If you’re an SDR or a sales rep, you’ve likely felt it. The edge-of-your-seat nerves of sending a cold email out into the ether and — hopefully — the gripping thrill of receiving a positive response in return.

Even more rewarding? Connecting directly with a company’s main decision-maker: the CEO.

In sales, after all, fortune favors the bold. And bold salespeople go right for the top.

But as much as we might want them to be, CEO email addresses aren’t simply sitting in everyone’s digital Rolodex just waiting to be used. No, reaching the CEO often requires some serious digging.

Here are 10 tried-and-true methods for finding a CEO email address that is accurate and valid.

How to find CEO Email Address?

1. Use a sales intelligence tool

You just got back from a business conference, and you’re buzzing with energy, ready to reach out to the person behind the handshake you just received. The problem is: you only caught that CEO’s first name.

Sure, you could search manually for the rest of their details — or you could let an automated tool do the heavy lifting for you.

Email finder tools find and verify email addresses and other contact information, allowing you to set your own parameters for details like a person’s name, job title, or company. They can pinpoint a particular person’s information or create bulk downloads of organization-wide data.

Some technologies, like Lusha’s, offer much more than email-finding tools. Lusha is a full-scale sales intelligence solution that uses a GDPR-compliant verification system to make sure contact information is accurate and up to date. And because Lusha’s technologies can integrate directly into your sales tools or CRMs, they can enhance your entire sales process from end to end.

It’s always worth scoping out the competition, but with five free contacts per month, plus near-instant start-up, a seamless Google Chrome extension, and immense value for the cost, Lusha should be a top pick.

2. Rely on Google

Sometimes the simplest way to go is the best way. So when in doubt, head to Google.

Avoid typing random words into the search engine, though, as it’ll likely get you nowhere fast. Instead, be strategic about how you search for the information you need. Try using these proven tactics:

  • Exact terms. Putting quotation marks around a first and/or last name will signal to Google that you’re looking for that precise name. Try typing something like “Jane Smith,” followed by the company’s name.
  • Site-specific searching. Dig deep into a particular company website by using the following terms: site:companysite.com “Jane Smith” email.
  • Multiple variables. If you’ve got fragments of the CEO’s identity, but not the full picture, separate each keyword by a comma to ask Google to fill in the rest. That looks like: Smith, Company X, CEO.

3. Take a guess

It’s totally ok — sometimes even encouraged — to take a shot in the dark. But like conducting a Google search, you’ll want to be strategic with your guessing. 

If you’ve been around the block, you know that most companies use some form of standardization in the way they format email addresses. Use your best estimation of the typical go-to structures:

  • firstnamelastname@companyname.com
  • firstname.lastname@companyname.com
  • firstinitiallastname@companyname.com
  • firstinitial.lastname@companyname.com
  • ceo@companyname.com

This strategy is especially useful if you already know the email address of someone at the company, since you’ve already got the template.

Remember one thing: Always write with the assumption that your email will land in the CEO’s inbox. Worst case scenario? Your email gets bounced back and you return to square one — this time with an email already drafted. 

4. Use an email permutator

Like sales intelligence tools, email permutators generate email address combinations based on basic information, such as your contact’s name and company website.

Unlike sales intelligence tools, they can’t verify the addresses for you. 

The good news is that permutators can give you a wide range of possible combinations — typically 30-40 options — that you can copy and paste into email verification software to see which is most accurate. When used in tandem, permutators and sales intelligence tools can make a handy combination.

Many email permutators are free, too, such as these top picks:

  • MailMeteor
  • Metric Sparrow
  • Foxfire

5. Search social media

Social media often offers a trove of personal and professional details. The best place to look for CEO email addresses? LinkedIn.

Use the search bar to find the CEO you’re looking for. If you’re lucky, they’ll have their email address listed at the top of their profile. If not, check their “about” section and work history for any hidden details.

If that pesky email address is simply too elusive, send the CEO a direct message through LinkedIn’s InMail, which boasts a 18-25% response rate. Keep in mind that an InMail recipient is 21% more likely to respond when they’re in the same LinkedIn group as you, so be sure to maintain a steady presence on professional, skill-based, or interest groups on the platform.

Other social media platforms can also be fruitful. Consider looking through the CEO’s Facebook page or X (formerly Twitter) profile. You can even use the advanced search feature on X to find people via specific attributes or filters.

And if social media just isn’t panning out for you, use Lusha’s LinkedIn extension to get the CEO’s contact info in a matter of seconds.

6. Look through the company’s website

Sometimes a CEO’s email is hidden in plain sight. Scour the company’s website and blog to find what you might be missing elsewhere.

Pay special attention to the “about” page or any pages highlighting staff or, better yet, leadership teams. While these pages might be nested within the website, they often house company leaders’ bios and contact details.

Some organizations even include contact info alongside article bylines, so be sure to check out any blog posts written (or ghostwritten) by the CEO. You never know what you might find.

