Capital Retained Search

Strategic Hires.
Lasting Impact.

Boutique retained search for growth-stage companies. Proven leaders in revenue, operations, product, and corporate—delivered through a time-boxed, discreet, rigorous process.

Schedule Intro (15 min) Our 6-Week Playbook
finalists in week 2
offer acceptance
weeks typical close
Nationwide
confidential coverage
Security SOC 2 Compliant Process
Rating 4.9/5 Client Rating
Speed Average 42-Day Close
Placements 500+ Placements

Solutions

Retained search for leadership and high-leverage individual contributors.

Executive leadership icon

Executive & Director

VP/Director, GM, Head of Function; leaders across growth and operations.

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High-leverage target icon

High-Leverage IC

Revenue, product, finance, and operations roles where talent moves the P&L.

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Assessment and analytics icon

Assessment & Talent Design

Comp bands, scorecards, interview plans, talent market mapping.

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A clear, time-boxed search process

Qualified slate in week one. Typical close in ~6 weeks.

Week 0 Discovery

Intake, success profile, inclusion targets, interview plan.

  • 2-hour strategy session
  • Role scorecard development
  • Compensation benchmarking
Week 1 Sourcing Sprint

Target list + outbound; market signals & comp insights.

  • 100+ candidates identified
  • Personalized outreach
  • Initial screening calls
Week 2 Shortlist

5–7 scored and interviewed candidates.

  • Deep-dive interviews
  • Skills assessment
  • Culture fit evaluation
Weeks 3–4 Panel

Structured interviews; leadership & values assessments.

  • Stakeholder interviews
  • Case studies/presentations
  • Team chemistry sessions
Week 5 Finalists

References, calibration, compensation alignment.

  • 360° reference checks
  • Offer structuring
  • Negotiation prep
Week 6 Offer & Close

Negotiation and acceptance; onboarding touchpoints.

  • Offer presentation
  • Counter negotiation
  • 30-60-90 day plan

Why Capital Retained Search

Rigor

Role scorecards, structured panels, and consistent references—no guesswork.

Speed

Time-boxed sprint with weekly reporting and 5–7 finalists by week two.

Discretion

Confidential outreach and conflict checks on every engagement.

Diversity

Inclusive slates and intentional sourcing to widen the pipeline.

Partnership

Founder-led delivery from intake to accepted offer and onboarding touchpoints.

Client sectors

We support growth companies and investment-backed operators across these markets.

Software & SaaS

B2B platforms, data/AI, vertical SaaS.

Private Equity Portfolio

Add-ons, roll-ups, professionalization plays.

Healthcare

Provider services, HCIT, payor/plan adjacencies.

Industrial & Services

Manufacturing, distribution, field services.

Financial & Corporate

Accounting/finance, HR, legal, operations.

Mission-Driven

Nonprofit and education leadership.

Functions we recruit

Core strengths include revenue, operations, product, and corporate services.

Executive & Director

  • VP/Director, GM, Head of Function
  • Growth, GTM, and Operations leadership
  • Scorecard-driven evaluation & references

High-Leverage IC

  • RevOps, Product, Finance, CS, Strategy
  • Time-boxed sourcing sprints
  • Diverse slates; calibrated interview plans

Product & Technology

  • Head of Product, Data, Engineering
  • Outcome-oriented product leadership
  • Technical depth + business alignment

Finance & People

  • CFO/Controller, HR/Talent, Legal
  • Confidential backfills & successions
  • Market-aligned compensation bands

Based in Raleigh. National reach.

Discreet, founder-led search with the rigor of a large firm—delivered with boutique focus.

Start a confidential search

Recent work (confidential)

CLOSED

VP Customer Success — SaaS

Closed in 5 weeks; 3-finalist slate; ARR retention +4 pts in 2Q.

5 weeks 3 finalists +4% retention
CLOSED

Head of RevOps — PE Portfolio

Scorecards & interview plan; offer aligned to market bands.

6 weeks 5 finalists 98% match
CLOSED

Controller — Healthcare

Diverse pipeline; confidential backfill; smooth handover.

4 weeks 4 finalists 100% discrete

What clients say

"
"The shortlist was spot-on and faster than any firm we've used. We closed our VP within a month."
Series B SaaS CEO
"
"Exceptional communication and candidate quality. We felt truly partnered."
COO, Healthcare
"
"A boutique firm with enterprise-grade rigor. We'll be back."
Private Equity Portfolio
Kathryn Hoover, Founder of Capital Retained Search
15+ Years Experience 500+ Placements 98% Success Rate

About Capital Retained Search

Kathryn Hoover is a seasoned professional recruiter with experience across corporate and contract search. She brings a track record of measurable results across multiple industries and is known for pairing skill, personality, and culture to deliver long-term success. Kathryn enjoys partnering with both hiring leaders and candidates to "find the best in people and put it to work."

Capital Retained Search was founded to give growth companies a boutique, founder-led partner for critical hires. The firm combines discreet outreach with structured, scorecard-driven evaluations to produce diverse, values-aligned slates—typically closing searches in about six weeks.

Connect with Kathryn

We operate with strict confidentiality and conflict checks on every engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does retained search differ from contingent?

Retained engagements reserve dedicated time and deliver a managed process, market intel, and guaranteed delivery—ideal for confidential or high-impact roles.

What functions do you cover?

Revenue leadership, operations/GTM, product & technology, finance & people, and other corporate roles.

How quickly do you produce a slate?

We present a scored shortlist in week one or two, with typical close around six weeks.

Do you run confidential backfills?

Yes. We handle discreet outreach and reference checks with tight controls.

What's your success rate?

We maintain a 98% placement success rate with 95%+ offer acceptance. Our rigorous process ensures strong candidate-company fit.

Do you offer guarantees?

Yes. We provide a 90-day replacement guarantee on all placements. If a candidate doesn't work out, we'll conduct a replacement search at no additional cost.

Let's start the conversation

When the role is critical, timing and fit matter. Share a few details about your goals and we'll follow up quickly with next steps and a recommended approach.

Capital Retained Search
Raleigh, North Carolina · National coverage
kathryn@capitalretainedsearch.com
919-818-2093
Quick Response

We respond to all inquiries within 24 hours

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