We architect creative leadership for companies building what's next — and we coach the leaders who build them.
Twenty years.
Two pathways.
One designed approach.
Leadership isn't found, it's designed.
About Hive Talent Advisors | Executive Recruitment for Creative & Product Leaders
We Don't Recruit. We Architect.
Hive Talent Advisors was founded on a belief: the best teams aren't hired — they're designed. For 20 years, we've specialized exclusively in creative leadership — placing and coaching hundreds of design, product, and brand leaders globally.
We're not recruiters who dabble in design. We're strategists who understand that every hire, every career move, and every organizational structure either accelerates growth or constrains it.
We work at the intersection of companies building what's next and the leaders who build them. This dual perspective — seeing both sides of the table — gives us insights that single-sided firms simply don't have.
We know what companies need because we place their leaders.
We know what leaders need because we coach their careers.
We know what works because we've been doing it for two decades.
That's Hive.
Built for the moments that shape modern teams.
Every great team has a turning point — a product pivot, a reorg, a stretch into a new market, or a key leader departure. The moment when what got you here won’t get you there.
Hive was built for exactly those moments.
We’ve worked inside scaling startups, global agencies, SaaS orgs, and Fortune 500s — often in the middle of change, growth, or uncertainty. We know how it feels when teams are stretched thin, hiring is high-stakes, and there’s no time to get it wrong.
One truth holds across every environment:
When product, design, and brand teams are aligned, empowered, and well-led — they unlock everything.
But here's what we learned: leadership alignment works both ways.
Companies need the right leaders. Leaders need the right opportunities. And too often, both sides are navigating this alone.
Traditional search firms serve companies. Career coaches serve individuals. Few do both with true expertise.
Hive was built to bridge that gap.
We help companies architect teams that scale — using our Talent Architecture™ framework to design for future state, not current state.
And we help leaders position themselves for what's next — with strategic career guidance that goes far beyond resume editing.
This dual focus isn't just different. It's essential.
Because when you've placed hundreds of leaders AND coached their careers, you understand what actually creates lasting success on both sides of the table.
How We Work:
Two Pathways, One Designed Approach.
FOR COMPANIES
Readiness Audit
Market Entry Strategy
Executive Search
Fractional Head of Talent
FOR LEADERS
Career Assessment
Portfolio Review
Career Narrative
Retained Career Coach
Our Approach: Talent Architecture
We don't start with a job description. We start with your system. Our proprietary Talent Architecture™ framework ensures every engagement — whether executive search or career coaching — is designed for the future state, not the current one.
This approach applies whether you're:
→ A company architecting your next leadership hire
→ A leader architecting your next career chapter
Because the best outcomes aren't found — they're designed.
The Four Core Pillars
Why Hive is Different
We compete on strategic fit, not speed.
We build relationships, not transactions.
Why Specialization Matters
Generalists know a little about everything. Specialists know everything about something.
Twenty years in creative leadership means we know the market, the talent, what works, and the nuances that others miss
Positions
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Chief Design Officer
VP Design
Head of Design
Creative Directors
Product Design
UX Leadership
UX Research
Design Operations
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Chief Product Officer
VP Product
Head of Product
Product Design
Product Strategy
Product Operations
Growth Product
Platform Product
AI Product
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Chief Brand Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
VP Brand
Head of Brand
Brand & Marketing Leadership
Creative & Brand Strategy
Our Values
We're selective about engagements. We work with companies and leaders where we can make transformational impact — not just complete transactions.
Strategic Over Transactional
We show our pricing. We're honest about fit. We tell you what we think. Clarity is part of our craft — from pricing to process to feedback.
Transparent by Design
We serve companies building teams and leaders building careers. This dual perspective creates insights that single-sided firms miss.
Both Sides of the Table
We design for where you're going, not where you are. Whether that's the company you're building in three years or the career you want in five years.
Future-Focused
Many of our clients return for multiple engagements over years. We build relationships that last.
Enduring Relationships
Led by a Design Insider
Kate Bannister
Founder & CEO, Hive Talent Advisors
Kate Bannister founded Hive with a mission: to change how creative leadership is found, placed, and developed. With 20 years of experience in design, product, and brand leadership search and coaching,
Kate has:
- Placed hundreds of VP, Head, and C-level creative leaders globally
- Coached executives through career transitions and advancement
- Built talent strategies for companies from seed-stage startups to Fortune 500s
- Developed the proprietary Talent Architecture™ framework
- Established Hive as a trusted partner to both companies and leaders
Before founding Hive, Kate spent 20+ years leading in-house and agency-side talent teams, often in moments of change, growth, or uncertainty. She started Hive to build the kind of partner she always wished existed — one that serves both sides of the table with equal rigor, strategic insight, and genuine care.
Kate specializes in design, product, and brand leadership and is known for seeing what others miss — whether that's the right organizational structure for a scaling startup or the right career positioning for an executive in transition.
Outside of Hive, Kate is a toddler mom, podcast enthusiast, and active community leader in McKinney, Texas and beyond.
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What our clients say
“Kate helped me turn a scattered resume into a powerful narrative. Two weeks later, I had three interviews lined up — and one of them became my dream role.”
SVP, Brand Creative — Large Children’s Hospital System
“We needed to fill a global design leadership role fast — Hive delivered. Within two weeks, we had a vetted shortlist, hired our ideal Experience Design Lead, and built a pipeline that will fuel our next phase of growth.”
SVP, Experience Design — Global Customer Experience Firm
“After our coaching sessions, I finally stopped underselling myself. I negotiated a 22% salary increase and felt genuinely confident walking into every conversation.”
VP, Product — Healthcare Technology Startup
“Working with Hive shifted how we hire entirely. We went from 4 months of stalled searches to landing our ideal Marketing Lead in half the time — and we’re still using their framework today.”
CEO — Regional Logistics & Transportation Company
Community
Speaking
Media
Ready to Work Together?
Whether you're building your leadership team or building your leadership career, every engagement starts with a conversation.
Based in Dallas-Fort Worth, working globally.
Or schedule a consultation to discuss your specific situation: