You Are Here Because You Have a Leadership Problem That Cannot Wait.
Whether you are an employer with a critical executive vacancy, a senior leader exploring your next opportunity, or an advisor whose client needs stronger leadership to execute their growth plan, the first conversation with Artemis happens within 24 hours of your outreach. We do not route you through intake forms or junior associates. You speak with Johanna Watson, our CEO, who has personally led every retained search since the firm's founding. Choose the path below that matches your situation, and let us show you how we work.
Three Reasons You Are Here. One Conversation Starts Everything.
Every engagement at Artemis begins the same way: a direct conversation with our CEO about your specific situation. Select the path that matches your needs.
You Need an Executive Who Can Implement, Not Just Strategize
You have a critical leadership vacancy, and the cost of getting it wrong is measured in months of lost momentum, departed talent, and missed opportunities. You need a retained search partner who understands your industry, vets candidates with operational rigor, and delivers executives who perform, not just interview well.
You Are a Senior Leader Ready for Your Next Chapter
You are a director-level or above executive who has been displaced, is confidentially exploring, or is ready for a new challenge. You are not looking for job boards. You are looking for a partner who understands your value, positions you effectively, and connects you with opportunities that match your operating style and career trajectory.
Your Client Needs Leadership to Execute the Plan You Built
You are a CPA, M&A advisor, wealth manager, business attorney, or commercial banker whose client has the strategy and the capital but lacks the leadership team to execute. You need a trusted executive search partner who completes your advisory team without competing with it.
From First Contact to First Conversation
We do not believe in lengthy intake processes, junior screeners, or automated responses. Here is exactly what happens after you reach out.
You Reach Out
Schedule a call through our Calendly links above, call our direct line, or email Johanna. However you prefer to start a conversation, we make it easy. No intake forms, no gatekeepers, no "someone will get back to you."
Response Within 24 Hours
Every inquiry receives a personal response within 24 hours, most within the same business day. If you schedule a Calendly call, you will speak with Johanna Watson directly at the time you select. No junior associates, no bait-and-switch.
We Listen First
The first conversation is about understanding your situation with specificity. For employers: what does success look like and what has been tried? For candidates: what do you do best and under what conditions? For advisors: what does your client need and how do you prefer to collaborate?
Clear Next Steps
You leave the first call knowing exactly what happens next, what we need from you, what we will deliver, and on what timeline. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you directly and, where possible, point you toward someone who is.
Skip the Form. Talk to a Person.
Artemis is a five-person firm by design, not by limitation. When you call our number, you reach our team. When you email, Johanna reads it. We built the firm this way because executive search is a relationship business, and relationships do not start with web forms and auto-responders.
If your situation is time-sensitive, a vacancy that is costing you momentum every week it stays open, a confidential transition that requires discretion, or a client who needs leadership before their next capital event, call or email directly. We will make time.
Extension 101 for Johanna Watson
Houston, TX 77057
Employer Consultations
30-minute introductory calls available Monday through Friday. We discuss your vacancy, organizational context, and what a successful hire looks like before we discuss fees or timelines. No commitment required to schedule.
Candidate Conversations
Confidential intake conversations for director-level and above executives. We treat every candidate interaction with the discretion your career requires. Your credentials are never shared without explicit permission.
Advisor & Alliance Introductions
If you serve business owners through accounting, legal, banking, insurance, wealth management, or M&A advisory, we would welcome a conversation about how Artemis can complement your client service model. Ask about our VIP Referral Program.
XCHANGE Training & Development
Interested in the E•L•E•V•A•T•E Coaching Model™ for your leadership team? We offer 90-day sprints, 6-month embedded programs, and train-the-trainer certification. Reach out to discuss which tier fits your organization.
Speaking & Media
Johanna Watson is available for speaking engagements on coaching-centered leadership, executive hiring strategy, and building businesses that run without the founder. For booking or press inquiries, email directly.
Questions We Get Before the First Call
Answers to the questions that typically determine whether someone picks up the phone or keeps browsing.
What does "retained search" mean, and why should I care?
Retained search means we work exclusively on your search with a committed fee structure, as opposed to contingency firms that work multiple clients simultaneously and race to fill roles with whoever is available. The retained model means we invest the time to understand your organization deeply, source candidates who would never respond to a job posting, and present only executives we have personally vetted. It is the difference between hiring a recruiter and hiring a strategic partner. Our 94% two-year placement success rate reflects that difference.
What industries do you cover?
We place executives across twelve industries: construction, finance and accounting, healthcare, legal, logistics, manufacturing and distribution, marketing, oil and gas, private equity, renewable energy, supply chain, and technology. Each industry page on our site contains current market data, specific roles we place, and the subsectors we cover. If your industry is not listed, reach out anyway. Our methodology for identifying displaced high-performers translates across sectors.
What level of roles do you fill?
We focus on director-level through C-suite placements. This includes Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Vice Presidents, Senior Vice Presidents, and other executive leadership positions. If you need a mid-level manager or individual contributor, we are likely not the right firm, but we are happy to recommend partners who specialize in those searches.
How are you different from the big search firms?
The large firms are built to serve Fortune 500 companies with teams of associates doing the sourcing while a partner takes the credit. Artemis is built for growth-stage, PE-backed, and mid-market companies that need the same caliber of executive talent but cannot afford a 19-month mistake. Our CEO leads every search. Our candidates are people-first vetted, not algorithm-filtered. And we specialize in "implementers," high-performers displaced from major companies due to organizational changes, not performance, who bring enterprise-grade capability at a scale and price point that fits your business.
I am a candidate. Do I have to pay anything?
No. Candidates never pay fees. Our clients are the employers who engage us to fill executive roles. If we bring you into a search, it is because we believe you are a strong fit for the specific opportunity. We represent your story to the client, prepare you for the interview process, and advocate for your candidacy throughout. Your only investment is time and candor.
What geographic markets do you serve?
While Artemis is headquartered in Houston and our deepest networks are in the Gulf Coast region, we conduct retained searches nationwide. Our team operates remotely across time zones, and our candidate sourcing reaches every major market. Houston is our home base because it gives us access to one of the densest concentrations of executive talent in energy, healthcare, manufacturing, construction, and professional services in the country.
What does A.I. mean at Artemis?
At Artemis, A.I. stands for "Actually Interviewed." Every candidate we present has been personally evaluated by our team through in-depth conversations that go far beyond resume review. We assess how they have done what they have done, not just what they have done. This people-first vetting process is what produces our 94% two-year success rate. We are intentionally not an algorithm-driven, technology-first search firm. We use technology to support our process, but humans make the decisions.
I am an advisor. How does the referral relationship work?
When you refer a client to Artemis for executive search, you are adding leadership capability to your advisory team without adding headcount. We work alongside your existing client relationship, never around it. Communication is transparent, updates are shared as appropriate, and we respect the trust your client has placed in you. Our VIP Referral Program recognizes advisors who make introductions that lead to engagements. Reach out to learn more about how the structure works.
The Right Hire Changes Everything. The Right Conversation Starts It.
Whether you are ready to launch a search today, exploring whether retained executive search is right for your next hire, or a senior leader weighing your options, the first step is the same: a direct, confidential conversation with someone who has been doing this for over twenty years.