Confidentiality first
Sensitive succession plans stay within a closed team. We use secure data rooms, numbered profiles, and partner-only debriefs until a finalist group is approved.
About the firm
Trusted counsel for the people agenda
Kingsley Search Group was founded in Chicago to give boards a search alternative rooted in HR leadership—not generalist recruiting.
Our story
Managing Partner Catherine Mercer opened the firm after two decades leading people functions in hospital systems and biotech. She believed CHRO searches deserved the same rigor applied to CFO and general counsel mandates: structured assessment, independent references, and transparent communication with the board.
Today six partners collaborate across industries while maintaining a single standard—every engagement is retained, every candidate conversation is documented, and every shortlist is defensible in a compensation committee meeting.
Guiding principles
How we measure ourselves
Evidence over intuition
Competency models are co-authored with the client, weighted by stakeholder interviews, and scored consistently across internal and external candidates.
Candidate dignity
Executives invest time in our process. We provide thoughtful feedback when possible and never use a search purely to market a résumé database.
Long horizon relationships
Many clients return for VP-level builds beneath a placed CHRO. We track integration milestones at 90 days and one year when invited.
Affiliations & standards
Our partners hold active memberships with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the HR Policy Association. The firm follows AESC guidelines on off-limits companies and candidate disclosure.
Request a credentials packet or call 312-584-7291.