7. Contact the company

When all else fails, it never hurts to simply ask for what you need. 

Consider reaching out to the company via a website chatbot, or call their switchboard to get connected to an actual rep. Depending on the company policy — and how generous the phone operator is feeling — you may score a hit.

8. Tap alumni networks

Your Google search was a no-go and your LinkedIn hunt only got you some background information. Search has been a bust so far, right? Wrong.

The information you’ve found so far can be key to getting that CEO’s email. Alumni networks — whether universities or other organizations — keep keen records of their alums’ information, so don’t be afraid to tap them. Know someone who went to the same college as the CEO? Found a mutual connection at a professional organization? Saw that this CEO plays pickleball with a former coworker?

Reach out. Connections are everything.

9. Peruse online directories

Everyone’s experienced the Google black hole that leads to never-ending tabs of unhelpful sources.

But occasionally, a search can lead to an online, industry-specific directory rife with possibility. Directories are typically databases that house and list a company’s details, including contact information and the product or service they offer. In exchange for signing up, these often-free services provide you with an email address. 

While these resources are easy to use, they don’t always verify the addresses they find, and it’s unclear how often they update their lists, so if you’re looking for precision, use a sales intelligence tool.

10. Keep an eye on the news

Many CEOs aren’t just the face of their own company, but also public figures who lend their voices to the media to push industries forward. That’s why looking through news articles, press releases, and interviews — including the easily overlooked areas like footnotes — can often lead you to the right details.

To level up your news search, keep a pulse on trending industry news and set some digital media alerts so you’re notified when that CEO’s name pops up.

The breakdown

Ready to reach out, but not sure how to find the CEO’s email address? Here’s a rundown of the pros and cons of each strategy.

 

StrategyProsCons
Use a sales intelligence tool — like Lusha
  • Fast
  • Can be free
  • GDPR-compliant
  • Fresh, verified information
  • Often has information you won’t find anywhere else
  • Scalable
  • Requires sign-up
Rely on Google
  • Easy to use
  • Free
  • Doesn’t always work
  • Can be time-consuming
Take a guess
  • Free
  • Good for a few email addresses
  • Tough to scale
  • Can be time-consuming
  • Might not lead to accurate results
  • High bounce rates due to incorrect addresses might impact deliverability
Use an email permutator
  • Often free
  • Great for generating potential addresses
  • Requires sign-up
  • Can be time-consuming
  • Doesn’t verify information
  • High bounce rates due to incorrect addresses might impact deliverability
Search social media
  • Fast
  • Free
  • Easy
  • Can lead to useful details for a bigger search effort
  • Information might not be listed
  • Can take a while to get a DM response
Look through the company’s website
  • Free
  • Easy
  • Might not lead to results
  • Tough to scale
  • Can be time-consuming
Contact the company
  • Free
  • Fast
  • Easy
  • Might not lead to results
  • Tough to scale
Tap alumni networks
  • Free
  • Can lead to other sales connections
  • Often requires connections you may not have
  • Can be time-consuming
Peruse online directories
  • Fast
  • Free
  • Requires sign-up
  • Some require payment
  • Information isn’t frequently updated
  • Often provides unverified information
Keep an eye on the news
  • Fast
  • Free
  • Might not lead to results
  • Tough to scale
  • Can be time-consuming

FAQ

  • Is buying CEO email lists risky?

Yes! According to HubSpot, buying CEO mailing lists can violate GDPR rules, risk reducing your email deliverability rate, and damage your reputation. Instead, use a GDPR-compliant email finder tool to get verified addresses.

  • How do you cold email CEOs?

Cold emailing is an essential way to make sales connections with CEOs. Follow these best practices:

  • Don’t copy and paste your email. Personalize your content for the recipient to ensure it connects with and engages them.
  • Make the email about the CEO. How does your product, proposal, or idea benefit them? Focusing on their needs will increase your chance of getting a positive response.
  • Keep it short. CEOs are busy, so it’s important to get right to the point. In fact, shorter LinkedIn InMail messages get responses at 22% higher rates than the average.
  • Use an effective subject line to catch the CEO’s eye, and always end with a strong call to action to drive next steps.
  • How do you address a CEO in an email?

While it’s important to be personable in your cold email, you don’t want to get too casual. Always use an opening salutation — “hello,” “good afternoon,” or “hi there” — and always address the CEO by “Mr.,” “Ms.,” or their honorific to start. Once you build up rapport, you can switch to their first name.

  • How expensive are email finding and prospecting tools?

Sales intelligence tools can range quite dramatically in price, with some plans starting for free and others reaching upwards of $15,000 per year. What’s important is that you find a tool that gives you the right value for the price. Lusha, for example, offers a full suite of sales-enhancing technologies and solutions for a low cost. Start with a free basic plan that comes with five free contact credits per month, or go for one of the self-service plans that start at only $29 per month.

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    This information should not be mistaken for legal advice. Please ensure that you are prospecting and selling in compliance with all applicable laws.

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