Why Choose Trova
A successful executive search starts with understanding the business, not simply filling an open position.
Trova takes the time to learn what your organization needs from its next leader. We combine focused market research, direct executive outreach, and professional relationships developed over decades to find people who can strengthen teams, improve performance, and move the business forward.
Nationwide Executive Search
30+ Years of Recruiting Experience
No. 435 on the 2024 Inc. 5000
A Critical Leadership Hire
Requires a Focused Search
An executive hire affects more than one role or department.
The person you select may lead a new stage of growth, improve operations, rebuild a team, or prepare the company for a major transition. Their decisions can also influence company culture, financial performance, and long-term business value.
Finding the right leader requires more than reviewing the people who apply for an open position.
Trova’s retained executive search services give organizations a structured way to define the need, understand the candidate market, and identify leaders with the experience and judgment to deliver results.
We support executive searches involving:
- Growth and expansion: Adding leadership to support new markets, larger teams, additional business functions, or the next stage of growth.
- Succession and leadership transition: Replacing a key executive, strengthening the management team, or preparing for a founder or ownership transition.
- Investment, acquisition, and transformation: Recruiting leaders who can strengthen a portfolio company, guide integration, improve operations, or lead business transformation.
Executive and Senior Leadership Roles
Trova recruits executives and senior leaders across essential business functions, from enterprise leadership to specialized department heads.
We look beyond job titles to understand the scope of the position, the challenges the executive will inherit, and the results the organization expects.
Enterprise Leadership
Finding the right CEO, president, or senior executive is one of the most important hiring decisions a business can make.
Trova supports executive leadership searches for organizations preparing for growth, succession, restructuring, or a change in ownership. We help identify leaders who can set direction, manage business performance, strengthen leadership teams, and turn strategic priorities into results.
Executive positions include:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- President and Company President
- Chief Operating Officer (COO)
- General Manager
- Division President
- Executive Vice President (EVP)
Accounting and Finance
Strong financial leadership helps businesses make better decisions, manage risk, strengthen controls, and prepare for long-term growth.
Trova provides CFO executive search and financial executive recruiting services for organizations seeking experienced finance leaders. Whether your company needs a Chief Financial Officer to guide financial strategy or a senior finance executive to strengthen reporting and operations, we work to identify professionals with the right experience and business perspective.
Finance leadership positions include:
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
- Vice President of Finance
- Finance Director
- Corporate Controller
- Head of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A)
- Chief Accounting Officer (CAO)
Technology and Cybersecurity
Technology and cybersecurity leaders play an important role in business performance, digital transformation, information security, and managing organizational risk.
Trova supports technology executive search and cybersecurity leadership recruiting for companies seeking experienced CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and senior technology executives. We look for leaders who can connect technical expertise with business strategy, guide teams, and make sound decisions in complex environments.
Technology and cybersecurity leadership positions include:
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
- Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
- Vice President of Information Technology
- Vice President of Engineering
- Director of Cybersecurity
- Head of Information Security
Sales and Marketing
Revenue growth depends on leaders who understand the market, build effective teams, and turn business opportunities into measurable results.
Trova provides sales and marketing executive recruiting for companies hiring senior leaders responsible for revenue generation, business development, customer acquisition, and market strategy.
We evaluate leadership experience alongside the ability to build teams, establish priorities, and deliver results.
Sales and marketing leadership positions include:
- Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
- Vice President of Sales
- Vice President of Marketing
- Sales Director
- Head of Business Development
Human Resources
Human resources executives help shape company culture, develop leadership teams, manage organizational change, and align workforce decisions with business goals.
Trova supports HR executive search and senior human resources recruiting for organizations seeking leaders who can strengthen talent strategy, improve employee engagement, and guide people-related business decisions.
Human resources leadership positions include:
- Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
- Chief People Officer (CPO)
- Vice President of Human Resources
- Human Resources Director
- Head of Talent Acquisition
- Vice President of People and Culture
Operations and Transformation
Experienced operations executives help businesses improve performance, manage complexity, strengthen accountability, and turn plans into action.
Trova provides operations executive search services for companies hiring COOs, senior operations leaders, and transformation executives. These searches may involve scaling a growing business, improving day-to-day execution, preparing for an acquisition, or bringing in experienced leadership during a period of change.
