Hire Better
Call us to hire better, hire less & retain more
Hire Better

We Have Private Equity Recruiting Experience in a Wide Range of Roles

Board Director

Co-Founder

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Chief Technical Officer (CTO)

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

Chief Product Officer (CPO)

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

Head of Demand Generation

Head of Customer Acquisition

Head of eCommerce

Head of Business Development

Head of Operations

Head of Human Resources

Head of Talent Acquisition & Culture

Vice President of Partnerships

Vice President of Sales

Vice President of Finance

Vice President of Marketing

Vice President Product

Vice President Engineering

Vice President People/HR

Vice President of Customer Success

Vice President of Development

Vice President of Growth

Vice President of User Acquisition

Vice President of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Project Manager

Software Developer

QA Developer

Data Engineer

Data Scientist

Platform Engineer

Solutions Engineer

Machine Learning Engineer

Hire For Other Roles

Meet Our Private Equity Recruiters

(416) 599-4700 ext. 223
Bruce Powell
Senior Partner
(416) 599-4700 ext. 232
Gary Hinde
Partner - Technology Practice Lead
(416) 322-2888 ext. 239
Claire McConnachie
Partner
(416) 599-4700 ext. 262
Brandon Young
VP, Client Services
(416) 599-4700 x246
Ben Basian
Director, Client Services
(416) 599-4700 ext. 238
Carl Anthony
Director, Client Services
(416) 599-4700 ext. 228
Luba Hamiuka
Director, Client Services

The IQ PARTNERS Advantage

6 Reasons to Hire IQ PARTNERS

1
Canada’s Most Experienced Private Equity Recruiters

We’ve placed almost 1,000 people with private equity, venture capital, startup, and scaleup companies in Blockchain, Fintech, Insurtech, Salestech, Healthtech, Traveltech, Marketingtech, SaaS companies, hardware & devices organizations, and emerging tech.

2
The Right Person for the Right Stage

Someone great at the bootstrap stage may not be the right person for a successful Series B. We help you find the right people for the right price at the right time.

3
Trusted by Clients and Candidates

97.1% of candidates and clients rate our professionalism and industry knowledge as ‘Above Average’ or ‘Outstanding’.

4
Flexible Compensation

We know that when you’re in fast-growth mode, dollars are few and budgets need to be flexible. That’s why we offer startups flexible recruitment compensation plans including retained or hourly arrangements.

5
Client Satisfaction

81% of our clients are repeat customers.

6
International Expertise

From Toronto to Waterloo to Silicon Valley to Oulu, Finland, we’ve staffed tech private equity, venture capital, and startup teams in Canada and around the world.

How We Help Private Equity Firms Hire Better

We help growth companies hire better, scale faster, and grow smarter.

Hire Better

We know that you got into this to build a lasting legacy. To grow a business by doing what you do best. But right now, there aren't enough hours in the day or dollars in the bank to do everything. And while hiring the right people is critical at this stage, it’s not your core competency and you can’t afford to get sidetracked. Not now.

That’s where IQ PARTNERS private equity recruiters come in.

With networks that are deep and wide, recruiters who are 100% dedicated to private equity, venture capital, and startup, and our SMART candidate assessment tools, we take the hard work off your plate. We thoroughly canvas the market, score hundreds of candidates against your needs and present the options to you via clear, data-driven talent maps so you can make the most informed decision possible. The result is a manageable list of top candidates that are right for you so that you can focus all of your time on making your company great.

Hire Better
Testimonials
Read What Our Clients Are Saying

IQ PARTNERS is the best search firm I’ve ever worked with!

Wendy Porter, Board Member, VersaPay

An absolute pleasure to work with. I truly felt that I was taken care of by IQ PARTNERS' highly professional and experienced team from day 1. More importantly, I felt like I was treated like a friend. I highly look forward to working with IQ PARTNERS more in the future to hire more stellar candidates.

Khaled Al Sabawi, Founder & CEO, Open Screenplay

Great experience with the IQ Partners team. Ability to understand our requirements and deliver the business fit we expected was exceptional. Randy and [consultant] got out of the gate fast and didn't let up until the race was won.

Max Staines , Vice President Sales, Desire 2 Learn (D2L)

How We Do It

We bring years of experience and a disciplined approach to our process. Our clients will vouch for its success.

1

We complete formal briefing documents to deliver a professional presentation of your company and the opportunity to prospective candidates.

2

We conduct market research to source premier talent in the industry.

3

We interview and qualify candidates using a Topgrading interview style and present detailed candidate assessments for each shortlisted candidate.

4

We complete and present formal references on selected candidates.

5

We debrief all non-selected candidates.

