Artemis

Founder & CEO | Contingent Headhunting | Executive Search | Permanent Placement | Certified DVBE

Miracles for Kids

Board Member

University of California, San Diego - Rady School of Management

Guest Lecturer for Rady School of Management - focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Guest Lecturer

Epic Charter Schools - California

Alder

Gen Next is an invitation-only organization of successful individuals dedicated to learning about and becoming engaged with the most pressing challenges facing future generations — including global security, education reform, and economic opportunity. The collective influence of its national network of civic-minded leaders empowers bold and innovative solutions to these challenges.

Regional Board Member

Unified Technical, Inc.

Sales Manager

Chris Relth is a seasoned professional with 19 years of experience in the talent industry, recognized as a thought leader and an agent of change. He is the Founder and CEO of Artemis, a specialized staffing and executive search organization, where he brings a tenacious approach to concierge-style permanent search and staffing services. Additionally, Chris is a Managing Partner for Artemis United, a DVBE-certified joint venture that works with the state, fed, and clients to help meet their vendor diversity needs. Artemis United only hires military veterans internally to help with their transition to the civilian workforce.

Chris' leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment is critical to the success of his team, and ultimately leads to successful outcomes for his clients. His company is dedicated to the satisfaction of its team members and is committed to contributing to positive, long-lasting impact through the promotion of happier, healthier workforces.

A Bay Area native, Chris holds a degree from Chico State University and has been a resident of Orange County for over a decade, where he currently resides in Ladera Ranch, CA. In his free time, Chris channels his energy into philanthropic pursuits as a partner of Miracles for Kids and sits on various boards. He is also a youth football and baseball coach and is heavily involved in fitness.

Chris Relth

Recruiters and headhunters are not the same. 
It’s important you understand the difference. 
Recruiters fill openings… 




They chase active candidates.
The ones replying to LinkedIn messages, scrolling job boards, and sending out CVs.
It’s a volume game.

Fast, transactional, and surface-level.

Headhunters build pipelines.

We chase the best people who don’t show up on the market. 
The ones too busy succeeding to be looking.
The top 10% performers who take ten phone calls before they’ll even have a conversation.

It’s slower. Harder.
But it’s the difference between hiring the best talent IN versus ON the market.

Why does this matter for your business?

Lower attrition rates.

When someone leaves a job they're happy and successful in to join a direct competitor, 
They're far more likely to stay long-term.

Better cultural fit.

These candidates aren't desperately job hunting. They are selective about where they land, which means they choose companies that align with their values.

Higher performance.

The best salespeople, engineers, and leaders are already proving it somewhere else. That’s who you want walking into your Monday meeting.

The recruiting industry has earned its bad reputation for all the right reasons.

But when you work with someone who actually understands headhunting,
Someone who gets you the otherwise unattainable candidates, from direct competitors
Your experience will be completely different.
Delivering candidates who didn’t even know they were open to moving is what a headhunter will do.

That’s when your hiring process transforms… 

From hoping to fill a role with someone decent, 
To choosing between multiple A-players.

The kind that changes what’s possible for your company.

Client: “Chris, we need someone in 2 weeks” 
Me: “No, that won’t work” 
Client: “Why the hell not?” 

Every new client tells me the same thing: 

"We need someone fast."

Then six months later, they're back on the market. 

Because "fast" gave them the wrong person.

Here's what actually happens when you optimize for speed:

You get 10 candidates who barely match the brief. 
You interview 3 out of desperation. 
You hire 1 because the recruiter's pushing hard and you're out of options. 
Then the candidate leaves in 4 months because it was never the right fit.

The recruiter got paid. You got a gap to fill all over again.

I had a client come to me after exactly this situation. 

They'd worked with three different firms in 18 months. 

All promised speed. None delivered someone who lasted.

When we started working together, I told them upfront: 

"This will take longer than you want. 
But you'll get at least 5 candidates in 5 business days, will want to interview them all, and one of them will actually stay."

They pushed back. "We need someone in two weeks."

I said no and advised them on the process they should follow to secure a long-term fit

Two months later, they hired someone who's still there two years on. 
Because we took time to understand what they actually needed, not just what the job spec said.

Here's what I've learned: clients don't actually want fast. They want certainty. They want to know the person they hire won't be a mistake they're fixing six months from now.

Speed feels like certainty. But it's not when quality is sacrificed

Real certainty takes time. 

It means understanding how someone will fit your team, not just their CV. 

It means saying no to candidates who look good on paper but won't last.

Most recruitment firms won't tell you this because it's not what you want to hear

But it's what you need to hear if you're tired of rehiring the same role every year.

Lately, every CRO I speak to says the same thing:
“We’ve been burned by recruiters before.”
And they’re right to feel that way.



Too many firms promise quality candidates and instead deliver whoever replied to a LinkedIn message.

One CRO I spoke with put it to me this way:

“Chris, I don’t need more resumes. I need the right people. 
And I need to know where they’re coming from.”

I thought about it for a while after.

Because it’s exactly what separates true search partners from order-takers.

Here’s what the best CROs ask before they sign with a firm:

→ Where will these candidates come from (active job seekers or truly passive talent)?
→ How do you qualify them on compensation expectations and quota attainment?
→ What’s your interview-to-submittal ratio for similar searches?
→ Can you walk me through your last 3 placements in this space?

If a firm CAN’T answer those questions with data and specifics, you won’t be working with a search partner.

They’re a service vendor.
And you’ll feel the difference fast.

Here’s something else to keep in mind…

Most firms send one or two resumes and hope something sticks.

A true headhunter delivers 4-5 fully qualified candidates, 
And you’ll want to interview every one of them.

Because beyond matching keywords on a CV.
They’re actually assessing fit, culture, and long-term impact.

And that’s where real headhunting earns its name.

Fast hires fill seats.
Right hires build companies.

My best clients are always hiring.
Even when there’s no open role.
Especially in aerospace & defense, things change fast:


A key engineer gets poached
A program manager moves on
A lead relocates overnight

And suddenly it’s: “We needed someone yesterday.”

If you only start hiring when there’s a gap,
You’re already 6 months behind.

The strongest teams don’t wait for vacancies.
They build relationships before they need them.

So when change hits (and it always does)…
They don’t go to the market.

They make one call.

And surprise, surprise…

They’ve already got top talent ready to say yes.

Solyco Capital

Director of Strategic Alliances and Special Projects

Director of Special Projects

Makar Properties

Government Affairs Coordinator

Outside Eyes

Associate Strategist

By Day:  SolycoCapital.com
Solyco Capital is a vertically integrated Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Strategic Advisory Services Firm. Late stage start-up/early growth. 40+ portfolio companies. Team w $45B transaction experience. 

Purpose: Alder.co
Connecting powerful leaders to big ideas - helping them make better sense of the world.

Community: Tennessee Department of Labor, Workforce Development Board  - Helping businesses across state meet their workforce needs.
Leadership Tennessee Program

Creative: Nataliemalvarez.com
Building community and hosting honest conversations. Civic engagement, experience design, and story telling.

An avid reader, a lover of freedom, a student of fine fragrance, and a world traveler.

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Chris Relth

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Chris Relth's LinkedIn Performance

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