We focus on executives who can manage teams, improve processes, take ownership of results, and build the operational foundation needed for continued growth.
Operations leadership positions include:
- Chief Operating Officer (COO)
- Vice President of Operations
- Director of Operations
- General Manager
- Chief Transformation Officer
- Vice President of Supply Chain
- Program Management Office (PMO) Director
Need to Fill a
Specialized Executive Position?
Not every leadership role fits neatly into a standard job title.
Trova works with business owners, boards, investors, and executive teams to define the experience and leadership capabilities needed for critical positions.
Whether you’re hiring a C-suite executive, replacing a senior leader, or creating a new leadership position, we can help you evaluate the search and identify the right approach.
What Is Retained Executive Search?
Retained executive search is a dedicated recruiting service for senior, specialized, and high-impact leadership roles.
Trova works as your search partner and leads a structured process from the first discovery meeting through the final offer and hiring decision.
Instead of relying only on active applicants, we research the market and contact qualified executives directly.
As a result, the search can include proven leaders who are succeeding in their current roles and may not be looking for a change.
Retained executive search may be appropriate when:
- The position can affect company strategy or performance
- The search must remain confidential
- The strongest candidates are unlikely to apply online
- The role requires a rare mix of experience and leadership ability
- Several senior decision-makers must agree on the hire
- A previous search did not produce the right candidates
- The organization needs one partner focused on the search
Retained Search or Direct Hire?
Both services help companies hire permanent employees. However, they support different needs.
Direct Hire works well for many professional, management, and permanent positions.
Retained Executive Search provides a deeper and more focused process for critical senior roles. It may include interviews with key decision-makers, market mapping, direct candidate outreach, confidentiality, and a detailed review of each executive.
For broader permanent hiring needs, explore Trova’s Direct Hire Recruiting Services.
Executive Search Built Around Your Business Situation
Every organization approaches executive hiring with different priorities.
A founder preparing to delegate responsibilities has different needs than a board replacing its CEO or an investor-backed company hiring a leader to accelerate growth.
Trova works to understand the circumstances behind each search, the expectations of the decision-makers, and the type of leadership needed to move the business forward.
Business Owners and Founders
As businesses grow, owners and founders may need experienced executives to manage daily operations, strengthen leadership teams, or prepare for succession.
Finding the right president, COO, or second-in-command can be particularly challenging when the founder remains actively involved in the business.
Trova helps define leadership responsibilities and identify executives who can take ownership of results while working effectively with the company’s existing leadership.
CEOs and Executive Teams
CEOs and executive teams may need to strengthen leadership as their organizations grow, enter new markets, or face changing business demands.
The priority may be replacing a key executive, building a new department, or bringing in specialized experience to improve performance.
Trova works with leadership teams to clarify the need and recruit executives who can contribute to business goals while complementing the existing team.
Boards of Directors
Boards of directors oversee critical leadership decisions, including CEO recruitment, executive succession, and senior leadership transitions.
These searches often require agreement among stakeholders, careful candidate evaluation, and discretion when sensitive information is involved.
Trova helps boards establish search priorities, identify qualified executives, and navigate the selection process with clear communication and confidentiality.
Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Investor-Backed Companies
Investment-backed companies often need experienced executives to support growth, strengthen performance, or guide the business following an acquisition.
Leadership priorities may include improving operations, expanding revenue, building management capabilities, or preparing for the next stage of investment.
Trova works with investors and portfolio company leaders to recruit executives whose experience aligns with the business’s objectives and ownership expectations.
How Trova Leads a Retained Executive Search
01.
Understand
the Business Need
We start with the business, not the job description.
Before discussing qualifications or searching for candidates, Trova takes the time to understand why the position matters.
We ask why the role is open, how responsibilities may have changed, and what the next executive must accomplish.
We also learn about the company’s structure, leadership team, culture, priorities, and the challenges the new hire will inherit.
What We Work to Understand
- Why the role is needed: Growth, succession, replacement, performance challenges, or a change in business direction.
- What the executive must accomplish: The priorities, responsibilities, and results expected during the first year.
- Who the executive will work with: Owners, boards, investors, existing leaders, and other key stakeholders.
- How the business operates: Its culture, decision-making approach, leadership expectations, and working environment.
