Fowlers Place is an independent, partner-led executive search firm specialising in senior hires across alternative investments — private equity, venture capital, growth equity, hedge funds, private credit and real assets. We were founded in 2019 to do search the way it ought to be done: as a craft, not a transaction.
Where are you based?
Our office is in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Mandates and client conversations happen globally — primarily across North America, with selected engagements in Europe and Asia-Pacific. The firm operates with a modern, location-flexible model that allows us to be closer to candidates and clients across geographies.
How is Fowlers Place different from a large search firm?
Three meaningful differences. First, every engagement is led by a partner from calibration through integration — no junior handoffs. Second, we maintain a deliberately limited client roster, which means far fewer off-limits and a deeper usable network per mandate. Third, every long-list is built from primary research rather than recycled database searches.
For Clients
Engaging Fowlers Place.
How do fees work?
Retained engagements are structured as a percentage of total compensation, billed in three instalments tied to engagement milestones. Build-out programmes and talent mapping engagements are priced as fixed-fee programmes. Specifics are discussed during the calibration call and set out in the engagement letter.
What is your typical timeline for a retained search?
A standard retained mandate runs 10 to 14 weeks from kick-off to signed offer. Senior partner mandates often run 16 to 24 weeks. Confidential off-cycle searches can run shorter or longer depending on the candidate universe and the urgency of the brief.
Do you offer a replacement guarantee?
Yes. Every retained engagement carries a 12-month replacement guarantee. If a placed candidate leaves within 12 months for reasons outside the firm's control, we run a replacement search at no additional professional fee.
How many mandates do you take on at one time?
Intentionally limited. We typically run no more than three to five active mandates concurrently per partner. This is a deliberate constraint — it is what allows the depth of attention we promise.
What are your off-limits commitments?
When we engage a client, the entire firm of that client becomes off-limits for the duration of the engagement and for 12 months thereafter. We do not engage with funds where an off-limit conflict exists with an active mandate.
For Candidates
If you are a candidate.
Do I need to be looking actively to reach out?
No. The best long-term relationships are typically with people who are not in active processes — they are simply curious about the market or thinking about their next chapter on a multi-year horizon. We are happy to begin those conversations without any expectation of immediate action.
Will my CV be shared with clients?
Never without your explicit consent. CVs submitted to us are stored in encrypted, access-controlled storage and reviewed only by the partner leading your relationship. Identity and CV are shared with a specific client only after a conversation with you and your explicit go-ahead.
What kind of profiles do you typically work with?
We work with a broad range — sell-side bankers moving to PE / credit, consultants moving to PE or operating roles, buy-side professionals exploring lateral or seat changes, operators considering portfolio leadership, and senior investors weighing emerging-manager paths. See the For Candidates page for more.
How quickly will I hear back after submitting my CV?
A partner reads every submission personally and responds within one business day. If your profile fits the kinds of mandates we run, we will suggest an initial call. If it does not, we will tell you honestly — and where appropriate, refer you to colleagues elsewhere in the market.
Can I ask for my data to be deleted?
Yes, at any point. Email us with the request and we will confirm deletion within five business days. See our Privacy Policy for more.
Process
How we work, end-to-end.
Walk me through a typical retained mandate.
Week 1 — calibration with leadership and a written brief signed before outreach. Weeks 2–5 — market mapping and direct outreach to a curated long-list. Weeks 5–9 — multi-stage assessment, references and compensation benchmarking of the shortlist. Weeks 9–12 — finalist interviews, offer construction and acceptance. Week 12 onward — onboarding support with structured 30 / 60 / 90 / 180 / 365-day check-ins.
How often will I hear progress updates?
Fortnightly written progress notes plus a scheduled 30-minute review call every two weeks. Out-of-cycle communication for any material development. The partner running your mandate is your single point of contact.
Do you run a public job posting?
Rarely. Most of our mandates are run with no public posting. Where a posting is in the client's interest, we work with the client's marketing team to structure it appropriately — but the bulk of our outreach is always direct and discreet.
Confidentiality
Discretion is the product.
Are mandates confidential by default?
Yes. Every mandate is treated as confidential by default. We refer to mandates internally by code names. Where required, we sign NDAs before any meaningful disclosure and restrict the stakeholder list to a two-party need-to-know basis.
Will my current employer find out I'm in conversation with you?
Not from us. Candidate identities are never shared with clients without explicit consent, and we do not reach out to your firm or references without your authorization. Communications can be moved to personal email / phone at any point on request.
Can we sign an NDA before disclosing the role?
Yes. We have a standard mutual NDA available on request and are equally happy to use a client-provided NDA. Many of our most sensitive mandates begin this way.
Data & Privacy
How we handle data.
Where is candidate and client data stored?
Data is stored in encrypted, access-controlled storage hosted on infrastructure operated by reputable enterprise providers. Access is restricted to the partner leading the engagement and, where applicable, a senior researcher under NDA.
Are you GDPR / CCPA compliant?
Yes. We honor data subject rights under GDPR (where applicable), CCPA / CPRA and equivalent regimes — including right of access, correction, deletion and portability. See our Privacy Policy for full detail.
Do you sell or share data with third parties?
No. We never sell personal data, and we never share candidate identities with clients without explicit consent. Service providers we use (e.g. encrypted storage, email) are bound by contractual data-processing terms.