We are India’s most agile executive search and leadership advisory firm, with over 1,500 leadership closures across industries. We’ve placed more than 50 CEOs and 40+ Partners in top consulting firms, establishing a proven record of impact.
From building entire leadership teams for financial services houses to closing rare mandates like Chief Data Scientist for a US tech firm’s India R&D centre, we have deep expertise in BFSI, Technology & Consulting, Industrials, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Consumer, and Retail.
We executed India’s largest team movement by a search firm (65+ leaders in one transaction) and facilitated the highest-value leadership hiring deal in India.
Our Founder & CEO, Ankit Bansal, is a serial HR entrepreneur with prior experience at McKinsey, PwC, and Standard Chartered. He also co-founded one of India’s largest flexi-job platforms and is an Advisory Board member of the India Diversity Forum.
Because 66% of our mandates come to us after clients have already tried internally or with other firms, and we still close them faster, with an 81% closure ratio.
We don’t just “source resumes.” We combine market intelligence, designation benchmarking, and cultural fit analysis. Our 91% strike ratio means nearly every candidate we present gets shortlisted.
It’s our proprietary framework that scores leaders on competence, motivation, and cultural alignment, ensuring both short-term results and long-term stickiness.
Each search is handled by two consultants working in parallel, overseen by a Partner, to ensure speed, wider reach, and accuracy.
We are the first Indian executive search firm to integrate AI-based assessments into our process, paired with a Salesforce-driven CRM backbone for seamless execution.
68% of leaders placed by us are promoted within three years, and their average tenure exceeds 59 months — far above the industry average.
Yes. We offer Succession Planning, Executive Validation (deep 360° referencing), Compensation Benchmarking, Team Movement strategies, and Talent Bench creation for future roles.
Yes. We have placed Independent Directors including women leaders, bureaucrats, and ex-CXOs across diverse boards, with one of the fastest turnaround times in the industry.
It’s our rigorous qualitative referencing process where candidates are evaluated through bosses, peers, clients, and competitors. Around 10–12% of candidates get dropped due to unsatisfactory references.
For companies hiring 10+ leadership roles in a year, we operate as an outsourced leadership hiring partner on a retained basis, offering dedicated teams and predictable costs.
Yes. We provide live, role-wise compensation data with company names and talent profiles, based on headhunting intelligence rather than survey averages.
Our process includes: longlist creation, candidate assessment (with AI + human evaluation), 360° reference checks, shortlist presentation, client interviews, salary benchmarking, and offer-to-joining support.
On average, five candidates per search, with 60% of mandates closing within three candidates.
In 75% of cases, we present 3 shortlisted candidates within four weeks, thanks to our 3 lakh+ leadership database and research-first approach.
Extremely. We run documented 360° checks before presentation. Many clients adopt our validation reports as their final decision-making tool.
Yes. We guide both sides on market-benchmarked salaries and parity issues, contributing to our 98% offer-to-joining success rate.
Our clients range from India’s top 15 business houses and Fortune 50 MNCs to PE/VC-backed portfolio companies and scaling startups.
Yes. We’ve built founding leadership teams for startups in fintech, e-commerce, edtech, and healthcare, helping them scale into category leaders.
72% of our mandates are repeat, and many clients have trusted us for 10+ leadership hires over the years.
Three out of four new clients come through direct referrals from our existing network.
Yes. We guide both sidYes. We’ve successfully closed roles like Chief Economist for a financial services giant, Head Industry 4.0 for a global consulting firm, and CIO for a Fortune 50 company’s India operations.es on market-benchmarked salaries and parity issues, contributing to our 98% offer-to-joining success rate.
No. 85% of our successful placements were passive candidates we identified and persuaded through targeted headhunting.
They can share profiles at talent@sapphirehs.com. Every profile is kept confidential and assessed against upcoming mandates.
Yes. We brief candidates on promoter expectations, cultural realities, and industry challenges, so they walk in prepared for success.
Yes. We’ve closed mandates in Middle East, Southeast Asia, UK, US, Mexico, and Africa.
We are not a career coaching firm, but candidates value our frank advisory during transitions, especially at CXO level.
No. While India is our hub, we routinely deliver cross-border searches for both Indian and global companies.
Yes. We’ve placed expats as CEOs and senior executives in BFSI, Pharma, Infrastructure, and Manufacturing.
Yes. We provide cross-border benchmarking for roles across India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
Yes. We’ve built overseas leadership benches for Indian firms expanding into UK, US, and ASEAN markets.
Yes. Our succession planning and bench creation process includes global talent pools when roles require international exposure.
91% of our presented candidates are shortlisted by clients — far above industry averages.
98%+ OTJ, enabled by our post-offer engagement model, including “mystery calls” during notice periods.
We track promotion rates (68% within 3 years) and tenure (average 59 months).
Yes. Over 30 professionals placed by us at CXO-1 level are now CEOs.
We’ve placed CEOs at Motilal Oswal MF, CG Power, Epsilon Carbon, and CFOs at L&T, Trident Group, and Reliance Capital.
We never mass-share mandates. Every candidate is approached individually, discreetly, and only after client consent.
Candidates are never presented without prior approval, and their details are handled under strict confidentiality protocols.
Yes, but with clear information walls and strict non-conflict protocols.
Every candidate is subject to 4-eye Partner review and the SHC Fitment Matrix scoring.
Yes. If a search is unrealistic or conflicts with an existing client, we advise upfront rather than overpromise.
Write to client@sapphirehs.com. A Partner will personally lead the initial conversation.
We operate from Mumbai, NCR, and Bangalore, with presence across other metros.
Always. Every engagement begins with a detailed Partner-led briefing session.
Yes. We offer contingent, retained, and hybrid models, depending on role volume and urgency.
Because the numbers prove it: 81% closure ratio, 72% repeat business, 91% strike rate, and 98% OTJ. We’ve been creating leadership value since 2008.