These conversations often reveal that an existing job description no longer reflects what the business needs. We use that insight to define the role around current priorities rather than outdated requirements.
02.
Define the Leader
You Need
A successful search requires agreement on what matters most.
With a clearer understanding of the business, Trova helps the decision-makers define the experience, judgment, leadership approach, and professional strengths needed for the role.
We look beyond titles and qualifications to consider how the executive will work within the organization.
We establish:
- Essential experience: The leadership responsibilities, business environments, and accomplishments that demonstrate readiness for the role.
- Leadership expectations: How the executive should communicate, make decisions, develop teams, and approach challenges.
- Culture and working relationships: The values, behaviors, and leadership style needed to succeed within the company.
- Conditions for success: What the organization can offer, what challenges the candidate will face, and what might make the opportunity attractive to the right executive.
We also distinguish essential qualifications from preferences that could unnecessarily narrow the candidate pool.
The result is a clearer search profile that guides research, outreach, and candidate evaluation.
03.
Research the Executive
Talent Market
The right candidate may not be looking for a new position.
Many experienced executives are already leading successful businesses or teams. They may not search job boards, apply for advertised positions, or make their career interests publicly known.
Trova combines targeted market research with a professional network built over decades to identify leaders who match the search.
Our research includes:
- Identifying companies and business environments where relevant executive experience can be found.
- Researching leaders with responsibilities and accomplishments that align with the position.
- Drawing on established professional relationships and trusted referrals.
- Looking beyond familiar contacts to uncover additional qualified candidates.
We do not limit the search to the executives we already know.
Our goal is to understand the available market and identify people who deserve consideration, including those who may not be actively pursuing another role.
04.
Approach
Executives Directly
Relationships can open doors that job postings cannot.
An accomplished executive may be willing to explore the right opportunity when it is presented by someone they trust.
Trova uses established relationships, referrals, and direct outreach to begin meaningful conversations with potential candidates.
We explain the opportunity, learn about the executive’s experience and interests, and determine whether there is a reason to explore the position further.
When confidentiality is required, outreach is handled with discretion and information is shared only as appropriate.
These conversations also provide valuable feedback about the market.
If compensation, responsibilities, location, or leadership expectations are limiting interest, we communicate those findings and help the client consider adjustments.
05.
Interview
and Assess
A strong résumé tells only part of the story.
Career history can show where an executive has worked, the positions they have held, and the responsibilities they have managed.
It does not fully explain how they make decisions, lead through uncertainty, develop teams, or respond when circumstances change.
Trova looks beyond career history by asking open-ended questions about actual business situations, accomplishments, and challenges. We listen for the judgment, values, and actions behind each response, rather than relying on rehearsed answers or job titles alone.
Our evaluation considers:
- Experience and track record: Business results, leadership responsibilities, financial oversight, and the scale of previous roles.
- Leadership and judgment: Decision-making, communication, problem-solving, and the ability to develop people.
- Experience with change: How the executive has managed growth, organizational transitions, difficult decisions, or business challenges.
- Culture and leadership alignment: How the individual works with owners, boards, investors, and the wider organization.
- Motivation and potential risks: Career goals, compensation expectations, interest in the opportunity, professional strengths, and concerns that may affect long-term success.
We also recognize that executive hiring works both ways.
Candidates need an accurate understanding of the business, the responsibilities of the position, and the expectations of the people they will work with.
Our goal is to help both sides evaluate the opportunity with greater clarity.
06.
Present the Shortlist
and Coordinate Interviews
The goal is not to present the most résumés. It is to identify the strongest candidates for the business.
Trova introduces executives whose experience and leadership capabilities align with the agreed search criteria.
We explain why each candidate deserves consideration and provide context that helps the client evaluate their background, interests, and potential fit.
We then help coordinate interviews with the appropriate decision-makers.
As the process progresses, we gather feedback from both the organization and the candidates, clarify questions, and help keep the search moving.
When new information changes the search priorities, we work with the client to refine the approach.
07.
Support Selection,
References, and the Offer
The search does not end when the preferred candidate is identified.
Executive hiring decisions often involve multiple stakeholders, sensitive discussions, and important expectations on both sides.
Trova helps the organization evaluate final candidates, coordinate agreed reference checks, and communicate throughout the selection and offer process.
We work to identify concerns early, clarify expectations, and support constructive conversations between the employer and the executive.
