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Leadership advisory & executive search

The right leader, leading in the right way, changes everything.

We help boards and leadership teams across the Adriatic and the wider region find those leaders — confidentially, rigorously, and with the judgment a defining hire deserves. Search, approached as leadership advisory, not recruitment.

Discuss a mandate

Leadership advisory, not recruitment

Leadership is the difference between a good company and a great one.

Executive Search is about more than finding an experienced leader. It is about identifying the right leadership capability for a critical business need.

We start by understanding the strategic context behind the appointment — the business priorities, organizational challenges, culture and leadership expectations that will define success in the role.

Combining deep market knowledge, targeted executive search and access to senior leadership networks, we identify and engage leaders whose experience, capabilities and motivation align with both the immediate mandate and the organization’s future direction.

Our assessment approach goes beyond experience and track record. Through structured competency-based evaluation and, where relevant, science-backed assessment tools, we provide deeper insight into leadership capability, potential, values and cultural alignment — enabling confident and informed appointment decisions.

Need professional or technical hiring at scale instead? See our talent acquisition service.

What executive search means at Heads

The right leader doesn’t just fill a role — they move the business forward.

It’s a retained, data-driven process for appointing the leaders who shape your organization. We start from your business and your culture, map the market with hard data, approach the right people directly — including those who are not looking — and assess them against evidence, not impressions, so the decision is both fast and right.

BUSINESS FIRST

We start with the challenge

The brief is a conversation about where you are going, not a checklist drawn from a job spec.

DATA, NOT GUESSWORK

We work from evidence

Market mapping, compensation benchmarks and structured, science-backed assessment turn a high-stakes decision into an evidence-based one.

SPEED & ACCURACY

We move fast, precisely

Disciplined methodology and strong networks reach a decision-ready shortlist quickly — without trading away the precision the role demands.

POTENTIAL & FIT

We assess for what happens next

Experience tells you the past; data on leadership potential, values and mindset tells you how a leader will perform from here.

CONFIDENTIAL

We keep it private

Sensitive searches stay confidential by default — for your organization and for the candidates we approach.

BEYOND THE HIRE

We stay through onboarding

Our work continues into the critical first months, because a placement only matters if the leader actually succeeds.

Our executive search process

A rigorous, proven method.

Grounded in your context, never improvised.

Understand the business & culture

We begin with your strategy, the challenge behind the role and the culture the leader must strengthen — defining what success looks like together.

Map the market

We map the relevant leadership landscape across your sector and region, with clear insight into availability, compensation and the moves that matter.

Engage the right leaders

We reach active and passive candidates alike — directly and discreetly — and represent your opportunity with the care a senior leader expects.

Assess for capability, potential & fit

We evaluate technical capability, leadership potential, values and motivation, then present a focused, decision-ready shortlist — not a long list to sift.

Guide the decision

We support interviews, references, offer structuring and negotiation through to acceptance, advising both sides toward the right outcome.

Onboard & follow through

We stay engaged after the placement to help your new leader land well and deliver on the impact you hired for.

Roles & levels we place

Leadership, board and senior functional roles.

CEO Managing Director CFO COO CMO CHRO / HR Director CIO / CTO Board & non-executive directors Vice Presidents General Managers Business unit managers Senior functional leaders

Sectors we know

Information technology & software

Manufacturing & industry

FMCG & retail

Financial services

Pharmaceutical & healthcare

Professional services

Why companies choose Heads

The advisory mindset of a global firm, the depth of a specialist.

Delivered with the focus, speed and regional knowledge only a specialist can offer.

A true advisory partnership

We advise, not just deliver. We’ll tell you what we see — including when a candidate, or the brief itself, needs a rethink.

Senior attention, end to end

The experienced consultant who takes your brief runs your search personally. No hand-off to juniors, no template.

Deep Adriatic market knowledge

We live and work in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and the wider region, and know its leadership landscape first-hand.

Assessment built on science

Decisions grounded in evidence about capability, potential and culture fit — not gut feel.

Leaders who last

We optimize for the appointment that is still succeeding two years on, not the one that closes fastest.

Meet the consultants who’ll run your search

You’re not hiring a brand — you’re trusting people.

Your search is led by senior consultants who have spent years advising organizations and placing leaders in this region.

Jelena Stevanović

Minja Bolesnikov

Ana Lazović

Zagorka Maksić

Vanja Pridraški

Mia Stevanović

Mina Popović

Gordana Pelengić

How we work together

A retained engagement.

A committed partnership that funds the depth, discretion and senior advisory time a leadership appointment requires. We agree scope, timeline and terms transparently at the outset, with no surprises along the way.

Our placement guarantee

If a leader we place leaves within 6–12 months, we conduct a replacement search at no additional fee. A clear, visible guarantee reflects the confidence we have in our advisory process.

Ask us about our terms →

Executive search — frequently asked questions

Questions, answered.

Recruitment fills roles from people who apply. Executive search is a proactive, confidential and advisory process for senior leadership roles — we start from your business challenge and culture, then directly identify, approach and assess the best leaders in the market, including those who aren’t looking for a move.

Because the appointment is only the beginning. We advise on the leadership a business needs to meet its strategy, assess candidates for potential and cultural fit as well as experience, and stay involved through onboarding — so the hire actually delivers the impact you were hiring for.

It can be. Whenever you need a search kept private, we’ll run it confidentially, protecting both your organization’s plans and the privacy of the leaders we approach.

Most searches reach a decision-ready shortlist within a few weeks. Total time to hire depends on the seniority of the role and how quickly decisions are made on both sides — we agree a realistic timeline at the briefing stage.

Executive search is a retained service, and fees reflect the seniority and complexity of the role. We are transparent about fees from the first conversation — contact us for a tailored proposal.

Yes. If a leader we place leaves within the guarantee period, we conduct a replacement search at no additional fee. The exact period depends on the seniority of the position and typically ranges from 6 to 12 months. Ask us about the full terms.

Yes. Depending on the role and client needs, we integrate assessment into our Executive Search process to provide deeper insight beyond experience and track record.

We combine structured competency-based interviews with validated assessment methodologies and tools such as Hogan Assessments and SHL simulations. This enables us to evaluate leadership capabilities, potential, values, motivational drivers and potential risks — supporting more informed and confident hiring decisions.

Ready to find your next leader?

Tell us about the role — in confidence. We’ll come back with a clear, honest view of the leadership you need and how we’d approach the search.

Or email us directly: info@headstalentsolutions.com

Prefer to talk first? Every conversation is treated in strict confidence. You can also reach us at info@headstalentsolutions.com