A Worksheet for Hiring an M&A Advisory Partner

Some firms need a partner who can run technical deal execution, financial modeling, diligence coordination, and negotiation mechanics; others need someone whose primary value is the relationship and trust built with clients over many years. Name which one your firm actually needs more before searching, since these are genuinely different skill profiles.

Hunt Club's referral network can surface candidates whose deal execution reputation is known within a specific sector through peer introductions. Bolster's marketplace lets you browse more broadly, including fractional advisors who can test a client relationship function before it's a permanent hire.

A permanent, senior partner-level hire, best sourced through Hunt Club, fits a firm building out a practice area or sector focus indefinitely. A narrower need, like adding deal capacity for a specific active engagement or a busy period, is often better served by a fractional or interim advisor through Bolster.

Be honest about which situation actually describes your firm right now, since a permanent hire brought on for what's really a temporary capacity crunch tends to become an expensive mismatch once that crunch passes and the deal pipeline returns to a more normal pace.

SHRM's 2025 benchmarking survey has two useful figures worth writing down: a nonexecutive hire averages $5,475, while an executive hire averages $35,879 once agency fees and internal recruiting hours are counted¹. A retained Hunt Club search for a permanent partner will track toward that executive figure, and partner-level compensation at an advisory firm typically runs well above it once carry and deal-based incentives are added.

For the firm's own finance leadership, BLS's May 2025 wage data put the median for accountants and auditors at $83,680 nationally, with the top quartile at $109,810². A finance lead managing deal-based revenue recognition typically commands toward the higher end of that range.

SHRM's 2025 data separately found nonexecutive roles taking a median 44 days from requisition to offer accepted, with executive and partner-level searches often running considerably longer given how thin the qualified pool can be at this seniority³. Build that timeline into any active engagement planning rather than assuming either platform can beat it comfortably.

Most real deal experience is confidential, which makes verification harder than in other industries. Ask candidates to describe deals in terms of their role, the challenges, and outcomes without naming clients or targets, and check references the same way. A candidate who can speak specifically about their contribution without naming names usually has real experience; one who can only speak in generalities is a risk sign.

Push further by asking about a deal that fell apart, not just ones that closed successfully. How someone describes a failed process, what they learned, and how they handled the client relationship afterward tells you far more about real judgment than another list of closed transactions ever will.

Partner-led firms can let a leadership search stall without one clearly accountable decision-maker, especially at this seniority where every partner wants input. Name one partner or a small committee with explicit authority to move the search forward, on either platform, so a strong, in-demand candidate doesn't lose interest waiting on a full, slow partnership vote.

Partner-level compensation at an advisory firm often blends base salary with carry or deal-based incentives, and the exact mix should reflect how much of the role's value is repeatable relationship management versus one-off deal execution. A candidate coming from a straight-salary corporate background may need real education on how carry works and what it means for near-term cash compensation.

Be explicit about this structure early in the process, on either platform, rather than surprising a strong candidate with an unfamiliar compensation model at the offer stage, when it's harder for both sides to negotiate calmly and walk away without hard feelings if the terms genuinely don't fit what the candidate needs financially.

Complete this checklist before the first interview:

• Decide whether the seat needs technical deal execution or a partner whose value is client relationships and trust built over many years.
• Match the need to the platform: a permanent partner through Hunt Club, or added deal capacity for a busy period through Bolster.
• Verify deal track record confidentially by asking for role, challenges and outcomes without client or target names, and check references the same way.
• Name one partner or a small committee with explicit authority to move the search forward.
• Structure the offer to reflect how much of the role's value is repeatable relationship management versus one-off deal execution.