A retained executive search firm needed to expand their client roster beyond referrals. AI agents helped them reach CEOs and board members at companies actively planning leadership transitions.
* Company identity anonymized to protect client confidentiality. Results verified.
This retained executive search firm had built their practice primarily through referrals. While their work was excellent, their growth was limited by the pace of inbound opportunities.
Traditional outbound didn't work—CEOs and board members don't respond to cold outreach from recruiters. They needed a sophisticated approach that would resonate with senior executives planning leadership transitions.
They deployed 5 AI agents targeting companies showing signs of upcoming leadership changes:
Messaging focused on market intelligence, succession planning best practices, and leadership assessment—positioning them as strategic advisors rather than recruiters.
"We went from 100% referral-dependent to having a predictable pipeline of C-suite conversations. The AI messaging was sophisticated enough that CEOs and board members actually responded. That's nearly impossible to achieve manually."
See how AI sales agents can help executive search firms build predictable pipelines.