Top 10 Executive Search Firms in Singapore for AI Leadership Hiring (2026)
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Insights · 2026-10-05

Top 10 Executive Search Firms in Singapore for AI Leadership Hiring (2026)

Every search firm in Singapore now says it does AI. Ask it to tell a research-grade Head of AI from someone who ran a chatbot pilot, and the field gets small quickly.

These are the ten executive search firms worth a call when you are hiring a Chief AI Officer, Head of AI or senior ML leader in Singapore in 2026: Olofsson & Company, Egon Zehnder, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates, Spencer Stuart, Korn Ferry, Stanton Chase, Kerry Consulting, Page Executive and Robert Walters. We are the first name on that list, and we run CAIO, CTO and Head of Data Science searches from Singapore with an average time-to-shortlist of 20 days.[1] Below is what each firm is actually built for, what the talent costs, and how to pick.

Why this matters now. Singapore's national AI strategy set out to more than triple the country's AI practitioners to 15,000.[2] Demand has run ahead of supply. At the very top, where the role calls for an absolute expert in AI research, companies "tend to look beyond Singapore" for candidates.[3] So the firm you choose has to see the regional and global pool, and then judge it.

The 10 firms at a glance

Firm Singapore base AI leadership evidence How they work Best fit when
Olofsson & Company Singapore HQ, global delivery CAIO, CTO, VP Engineering and Head of Data Science searches AI market mapping plus specialist consultants; search, advisory and interim You need a technically credible AI leader fast, with regional reach
Egon Zehnder Singapore office since 1981, a principal APAC hub Dedicated Chief AI Officer search practice Retained, partner-led, assessment-heavy The hire is board-facing or a CEO-level AI mandate
Heidrick & Struggles Singapore office at Suntec AI executive search practice since 2012 Retained, partner-led You want a large AI leadership track record and pay data
Russell Reynolds Associates Singapore since 1984 Has placed a Chief AI and Analytics Officer Retained, partner-led Succession and assessment weigh as much as the search
Spencer Stuart Singapore office Technology and Digital Officer practice covering CTO and CDO roles Retained, partner-led A listed company or regional HQ needs a CTO or CDO
Korn Ferry Singapore office Technology officers practice covering AI and machine learning roles Retained, with assessment and pay benchmarking Multi-country leadership programmes
Stanton Chase Singapore hub for Southeast Asia Tech practice runs Chief AI Officer searches Retained, partner network across 45 countries The role spans several ASEAN markets
Kerry Consulting Singapore HQ Dedicated technology practice Local search and recruitment Deep Singapore market knowledge matters most
Page Executive (Michael Page) Raffles Place, Singapore AI and machine learning is a named tech specialism Executive search arm of a large recruitment group You are hiring the AI team below the leader as well
Robert Walters Singapore Publishes Singapore AI pay and demand data Recruitment across permanent and contract roles Volume hiring and salary calibration for AI teams

The ten, firm by firm

1. Olofsson & Company

That is us, so read this entry with healthy scepticism and check the numbers. We are headquartered in Singapore and search for CEOs, CTOs, CAIOs, VPs of Engineering and Heads of Data Science, with a 20-day average time-to-shortlist and a 97% placement success rate on search mandates.[1] The work starts with a map. Our platform scans millions of profiles and builds a full market map within 48 hours,[4] backed by a 395,000-candidate matching system our CEO walked through publicly this year.[5] Then specialist consultants do the part software cannot: judging whether a candidate has shipped models to production or only managed people who did.

Best fit: growth-stage and scaling companies that need an AI leader with real technical depth, and want Singapore and the overseas diaspora covered in one pass.

2. Egon Zehnder

Egon Zehnder calls its Singapore office, open since 1981, one of its principal hubs in Asia Pacific.[6] It runs a dedicated Chief AI Officer search practice,[7] and it has brought Singapore board members together to work through what AI means for governance and talent.[8] It is strongest at the top of the house.

Best fit: a CAIO who will sit close to the board, or an AI mandate tied to CEO succession.

3. Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick says it launched the first global AI executive search practice in 2012, and it names Chief AI Officer, Chief Data and AI Officer and Head of AI among the roles it fills.[9] It serves Singapore clients from its office in Suntec.[10] Its survey of AI and data officers, covering role structure and pay, is worth reading before you set a budget.[11]

Best fit: enterprises that want a deep AI leadership track record and benchmark data behind the offer.

4. Russell Reynolds Associates

Russell Reynolds opened in Singapore in 1984 and lists 18 consultants in the office. It says it can recruit CxOs in as little as 14 weeks.[12] Its technology practice has placed a Chief AI and Analytics Officer, after first helping the client define what the role should own.[13]

Best fit: a data or AI officer appointment where leadership assessment and succession planning sit alongside the search.

5. Spencer Stuart

Spencer Stuart has a Singapore office at Raffles Place.[14] Its Technology and Digital Officer practice grew out of what the firm calls the industry's first fully integrated global Information Officer practice, and it covers CIO, CTO, Chief Data Officer and Chief Digital Officer searches.[15] The firm is at its best on listed-company and regional-HQ technology appointments.

