Keith Terry
Executive Talent Consultant
San Francisco
Keith works on executive search mandates where the appointment carries consequence — and stays personally accountable from briefing through the first year in seat.
Background
Keith advises growth-stage companies and their investors on senior technology and commercial appointments across North America and Europe. He is valued for an extensive candidate network and for the honest, unvarnished counsel he gives on both sides of every appointment. Based in San Francisco, Keith works across Technology, Private Capital and Life Sciences & Healthcare, and is trusted with mandates where discretion matters as much as reach.
How I work
Every engagement begins with a conversation about the organization, not the vacancy — what the next two years demand, what the last appointment taught you, and what the team around this role can absorb. Keith maps the market before naming a candidate, tests evidence rather than impressions, and puts forward only people whose case can be argued in detail. When the honest answer is that a preferred candidate is not ready, you will hear it early.
What clients can expect
Direct access to Keith throughout — no handover to a junior team after the pitch. Weekly written progress, a documented assessment for each finalist, calibrated market feedback on your proposition, and continued contact through onboarding and the first performance review. Confidentiality is managed as a design constraint, not an afterthought.
For candidates
Keith treats every conversation as a long relationship rather than a transaction. You will be told what the role genuinely is, what the organization is not yet good at, and where the risk sits for you. Feedback is given plainly and promptly, whether or not a process moves forward, and interest is never manufactured to fill a shortlist.
Expertise
Executive Search, Talent Advisory and Market Mapping. Keith contributes to the firm's appointment quality review, where every shortlist is challenged internally before it reaches a client.
“The appointment is only successful if it is still working a year later. That is the standard Keith measures against.”
Boards and chief executives return to Keith because the counsel is candid, the process is documented, and the person who wins the work is the person who does it.
Have a critical appointment ahead?
When the appointment matters, the search should begin with a conversation.