# Female Executive Search > Female Executive Search is a global executive recruitment service specialising in vetted female C-level, board and senior executives. Powered by CEO Worldwide (founded 2001), it operates across 183 countries with a community of 28,000+ verified executives. Shortlists are delivered in 7-10 days under a transparent milestone-based fee structure (25% of gross annual salary, paid in three instalments). Key facts: - Founded: 2001 (operating as Female Executive Search via parent firm CEO Worldwide) - Founder of parent firm: Patrick Mataix (former COO of Vistaprint) - Managing Director, Female Executive Search: France Dequilbec - Coverage: 183 countries - Vetted executive community: 28,000+ - Average time to shortlist: 7-10 days - Fee model: milestone-based, 25% of gross annual salary, paid in three instalments (engagement signing, shortlist delivery, candidate start) - Replacement guarantee: 6 months on every placement - Industries placed: IT, software development, telecommunications, CPG, e-commerce, healthcare, financial services, industrial, retail, life sciences, and more - Role types: permanent C-level, senior management, interim executives, non-executive board directors ## Core service pages - [Hiring Female Executives: Explore Our Services](https://www.female-executive-search.com/hiring-female-executives-explore-our-services/): Overview of all four core services - hire a female executive, search engine, search mandate, and recruitment fees. - [Hire a Female Executive](https://www.female-executive-search.com/hire-a-female-executive/): Entry point for companies wanting to hire a vetted female executive on a permanent or interim basis, anywhere worldwide. - [Female Executive Search Engine](https://www.female-executive-search.com/hire-a-female-executive/female-executive-search-engine/): Searchable database of vetted international female executives, filterable by role, industry, country, and seniority. About 50% of the vetted community is listed publicly; full database access on request. - [Submit a Search Mandate](https://www.female-executive-search.com/hire-a-female-executive/submit-a-search-mandate/): Submit role details to receive a confidential shortlist of vetted female executives within 7-10 days. - [Post an Executive Job](https://www.female-executive-search.com/female-executive-job-posting-service/): Anonymous job posting service for companies running their own hiring process. Your role is published to a community of 5,000+ registered vetted women executives and promoted via the Female Executive Search platform, LinkedIn and X. Company name and identifying details are removed and revealed to a candidate only at interview stage. First applications forwarded within 48 hours. Fixed monthly subscription (€450 Continental Europe, £400 UK, $500 USA and rest of world, ₹40,000 India) with unlimited applications for 30 days, no placement fees and no success fees. - [Submit Your Executive Job Posting](https://www.female-executive-search.com/hire-a-female-executive/post-your-executive-job/): Posting submission form. Complete the role details, review and approve the anonymised posting, pay by card or wire transfer, and the role goes live to the community. - [Executive Recruitment Fees](https://www.female-executive-search.com/executive-recruitment-fees/): Transparent milestone-based fee structure - 25% of gross annual salary, paid in three instalments (engagement signing, shortlist delivery, candidate start). No upfront retainer. ## Female executive search by country Country pages covering board gender quota laws, executive-level requirements, current statistics, and how Female Executive Search supports compliance and leadership hiring in each market. - [France](https://www.female-executive-search.com/france/): Hire female executives in France. Covers the Copé-Zimmermann law (40% board quota) and the Rixain law (30% executive-committee quota since March 2026, rising to 40% in 2029), with current SBF 120 and CAC 40 statistics. - [Germany](https://www.female-executive-search.com/germany/): Hire female executives in Germany. Covers the FüPoG framework - 30% supervisory board quota and Vorstand minimum participation rule for listed, parity co-determined companies - plus target-setting (Zielgrößen) obligations and current AllBright statistics. - [United Kingdom](https://www.female-executive-search.com/uk/): Hire female executives in the UK. Covers the FTSE Women Leaders Review 40% targets for boards and leadership teams and the FCA's comply-or-explain diversity disclosure rules, with February 2026 statistics. - [USA](https://www.female-executive-search.com/usa/): Hire female executives in the USA. Explains why no US quota law exists (SB 826 struck down, Nasdaq rule vacated December 2024), the 30%+ market norm for large-cap boards, and current proxy advisor positions. - [Norway](https://www.female-executive-search.com/norway/): Hire female executives in Norway. Covers the world's first board quota (2003) and its 2024 