---
title: "Our Story | Kilpatrick Executive"
url: https://www.kilpatrickexecutive.com/our-story
language: en
---

> Founded in Italy in 1997, Kilpatrick Executive grew from a boutique executive search firm into an integrated global business with 10 operational hubs.

![Consultants in conversation around a meeting table](https://www.kilpatrickexecutive.com/img/hero-our-story.jpg)

# A Global Executive Search Firm Built on Local Expertise

Kilpatrick Executive is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with roots in Italy and an international operating model built to support organizations across markets, industries and leadership challenges. Since 1997, the firm has evolved from a local boutique into an integrated global business while preserving the personal attention, discretion and market knowledge that define its approach.

![Kilpatrick Executive owners and CEOs Cristina Spagna and Jaap Hoekstra](https://www.kilpatrickexecutive.com/img/our-story-founders.webp)

Kilpatrick Executive was founded in Italy in 1997 as a boutique executive search firm focused on helping companies identify senior leaders and specialized talent. From the beginning, its approach was based on direct search, close client collaboration and a detailed understanding of each organization’s business context.

Under the leadership of Jaap Hoekstra and Cristina Spagna, the firm expanded internationally while preserving the responsiveness, discretion and senior-level attention of a boutique consultancy.

Kilpatrick Executive’s international growth initially responded to a specific client need: supporting Italian companies expanding into foreign markets and helping them recruit executives with the local knowledge, cultural understanding and international experience required to succeed. This cross-border expertise became a central part of the firm’s identity.

As the business expanded, Kilpatrick Executive moved toward a fully integrated global structure. The firm’s One Team, One Company philosophy allows consultants in different regions to share market intelligence, candidate networks and sector expertise while maintaining a consistent methodology and a single standard of client service.

Kilpatrick Executive opened its first international office in 2006. Today, the firm combines local market knowledge with coordinated international delivery across Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

-   25+Years of Experience
-   10Operational Hubs
-   25+Countries Served

[Explore Kilpatrick Executive’s Global Hubs](https://www.kilpatrickexecutive.com/contact)![World map of Kilpatrick Executive hubs: North America, LATAM, UK, Nordics, Switzerland (HQ), Italy, MEA, India, China and ASEAN](https://www.kilpatrickexecutive.com/img/our-story-map.webp)

Partner with Kilpatrick Executive for your next leadership challenge. Whether your organization is entering a new market, replacing a critical executive, strengthening its leadership team or recruiting specialized talent, our consultants provide the local insight and international reach required to conduct a focused and confidential search.

[Discuss Your Hiring Needs](https://www.kilpatrickexecutive.com/contact)