AI in Action: Insights from Hunt Scanlon’s Private Equity Recruiting Conference, New York
- May 14
- 2 min read
The intersection of private equity, leadership, and AI continues to evolve rapidly - and nowhere was that more evident than at Hunt Scanlon Media’s annual Private Equity Recruiting Conference, held at the Harvard Club of New York City.
Bringing together investors, executive search leaders, and talent experts, the event focused on a critical question for the industry:
How is AI actually transforming leadership, hiring, and value creation?
Ezekia on the Panel: AI in Action
Ezekia’s VP of Revenue, Max Woolger, joined an expert panel to explore this topic in depth, alongside leaders from across private equity and executive search.
Moderated by Anthony Keizner, Co-Founder of Odyssey Search Partners, the session brought together perspectives from firms including General Catalyst, Warburg Pincus, PierceGray, and ZRG.
The discussion centred on “AI in Action: Transforming Leadership & Returns” - moving beyond theory to focus on how AI is being applied in real-world executive search and investment environments.
From Concept to Application
A clear theme throughout the session was the shift from AI as a talking point to AI as a practical tool.
Across private equity and executive search, firms are increasingly focused on:
using AI to enhance decision-making
improving speed and accuracy in identifying leadership talent
supporting more data-informed investment and hiring strategies
But just as importantly, the conversation reinforced a key point:
AI is not replacing human judgment... it’s strengthening it.
In executive search, where relationships, context, and nuance matter, the value lies in combining technology with human expertise - not choosing between the two.
A Shared Industry Direction
The wider conference echoed this theme, with leaders across the room exploring how talent strategy is becoming a more central driver of investment success.
As private equity firms continue to prioritise leadership as a lever for value creation, the role of executive search and the technology that supports it is becoming even more critical.
Events like this highlight a broader shift:
from reactive hiring → to strategic talent planning
from intuition alone → to insight supported by data and AI
from fragmented tools → to more connected, intelligent platforms
In the Room That Matters
As Max shared:
“Great to be back in New York at the Harvard Club of New York City… Good to see clients and network friends alike.”
Beyond the panel itself, the event was a valuable opportunity to reconnect with clients, meet new firms, and be part of the conversations shaping the future of executive search.
Looking Ahead
The direction is clear.
AI is becoming embedded in how executive search operates - not as a replacement for expertise, but as a tool to enhance it.
And as the industry continues to evolve, the firms that succeed will be those that can combine:
technology
relationships
and deep market insight
into a single, effective way of working.
The conversation around AI in executive search is no longer about if it will have an impact.
It’s about how effectively firms can apply it.
And that’s exactly the discussion that events like this continue to move forward.