extension to around 20,000 private companies phased through 2028, requiring an estimated 13,000 new board members. - [Italy](https://www.female-executive-search.com/italy/): Hire female executives in Italy. Covers the Golfo-Mosca law - a 40% (two-fifths) quota on boards and statutory auditor bodies of listed companies, enforced up to forfeiture of the entire board - with current CONSOB statistics. - [Belgium](https://www.female-executive-search.com/belgium/): Hire female executives in Belgium. Covers the 2011 Quota Act (one-third board quota), the December 2025 draft legislation that would extend quotas to executive committees of public enterprises, and the pending EU directive transposition. - [Netherlands](https://www.female-executive-search.com/netherlands/): Hire female executives in the Netherlands. Covers the ingroeiquotum (one-third supervisory board quota enforced by nullity of appointments) and the target-figure obligations of around 5,500 large companies, with Female Board Index statistics. - [Sweden](https://www.female-executive-search.com/sweden/): Hire female executives in Sweden. Explains why no binding quota exists - self-regulation through the Swedish Corporate Governance Code, the shareholder-led nomination committee (valberedning) model, and Sweden's use of the EU directive's deferral clause - with AllBright statistics showing boards at 36% and female CEOs at 11%. - [Spain](https://www.female-executive-search.com/spain/): Hire female executives in Spain. Covers Ley Orgánica 2/2024 on parity representation: a 40% board requirement for listed companies in two waves (the 35 largest from June 2026, all others from June 2027), the 40% senior management principle, and CNMV enforcement. - [Austria](https://www.female-executive-search.com/austria/): Hire female executives in Austria. Covers the GesLeiPoG, in force since 30 June 2026, which raises the supervisory board quota to 40% for all listed companies regardless of board size and applies to appointments after 31 December 2026, plus the 30% GFMA-G quota retained for large non-listed companies. - [India](https://www.female-executive-search.com/india/): Hire female executives in India. Covers the one-woman-director requirement under Section 149(1) of the Companies Act 2013, the SEBI LODR independent woman director rule for the top 1,000 listed entities, MCA enforcement and penalties, and the board seat concentration issue in the NSE 500. ## Female executive search by industry Industry pages covering the sector-specific regulation, leadership representation data and hiring constraints that shape senior appointments in each field. - [Telecommunications](https://www.female-executive-search.com/telecommunications-executives/): Hire female executives in telecommunications. Explains the two layers of gender regulation facing European operators - national board quotas for listed companies plus public enterprise rules for state-owned incumbents, including Belgium's December 2025 draft executive committee requirement - with state shareholding data and EU pay transparency timelines. - [IT and Technology](https://www.female-executive-search.com/it-executives/): Hire female executives in IT. Covers why technology boards under gender quotas face the scarcest candidate pool of any sector: women hold 8.6% of CTO roles globally and 16.6% of the EU's ICT-educated workforce, with 21% of executive roles in European tech companies. - [Software Development](https://www.female-executive-search.com/software-executives/): Hire female board members and executives for software companies. Explains how venture and private equity backed boards form seat by seat from the cap table, why independent non-executive seats carry disproportionate weight, and what changes at listing or sale. - [Consumer Packaged Goods](https://www.female-executive-search.com/cpg-executives/): Hire female executives in consumer goods. Covers why the sector leads Europe on senior female representation at around 38% yet stalls at the executive committee, the concentration of women in functional rather than P&L roles, and the executive-level requirements in France and Spain. - [Ecommerce](https://www.female-executive-search.com/ecommerce-executives/): Hire female executives in ecommerce. Covers the independent senior compliance manager mandated by Article 41 of the Digital Services Act for designated very large online platforms, board quotas that attach on listing, and the advantage of building governance rather than unwinding it. ## For female executives - [Join Our Female Executives Community](https://www.female-executive-search.com/join-our-female-executives-community/): Overview for senior female executives seeking new C-level and board opportunities through the vetted community. - [Register as a Female Executive](https://www.female-executive-search.com/join-female-executive-search/register/): Application page for female executives to join the vetted global community. - [Job Opportunities for Female