Overview
ghSMART provides leadership advisory services to help CEOs, boards, and investors build valuable organizations. It uses a fact-based, data-driven approach to high-stakes people decisions, focusing on selecting, assessing, and developing leaders. Its product combines PhD-level psychology with business expertise to conduct bespoke leadership assessments and advisory engagements. The company differentiates itself with the largest leadership-performance database from over 21,000 assessments across 550+ organizations, a 100% employee-owned independent stance, and a team blending academia with top-tier industry talent. ghSMART’s goal is to improve leadership quality and value creation for clients, including private equity firms, investment managers, Fortune 500s, and nonprofits.
Work here?Claim your company
Simplify's take
What believers are saying
- KKR’s July 2025 investment funds client expansion and global reach.
- ghSMART launched its Leadership Intelligence Platform in June 2026, broadening product depth.
- Australia expansion and a Partner, Head of Australia hiring signal international demand.
What critics are saying
- KKR’s 2025 minority stake demands faster growth, pressuring boutique margins by 2027.
- Korn Ferry and AI-native talent tools commoditize assessments, squeezing ghSMART’s premium pricing.
- A breach of leadership assessment data would destroy client trust and referrals immediately.
What makes ghSMART unique
- Since 1995, ghSMART has built the largest leadership-performance database across 550 organizations.
- Its 100% employee-owned, PhD-led model protects independence and keeps advice deeply bespoke.
- The 2026 Leadership Intelligence Platform digitizes assessments without abandoning high-touch executive judgment.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?