Guild Talent

Guild Talent is a leading executive search firm based in San Francisco, specializing in General & Administrative (G&A) functions for venture and private equity-backed startups. With over four decades of combined recruiting and operations experience in the tech industry, they focus on placing Director through CXO level leadership hires. The firm is known for their proprietary network, agile approach, and deep expertise in Finance and Operations roles.

Guild Talent operates as a premier executive search and placement firm with a laser focus on the G&A function within the startup ecosystem. Their team combines extensive recruiting experience with operational expertise, having worked specifically with venture-backed and private equity-funded technology companies. This unique positioning allows them to understand both the technical requirements of roles and the operational challenges that growing companies face.

The firm offers both traditional executive retained search services and innovative fractional executive placement. Their fractional executive service provides senior leaders (VP/CXO level) who can plug into companies for 5-40 hours per week, typically for 6-12+ months. This model is particularly valuable for startups that need to scale functions without full headcount burn or fill critical leadership gaps during transitional periods.

Guild Talent's approach is characterized by their collaborative methodology and market expertise. They work closely with internal recruiting teams and hiring managers to ensure proper calibration of expectations and requirements. Their proprietary network, built over years of specialization in the Finance and Operations verticals, enables them to deliver high-quality candidates efficiently.

The firm's track record includes successful placements across various challenging scenarios, from urgent CFO searches completed in 29 days to niche operations roles requiring specific industry expertise. Their case studies demonstrate their ability to handle complex requirements, such as finding executives with rare combinations of skills in hospitality, events, and operations. Led by founder Jamie Ceglarz, who also co-founded the Operators Guild Network, the team brings deep domain expertise and a focused network that spans the startup and technology ecosystem.