The brief
We start with the business, not the vacancy — the culture, the mandate and a definition of success everyone can agree on before a single name is discussed.
Retained Executive Search · Leadership Advisory
We find the leaders who define what comes next.
Sterling & Cole is a boutique executive search firm. We partner with boards, founders and investors to appoint the people who set the direction — and stay to see it through.
Every engagement is led by a partner, from first brief to final appointment. No handoffs, no shortlists padded for volume — one considered process, and a shortlist you can act on with confidence.
Where we search
Leadership, across the mandates that matter.
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Board & Chief Executive
Chairs, chief executives and non-executive directors for the decisions that shape an institution.
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C-Suite & Functional Leaders
CFO, COO, CTO and CMO — the senior specialists who carry a strategy into execution.
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Investor-Backed & Private Equity
Value-creation hires for private equity, venture and founder-led companies through every stage of growth.
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Succession & Advisory
Succession planning, leadership assessment and counsel when the stakes sit above the org chart.
How we work
One partner. One process. A shortlist that holds up.
The search
Research-led mapping of the whole market, discreet approaches, and assessment as rigorous as the appointment demands.
The appointment
A shortlist you can trust, support through offer and onboarding, and a partner still on the line at year two.
20+ years
Partner-led search across three continents.
94%
Of placements still in role at two years.
Board to C-suite
Every engagement led by the partner you meet.
“Sterling & Cole gave us three candidates and a decision, not a database. The leader we appointed is still setting the pace.”
Chair, listed financial-services group
Who we are
A small firm, by design.
Sterling & Cole was built to do fewer searches, better. We keep our practice deliberately small so every mandate has a partner's full attention and the discretion senior appointments require.
We work across financial services, technology and industrial leadership from New York — for clients who measure a search by the decade that follows it, not the day it closes.
Begin a search
Let's talk about the appointment ahead.
Every conversation is confidential. Tell us about the role and the moment your organisation is in, and a partner will be in touch.
Email
[email protected]
Telephone
+1 (212) 460 7180
Office
48 Wall Street, Suite 1100
New York, NY 10005
New York, NY 10005
Hours
By appointment · Monday to Friday