Solo executive search for tech leadership. Retained engagements only. Run for twenty years by Debbie Harper, one phone call at a time.
Retained, exclusive engagements for senior tech leadership — CTO, VP of Engineering, CISO, Chief Product Officer, and adjacent roles. Long cycles, deep diligence, and the same partner from the first call to the signed offer.
Read moreFractional or interim CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and senior tech leaders for companies between full-time hires or at an inflection point. Typically three to nine months, with a clear handoff to a permanent leader.
Read moreDiscreet representation for senior tech leaders weighing a move. A short client list at any given time, off-market introductions, and an advocate in the room who represents you, not the hiring company.
Read moreAfter twenty years of running technology searches, the gap between the brief I am given and the person who actually fits the job is the most consistent thing about this work. A short essay on why the obvious candidate is almost never the right one, and how to write a search brief that surfaces the person you are actually missing.
Read the essayA walkthrough of the questions that separate signal from rehearsed talking points, and what the answers tell you about how someone actually leads.
Contingency search is a market for résumés. Retained search is a market for judgment. A short defense of the model and what it actually buys you.
I started in technology recruiting in 2006, took every search call I could get, and learned the work the only way it can be learned, which is one conversation at a time. Harper Hewes opened in 2008. It has stayed a solo practice on purpose.
Most of my clients are funded technology companies between Series B and the public markets, hiring CTOs, VPs of Engineering, CISOs, and the occasional interim leader. I run a short list of retained engagements at any given time, which is what makes the work white-glove rather than transactional.
If you want to know what an executive search actually looks like when run carefully, I am happy to walk through one with you on a call.
A short note is enough to start. The role you are hiring, the rough timeline, and what makes this search hard to run inside. I read everything that comes through and respond within one business day.
Calls run on Cal.com. Usually open within the next two weeks. Walk through a live brief, or just compare notes on a hire you are thinking about.