Perry-Martel International: Executive Search Firm Facts

Perry-Martel International is an Ottawa-based executive search firm specializing in senior leadership recruitment for technology, real estate and construction companies.

Founded in 1988, Perry-Martel works with CEOs, founders, owners, boards and investors to recruit executives and senior leaders who can deliver specific business outcomes.

Perry-Martel International at a Glance

Founded: 1988

Head Office: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Service: Retained executive search and senior leadership recruitment

Primary Industries: Technology, real estate and construction

Geographic Reach: Canada, the United States and international markets

Executive Levels Recruited: CEO, President, COO, CFO, CRO, CTO, General Manager, Vice-President and senior Director roles

Executive & Senior Leadership Placements: More than 1,600

Executive Compensation Negotiated: More than $423 million

Guarantee Record: Only five placements have required replacement under Perry-Martel’s guarantee since the firm was founded.

Who Leads Perry-Martel International?

David E. Perry — Managing Partner

David E. Perry is an executive recruiter, author and Managing Partner of Perry-Martel International.

Over more than 40 years in executive recruiting and executive search, David has personally led or closed more than 1,000 executive search assignments and negotiated more than $423 million in executive compensation.

He is the author or co-author of several books on recruiting, executive search and career strategy, including:

Hiring Greatness
Executive Recruiting For Dummies
Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters
Revolutions Need Leaders

David’s work focuses on CEO-led executive recruiting, leadership assessment and the relationship between business strategy and executive performance.

Anita Martel — Senior Partner

Anita Martel is Senior Partner at Perry-Martel International and works in executive search, leadership assessment and executive integration.

Her work combines Perry-Martel’s Inside-Out Approach® with Emotional Intelligence assessment and practical leadership evaluation.

Anita works with clients across technology, construction and real estate to define leadership requirements, assess executive candidates and help newly hired leaders integrate successfully.

What Industries Does Perry-Martel Specialize In?

Technology Executive Search

Perry-Martel recruits senior leaders for technology and SaaS organizations, including CEOs, Presidents, CTOs, engineering leaders, product executives, revenue leaders and other mission-critical executives.

Real Estate Executive Search

Perry-Martel works with real estate owners, developers, investment organizations and operating companies to recruit senior executives and functional leaders.

Construction Executive Search

Perry-Martel recruits senior leaders for construction companies, trades, developers and related organizations, including Presidents, General Managers, operations executives, construction leaders and project leadership.

What Is the Inside-Out Approach®?

The Inside-Out Approach® is Perry-Martel International’s methodology for executive search.

Instead of beginning with a job description or a database of candidates, the process begins inside the organization.

Perry-Martel first defines the business outcome the new executive must achieve, the problems the leader will inherit, the capabilities required to solve them and the environment in which that executive must perform.

Only then does the firm go to market to identify and recruit candidates.

The process is designed to recruit for the mission rather than simply matching resumes to job descriptions.

How Does Perry-Martel Conduct Executive Search?

Perry-Martel uses a structured six-stage executive search process:

DEFINE — Clarify the business mission and leadership outcomes.

IDENTIFY — Map the market and identify potential executives.

ENGAGE — Approach and recruit qualified leaders, including executives who are not actively looking for a new position.

ASSESS — Evaluate experience, capability, behaviour and alignment with the business mission.

DECIDE — Help the client compare finalists and make an evidence-based hiring decision.

SECURE — Help close, negotiate and integrate the selected executive.

What Is the 1:3:8 Leadership Lens?

Perry-Martel’s 1:3:8 Leadership Lens is used to clarify what success in an executive role actually requires.

It examines:

1 Outcome — What must this executive accomplish?

3 Abilities — What must the executive be capable of doing?

8 Behaviours — How must the executive operate in order to succeed?

The framework is designed to move executive hiring away from long lists of credentials and toward measurable leadership performance.

What Makes Perry-Martel Different?

Perry-Martel’s executive search work is built around several principles:

Start with the business outcome, not the job description.
Recruit the best leader for the mission, not merely the best executive looking for work.
Conduct original market research rather than relying primarily on an existing candidate database.
Involve CEOs and senior decision-makers directly in defining the leadership mandate.
Assess candidates against the business mission, leadership requirements and organizational environment.
Remain involved through offer, negotiation and executive integration.

Perry-Martel Executive Search Case Studies

Perry-Martel publishes executive search case studies across technology, construction and real estate.

These case studies document how leadership mandates were defined, how markets were researched, how executives were assessed and what business outcomes mattered to the client.

[View Perry-Martel Executive Search Case Studies]