Get Your Copy
Recruiting AI-Adept Leaders
Best Practices Guide
- How AI is reshaping organizations, operating models, and leadership expectation
- What "AI-adept" means across leadership roles
- How to assess AI literacy
- Assessment guides & sponsor checklists for AI leadership recruiting
AI Sector Trends
software sector coverage report
- Trends in Executive Talent: AI Company Leaders
- AI-Adept Leaders in Vertical Sectors
- Hiring & Market Trends
- Subsectors & Key Players
- Market Moves & Track Record
AI Segment Expertise
Bespoke Partners is the leading executive search firm recruiting AI-adept leaders for private equity-backed software and SaaS companies. AI literacy is now a baseline expectation across the full C-suite, and sponsors are evaluating it in every function, not only in Product and Technology. Bespoke identifies executives who can operationalize AI, embed it into value creation plans, and lead through the scaled AI era.
-
Financial Services
-
Sub Sectors Include:
-
Practice Management
-
Language Modeling
-
Graphic Modeling
-
Generative AI
-
Conversational AI
-
Predictive Analytics
Bespoke Track Record in AI Searches
71+
Number of AI Placements
$136M
Average PorTCo Scale
<110
Average Days to Close
10
client satisfaction
5+
Functions per Engagement in key accounts
4+
Years of focused ai market coverage
Bespoke has placed 162 senior executives with AI expertise, including leaders in AI technology companies as well as executives who are implementing AI in other SaaS and software companies.
AI Sector Experts
Haley Mundy
Partner
Product & Tech Practice Expert
AI Sector Expert
Haley is a Partner within our Product and Technology practice at Bespoke. Based in Los Angeles, she joined the firm in 2024, bringing 12+ years' experience building and leading growth-stage talent teams, before moving into Executive Search in 2019 with a boutique, LA-based search firm.
Lissa Nickell
Research Associate
AI Sector Expert
Born and raised in Idaho, Lissa graduated from the University of Idaho with a B.S. in Biological Engineering and minors in Mathematics and Pre-Health Studies.
Our ultra-efficient Search and Leadership Advisory services source, place, and accelerate the onboarding of AI-adept leaders across every major executive function.
Our unique Search 2.0 process ties each engagement directly to your investment thesis, assessing not only technical fluency but the business judgment and operating discipline required to convert AI ambition into measurable results.
Find out why Bespoke is the search firm of choice for Artificial Intelligence, and why our candidates excel at driving AI innovation, scaling AI companies, enabling AI adoption, and leading successful AI transformation.
Looking for high-impact AI-Adept leaders?
Why Bespoke for recruiting
-
Exclusive
Exclusively focused on private equity-backed software and SaaS companies, sourcing AI-adept leaders who drive value creation across the hold period
-
Efficient
Ultra-efficient recruiting with 95% success rate and average days to close under 110
-
Unique
Proprietary network and data-driven process identify AI-adept executives with the depth to lead internal transformation and market-facing disruption
Winning results
Examples of our AI-Adept Leader Placements
CEO Placement – Platform Expansion
Bespoke’s CEO placement at an AI firm played a pivotal role in evolving the business into a broader enterprise platform. Under their leadership, the company expanded product offerings and drove cross-functional collaboration, resulting in enhanced market competitiveness and platform reach.
CRO Placement – Growth & Globalization
Bespoke placed more than 8 executives across key functions at WalkMe, supporting the company’s evolution into a leader in digital adoption and AI innovation. The strengthened leadership team positioned the company for successful acquisition by SAP for $1.5B in June 2024, enhancing SAP’s enterprise AI offerings.
CFO Placement – Scaling & Industry Recognition
Bespoke placed a CFO at a high-growth AI company, leading to over 30% year-over-year revenue growth. The company was named the fastest-growing software testing firm in North America during the executive’s tenure, a testament to disciplined financial management and strategic scaling.
Bespoke-placed Leaders drive innovation
We place AI-adept leaders with proven track records in turning AI literacy into operational and commercial outcomes, including:
-
Mastering M&A skills as well as post-merger integrations for an industry where acquisitions can be crucial to success
-
Deploying new technologies to optimize operations and personalize the customer experience for end users
-
Designing and launching disruptive innovations that realign existing AI markets and create new ones.
-
Managing innovation from R&D investment to creating a culture of continuous learning and adaptation
-
Creating a strong vision that ties to the value creation plan, and powerfully communicating that vision in an industry with uncharted paths
Search 2.0™
Data-Driven Executive Recruiting Mapped to Value Creations Plan, Cutting Human Capital Risk.
01
Data-driven
Search based on management science finding leaders who create value, typically in half industry average time
02
Advanced Scorecarding
Comprehensive view of the candidate fit with the role
03
Deep Validation
Typically 10+ backchannel references per candidate
Your full-spectrum human capital partner
Bespoke Partners is the leading software executive search firm and the top private equity recruiter for AI-adept leadership. We assess AI literacy as a core dimension of every search, across CEOs, CFOs, CROs, CMOs, CSOs, CCOs, CCSOs, CHROs, CPOs, CTOs, CIOs, CISOs, VPs of Engineering, VPs of Marketing, VPs of Sales, VPs of Product, VPs of Customer Success, VPs of HR, VPs of Operations, Controllers, VPs of FP&A, Presidents, GMs, Board Members, Operating Partners, and more.