ October 2025 report put 2024-2025 base pay at bulge bracket banks at $175,000 to $225,000 for associates and $250,000 to $300,000 for VPs.
• Keep two or three relationships: one specialist for your level, one for your city and one buy-side recruiter if you may exit.

Before you talk pay, check our investment banking salary and bonus guide. For CV preparation, see our investment banking resume and cover letter guide. If you are weighing a later move to private equity, read what private equity recruiters look for in candidates. If you need to sharpen your technical skills before interviews, Wall Street Oasis courses cover modelling and technical interview preparation.

FAQ

Do investment banking headhunters charge candidates?

No. Banks pay the headhunter. Contingent recruiters are usually paid only when a hire is made. Retained search firms are paid by the bank to run the search. You should never pay a recruiter to place you in a banking job.

When should I start talking to headhunters?

Start after your first year as an analyst, once you have live deals to discuss. Selby Jennings puts the analyst stage at two to three years, so most bankers weigh a move in that window. Speaking to one or two specialists early tells you which banks are hiring.

Which headhunters place managing directors?

Retained executive search firms handle most MD and group head hires. Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds, Spencer Stuart and Egon Zehnder all run financial services practices. Sheffield Haworth and Maven Partnership also take senior banking briefs.

Can a headhunter help me get my first analyst job?

Rarely. Banks hire graduates through their own programmes and summer internships. Headhunters are paid to find experienced bankers, so they focus on candidates with at least a year of deal experience. For a first role, apply to programmes directly and network with bankers.

Conclusion

For analyst to VP moves, start with the specialists that bankers rate highest: Selby Jennings, Dartmouth Partners and Maven Partnership. For MD roles, the large retained search firms run the process. Pick recruiters by level and city, and keep control of where your CV is sent.

P.S. If you are planning a move, the Investment Banking Contacts Database helps you reach bankers at the firms you are targeting, and our Premium Resources include additional tools you might be interested in. For weekly finance updates and the latest financial reports, join the Private Equity Bros newsletter.

Sources

• The best recruiters in investment banking – ranked
• Selby Jennings Recognized as the Leading Financial Services Recruitment Firm for Investment Banking, Sales & Trading, and Support Functions
• Investment Banking Recruitment Trends: 2024-2025
• Korn Ferry Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year FY’26 Results of Operations
• Heidrick & Struggles Completes Take-Private Transaction
• Talent Advisory Firm Maven Search Rebrands as Maven Partnership
• Maven Partnership Expands in New York, London and Dubai