6

We follow up on all placements at 30, 60 and 90 days to ensure a smooth and successful transition for both the client and the candidate.

FAQ

How do private equity recruiters support portfolio company growth?

Private equity recruiters help portfolio companies hire leaders and functional experts who can improve performance, scale teams, professionalize operations, and support value creation. IQ PARTNERS supports hiring across executive leadership, finance, sales, marketing, operations, HR, product, technology, and revenue roles for PE-backed and VC-backed companies.

What should private equity firms look for when hiring portfolio company executives?

Private equity firms should look for executives who can operate with urgency, manage change, improve systems, lead teams, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Can IQ PARTNERS help venture-backed startups hire early leadership teams?

Yes. IQ PARTNERS can help venture-backed startups and scaleups hire early leadership and specialist roles across product, engineering, sales, marketing, customer success, finance, operations, and people leadership. These searches often require candidates who are comfortable with ambiguity, growth pressure, and hands-on execution.

What makes portfolio company hiring different?

Portfolio company hiring requires candidates who can operate in high-growth, high-accountability environments. Employers often need leaders who can build teams, improve systems, increase revenue, manage change, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Does IQ PARTNERS recruit for SaaS and fintech portfolio companies?

Yes. IQ PARTNERS supports PE, VC, SaaS, fintech, startup, and scaleup hiring for leadership and functional roles, including CEOs, CTOs, CFOs, CROs, CPOs, head of sales, head of marketing, and operations leaders.

We work with clients worldwide
IQ PARTNERS works with clients across North America. And we’ve placed candidates as far away as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Oulu, Finland!
We’re also part of the Humanis Advisory Group of Companies. With 10 offices across the country and over 135 experienced recruiters, talent advisory professionals, leadership development coaches, and HR professionals, we offer the scale of a national firm without losing the intimacy of local connections.
Our Total Talent Solutions team can help you hire better, hire less, and retain more.
How can we help you?
Contact Us
Map of where IQ PARTNERS places talent
Blog

Read The Headhunters Blog

Our headhunters share the latest hiring tips & tricks from one of the top recruitment agencies in Toronto.
October 15th, 2026
12 AI Skills Employers Will Expect Every Candidate to Have
Hiring priorities rarely change overnight. Usually, market trends evolve gradually. AI is different. Over the past year, the conversation across Canadian boardrooms, HR departments, and leadership teams has changed dramatically. Artificial intelligence is no longer...
Read More
October 13th, 2026
Why Doing Your Job Well Isn’t Enough to Get Promoted
Meeting performance expectations keeps you employed. It doesn’t necessarily get you promoted. Many professionals assume that if they hit their targets, put their heads down, and deliver solid work, leadership will eventually tap them on...
Read More
October 8th, 2026
The Jobs Seeing the Biggest Pay Increases in 2026 & Why Demand Is Driving Salaries Up
Canada’s employment landscape is sending mixed signals. Employers are managing economic uncertainty and tighter budgets, yet competition for experienced professionals with specialized skills remains a challenge. While average salary increases have levelled off, certain roles...
Read More
October 6th, 2026
The Hiring Process Is Becoming a Reputation Scorecard and Impacts Your Employer Brand
Your hiring process says a lot about your employer brand. Every interaction with a candidate shapes their impression of your company, from the first phone call to the final interview. Candidates are evaluating you just...
Read More
October 1st, 2026
How to Avoid Falling Victim to AI Recruiter Scams
Internet job scams are nothing new. But artificial intelligence is making them harder to recognize. Scammers can use AI to write convincing messages, create realistic job descriptions, impersonate recruiters, and personalize their approach using information...
Read More
September 29th, 2026
Are Signing Bonuses Still Worth It to Attract Talent in Today’s Hiring Market?
Yes, but not for every hire. Signing bonuses remain a useful tool for Canadian employers competing for experienced, specialized and hard-to-find talent. They can help close the gap when a candidate is interested in a...
Read More
September 24th, 2026
Which Companies Are Laying Off Employees in 2026? Here’s the List:
If you ask any of the top recruitment agencies in Canada, they say the labour market has been anything but steady in 2026. U.S. tariffs, a cooling public sector, AI-driven restructuring, and industry-specific pressure (steel,...
Read More
Read More Articles
5 Traits of the Best Team Leaders

Companies often default to promoting top performers to management positions. The issue—just because a person is good at their job doesn’t mean they have the skills to effectively manage people. Use this guide as a hiring checklist to help you better assess team leaders and hire future organizational leaders.

Download My Free Guide
Hire Better
Whitepapers
Please fill out this form to download the Free Guide
First Name
Last Name
Email
Website (optional)
What is your biggest hiring challenge? (optional)