Best fit: a multinational or listed company hiring a regional CTO, CDO or technology officer with board visibility.

6. Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry runs executive search from its Singapore office.[16] Its technology officers practice lists artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science and Chief Data and Analytics Officer among the roles it fills.[17] You get scale and a deep assessment toolkit. You also get a process built for large organisations.

Best fit: multi-country leadership programmes where the AI hire is one of several senior appointments.

7. Stanton Chase

Stanton Chase treats Singapore as its hub for Southeast Asia, connected to more than 70 offices in 45 countries.[18] Its technology practice explicitly runs Chief AI Officer searches, and it quotes 10 to 14 weeks from kick-off to signed offer.[19]

Best fit: an AI leader who has to cover several ASEAN markets from a Singapore base.

8. Kerry Consulting

Kerry Consulting describes itself as the largest and most experienced executive recruitment firm in Singapore.[20] Technology is one of its functional practices.[21]

Best fit: a Singapore-based AI or data leader where local networks and local pay norms matter more than global reach.

9. Page Executive (Michael Page)

Page Executive is the executive search arm of the Michael Page group, with more than 350 principals and partners across 34 countries and an office at Raffles Place.[22] Michael Page lists artificial intelligence and machine learning as a named technology specialism in Singapore.[23]

Best fit: companies hiring an AI leader and the team underneath, through one supplier.

10. Robert Walters

Robert Walters is a recruiter first, and a useful one for AI teams. Its Singapore salary survey reports that demand for AI, data and cloud skills still outstrips supply, and that people moving jobs in niche areas such as AI can expect increments of up to 20%.[24] Its Singapore country manager is also behind the top-end pay figure covered below.[3]

Best fit: building out the AI and data team, and calibrating salaries before you brief a search.

How to choose between them

Brand is a poor filter. Four questions sort this list quickly.

Can they judge technical depth? Heidrick's own research found that research and technical AI skills are now harder to find than strategic ones.[11] A consultant who cannot tell an applied ML leader from an AI strategist will send you the wrong shortlist. Ask who on the firm's side will interview for technical depth, and what they built before they recruited.

Do they map the market, or work a Rolodex? Singapore's top AI talent pool is small, and much of it sits overseas.[3] Ask any firm to show you the full universe for your role before it shows you candidates. If the map is one partner's contacts, you are buying their memory.

Which clock are they quoting? Stanton Chase quotes 10 to 14 weeks to signed offer.[19] Russell Reynolds says as little as 14 weeks.[12] We publish 20 days to shortlist.[1] These are different clocks. Make every firm tell you days to shortlist and days to signed offer, then compare like with like. Our piece on time-to-hire for senior tech and AI leaders breaks down where the weeks go.

Will the hire clear the Singapore rules? If your best candidate is overseas, the firm has to plan for the Employment Pass from the first call, not after the offer. More on that below.

What senior AI leaders cost in Singapore

Set the budget before you brief anyone. Robert Walters' Singapore country manager told The Straits Times in June 2026 that an absolute expert in AI research, or someone leading major AI initiatives in Singapore, could command close to $350,000 in total compensation. The same report put AI pay growth at about 15% to 25%.[3]

One level down, Michael Page's 2026 Singapore guide has Heads of Generative AI starting from S$225,000 a year.[25] Moves between jobs in AI can carry increments of up to 20%.[24]

For a full Chief AI Officer at a large enterprise, the numbers look very different. Our guide to what to pay a Chief AI Officer in 2026 sets out the global bands by company tier.

Hiring an AI leader from overseas: the Singapore checks

Three rules shape the calendar. Keep them in view from day one.

  • Employment Pass salary floor. The current minimum is $5,600 a month, rising with age to $10,700 at 45 and above, and higher in financial services. New applications from 1 January 2027 face a higher floor.[26] At AI leadership pay, the floor is rarely the problem.
  • COMPASS. The application needs 40 points, scored on salary, qualifications, nationality diversity and the firm's support for local hiring.[26] A strong candidate can still fail on the employer's own workforce profile.
  • The S$22,500 threshold. A candidate on a fixed monthly salary of at least $22,500 is exempt from COMPASS, the same level at which the Fair Consideration Framework's job-advertising requirement falls away.[26] That is S$270,000 a year in fixed pay. For a genuine AI leadership hire, check early whether the offer clears it. It removes a whole scoring step.

We start with the map, not the CVs. Our platform maps the region's Heads of AI, ML leads and Chief AI Officer candidates, in Singapore and in the diaspora abroad, within 48 hours.[4] Our consultants then judge fit: technical depth, whether the person has led through a production failure, and whether they will stay once the first model ships. Before you define the role, our AI leadership readiness matrix is worth ten minutes.

We also work across search, advisory and interim. Sometimes the honest answer for a Series A company is an interim AI lead for six months while the permanent search runs. We will say so. If you are comparing firms beyond Singapore, our global ranking of AI-native search firms covers the wider field.

An AI leader is judged on what they shipped. Judge your search firm the same way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which executive search firms in Singapore are best for finding senior AI talent?

For Chief AI Officer and Head of AI roles, the firms to shortlist are Olofsson & Company, Egon Zehnder, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates, Spencer Stuart, Korn Ferry and Stanton Chase. Egon Zehnder pairs a dedicated Chief AI Officer practice with a Singapore office that dates back to 1981.[7] We combine AI market mapping with specialist consultants and average 20 days to shortlist.[1] For the AI team beneath the leader, Kerry Consulting, Page Executive and Robert Walters are strong local options.

How much does a senior AI leader earn in Singapore?

Top AI experts and leaders of major AI programmes can command close to $350,000 in total compensation, according to Robert Walters.[3] Heads of Generative AI start from about S$225,000 a year on Michael Page's 2026 figures.[25] Enterprise Chief AI Officers are paid well above both.

How long does an AI leadership search take in Singapore?

Global firms quote 10 to 14 weeks from kick-off to signed offer.[19] Our average time-to-shortlist is 20 days.[1] Add the candidate's notice period and, for a foreign hire, Employment Pass processing. Candidates on a fixed salary of at least $22,500 a month are exempt from COMPASS, which shortens the path.[26]

Should I use a global firm or a specialist for an AI leadership hire?

Use a global firm when the hire is board-facing and assessment matters as much as speed. Use a specialist when the role needs real technical judgement and you want the whole regional market mapped fast. For most growth-stage companies in Singapore, the second problem is the harder one.

Sources

  1. olofsson.ai: Olofsson & Company search practice covering CEO, CTO, CAIO, VP Engineering and Head of Data Science roles, with a 20-day average time-to-shortlist and 97% placement success rate.
  2. mddi.gov.sg: Launch of Singapore's National AI Strategy 2.0 in December 2023, including the aim to more than triple AI practitioners to 15,000.
  3. straitstimes.com: The Straits Times, June 2026, on AI pay in Singapore, including Robert Walters' view that top AI leaders can command close to $350,000 in total compensation.
  4. olofsson.ai: Olofsson & Company AI platform scanning millions of profiles and building a full market map within 48 hours.
  5. olofsson.ai: Olofsson & Company CEO walkthrough of the firm's 395,000-candidate matching system on the Code Riff podcast, July 2026.
  6. egonzehnder.com: Egon Zehnder Singapore office, opened in 1981 and one of the firm's principal hubs in Asia Pacific.
  7. egonzehnder.com: Egon Zehnder's Chief AI Officer search and advisory offering.
  8. egonzehnder.com: Egon Zehnder, October 2025, on a gathering of Singapore board members discussing AI, governance and talent.
  9. heidrick.com: Heidrick & Struggles AI executive search practice, introduced in 2012, covering Chief AI Officer and Head of AI roles.
  10. heidrick.com: Heidrick & Struggles Singapore office at Suntec Tower Five.
  11. heidrick.com: Heidrick & Struggles 2025 AI, data and analytics officers report on research and technical AI skills being harder to find than strategic ones.
  12. russellreynolds.com: Russell Reynolds Associates Singapore office, opened 1984, 18 consultants.
  13. russellreynolds.com: Russell Reynolds Associates technology, data and digital leader search, including a Chief AI and Analytics Officer appointment.
  14. spencerstuart.com: Spencer Stuart Singapore office at Singapore Land Tower, Raffles Place.
  15. spencerstuart.com: Spencer Stuart Technology and Digital Officer practice, covering CIO, CTO, Chief Data Officer and Chief Digital Officer searches.
  16. kornferry.com: Korn Ferry Singapore office and executive search team.
  17. kornferry.com: Korn Ferry technology officers recruiting, with sample roles including artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science and Chief Data and Analytics Officer.
  18. stantonchase.com: Stanton Chase Singapore office as its Southeast Asia hub, connected to more than 70 offices in 45 countries.
  19. stantonchase.com: Stanton Chase technology executive practice, including Chief AI Officer searches and a typical 10 to 14 week search.
  20. kerryconsulting.com: Kerry Consulting describes itself as the largest and most experienced executive recruitment firm in Singapore.
  21. kerryconsulting.com: Kerry Consulting functional and industry practices, including technology.
  22. pageexecutive.com: Page Executive Singapore office and network of more than 350 principals and partners across 34 countries.
  23. michaelpage.com.sg: Michael Page Singapore technology recruitment specialisms, including artificial intelligence and machine learning.
  24. robertwalters.com.sg: Robert Walters Singapore Salary Survey 2026 on AI, data and cloud demand and job-move increments of up to 20% for AI.
  25. sea.peoplemattersglobal.com: People Matters on Michael Page's 2026 Singapore salary guide, with Heads of Generative AI starting from S$225,000.
  26. mom.gov.sg: Ministry of Manpower Employment Pass qualifying salaries, the COMPASS 40-point pass mark and criteria, and the $22,500 fixed monthly salary exemption.