The goal is a well-informed hiring decision that supports the business long after the search is complete.
A Discreet Process
for Sensitive Leadership Decisions
Some executive searches cannot be shared with the public or the wider organization.
A company may need to replace a current leader, plan for succession, explore a new structure, or protect information tied to an investment or acquisition.
In these situations, Trova works with the approved decision-makers and controls how, when, and with whom sensitive information is shared.
A confidential search may be appropriate when:
- A current executive still holds the position
- The board is planning CEO succession
- The company is considering a leadership change
- An investment or acquisition has not been announced
- The organization needs to limit disruption across the company
- A candidate requires privacy before exploring the opportunity
Trova limits access to sensitive information and shares details only as needed throughout the search.
Executive Search in Orlando and Nationwide
Based in Winter Park, Florida, Trova provides retained executive search services for companies throughout Orlando and Central Florida, with nationwide recruiting capabilities.
We combine established professional relationships with targeted executive recruiting to help organizations find qualified senior leaders, whether they are located in Central Florida or elsewhere in the country.
Why Organizations Trust Trova with Critical Searches
Choosing an executive search firm means trusting an outside partner with an important business decision.
Trova brings decades of recruiting experience, established professional relationships, and a hands-on approach to helping organizations make critical leadership hires.
Decades of Recruiting Experience
Trova’s leadership brings more than 30 years of recruiting experience, working with businesses to identify professionals who can make a meaningful difference.
That experience provides valuable perspective on hiring challenges, candidate expectations, and the qualities that help leaders succeed in different business environments.
Relationships Built Over Time
Our professional network has been developed through years of conversations, successful placements, referrals, and long-standing relationships.
These connections give Trova valuable insight into professionals beyond what appears on a résumé or public profile.
We believe knowing people, understanding their career goals, and maintaining genuine relationships creates a stronger foundation for recruiting.
A Consultative Recruiting Partnership
Trova approaches executive recruiting as a business conversation, not simply a search for candidates.
Our team works directly with business owners, executives, and other decision-makers to understand hiring challenges, offer perspective, and help organizations make informed decisions.
We believe a strong recruiting partner should provide useful guidance, even when that means challenging assumptions or reconsidering the original hiring requirements.
Relationships That Extend Beyond the Hire
We measure the value of our work by the success of the businesses and professionals we support.
Our goal is to build lasting relationships with clients, understand how their needs evolve, and remain a trusted recruiting resource as their organizations grow and change.
For Trova, a successful executive placement is an important milestone in a much longer business relationship.
Retained Executive Search FAQs
Retained executive search is a dedicated executive recruiting service for senior, specialized, and high-impact leadership roles. The search firm helps define the need, research the market, contact candidates, assess qualifications, and support the hiring decision.
Yes. Trova is based in Winter Park and works with companies throughout Orlando and Central Florida, while conducting executive searches nationwide.
Companies sometimes refer to executive search firms as executive recruiters or headhunters. Trova’s retained search model provides a more structured approach for critical senior leadership positions.
Direct hire supports a wide range of permanent positions. Retained search provides a more focused process for critical senior roles that may require deeper research, confidentiality, and involvement from senior decision-makers.
Retained search may make sense for C-suite, vice president, director, and other roles that can affect company strategy, performance, culture, or value.
Yes. Trova can limit the information shared, work with an approved group of stakeholders, and approach candidates discreetly.
Timing depends on the position, location, required experience, compensation, interview process, and candidate market. Trova will provide updates as the search moves forward.
We combine market research, direct outreach, trusted referrals, and professional relationships built over decades.
We learn how the organization works and which values guide its decisions. Then, we ask candidates about real experiences to understand how they lead, communicate, and work with others.
Trova can work with boards, owners, executive teams, private equity firms, venture capital firms, and other approved stakeholders during the search.
Yes. Trova supports clients and candidates across the United States.
Yes. Trova can work alongside internal human resources, talent acquisition, executive leadership, and board stakeholders. We define responsibilities early so the process stays organized.
Find the Leadership Your Business Needs Next
Whether you are preparing for growth, replacing a key executive, supporting a portfolio company, or planning for succession, start by defining what the business needs from the role.
Trova will help you clarify the search, understand the candidate market, and identify executives who can move the organization forward.