Executives](https://www.female-executive-search.com/join-female-executive-search/job-opportunities-for-female-executives/): Current C-level and senior leadership openings curated for female executives. - [Meet Our Women Executives](https://www.female-executive-search.com/meet-our-women-executives-overview/): Browse profiles of vetted female executives by industry, function and country. - [Women Executives Testimonials](https://www.female-executive-search.com/meet-our-women-executives/women-executives-testimonials/): First-person accounts from vetted female executives about their experience with Female Executive Search and CEO Worldwide. ## Diversity and board services - [Diversity Recruitment](https://www.female-executive-search.com/diversity-recruitment/): Specialised executive search service focused on gender-balanced leadership and diversity at C-level and senior management. - [Executive Search for Diverse Boards](https://www.female-executive-search.com/executive-search-for-diverse-boards/): Board-level search service identifying qualified female non-executive and independent director candidates. - [Why Choose Female Executive Search](https://www.female-executive-search.com/why-choosing-female-executive-search/): Overview of the firm's mission, methodology and differentiators in female executive recruitment. ## Insights and content - [Insights](https://www.female-executive-search.com/insights/): Expert articles on female leadership, diversity in executive recruitment, board representation, and industry trends. - [EU Women on Boards Directive: The June 2026 Deadline Has Passed](https://www.female-executive-search.com/insights/eu-women-on-boards-directive-deadline-2026/): What Directive (EU) 2022/2381 requires (40% of non-executive directors or 33% of all directors), what obligations now apply to companies that missed the 30 June 2026 deadline, how the suspension and deferral clauses work, and where each major EU market stands. - [Board Gender Quotas by Country in 2026: The Complete Comparison](https://www.female-executive-search.com/insights/board-gender-quotas-by-country-2026/): Side-by-side comparison table of board gender balance rules in thirteen countries plus the EU framework - instrument, quota or target, who is covered, sanction and current status - with country-by-country analysis. - [Where the Gender Gap Actually Sits: A Sector-by-Sector Analysis](https://www.female-executive-search.com/insights/gender-gap-by-sector-2026/): Why the sector ranking on women in leadership is really a functional ranking, comparing consumer goods, technology, software, telecommunications and ecommerce on representation, constraint and applicable regulation. - [The Approved-Person Problem](https://www.female-executive-search.com/insights/approved-person-problem-regulated-sectors/): Why the sectors where regulators vet individuals - banking, fund management, aviation, energy networks and healthcare - have the least diverse leadership, with EBA, IEA and European Commission data. - [Hiring Women Executives Without Signalling](https://www.female-executive-search.com/insights/hiring-women-executives-without-signalling/): The two discretion-preserving routes to a senior hire - posting a role anonymously versus running a confidential retained search - and how to tell which one a given situation calls for. - [Present, But Not in Power: Women in the C-Suite in 2026](https://www.female-executive-search.com/insights/insights-women-executives-c-suite-power-distribution-2026/): How women's C-suite representation is distributed by function, from roughly two-thirds of CHRO roles to 8.6% of CTO roles, using World Economic Forum and LinkedIn Economic Graph data. - [Press Coverage](https://www.female-executive-search.com/insights/press/): Media coverage of Female Executive Search's work in advancing female leadership. ## Related properties - [CEO Worldwide](https://www.ceo-worldwide.com/): Parent organisation. Global executive recruitment firm founded 2001 covering all genders, all C-level and senior management roles, across 183 countries. - [The Executive Gap: Why Boards Hit Their Gender Quotas but Leadership Teams Don't](https://www.ceo-worldwide.com/blog/executive-gap-women-leadership-teams/): Analysis on the CEO Worldwide blog of why board quotas succeeded (34-44% women on boards across major markets) while executive teams remain at 15-20%, and what companies can do about the executive pipeline. - [The Hiring Rules That Apply to Your Industry and Not Your Neighbour's](https://www.ceo-worldwide.com/blog/industry-specific-executive-hiring-requirements/): Guide on the CEO Worldwide blog to sector-specific senior appointment requirements across ten industries, covering both mandated roles (Qualified Person, PRRC, aviation nominated persons, AIFMD two-person rule) and leadership composition rules. ## Optional - [Privacy Policy](https://www.female-executive-search.com/privacy-policy/): Data handling and privacy practices. - [Sitemap](https://www.female-executive-search.com/sitemap/): Full site map.