EXECUTIVE SEARCH PEOPLE INTELLIGENCE

True Launches Forensic Referencing and Names Christopher Jaros Partner to Lead It

TM
Techmediaglobal
| 3 min read
New
FORENSIC REFERENCING OFFERING
~20 Yrs
JAROS'S EXPERIENCE
Partner
NEW LEADERSHIP ROLE
Philadelphia
HEADQUARTERS

True, the global executive talent platform, has introduced True Forensic Referencing, a new investigative intelligence offering built to help investors, boards and leadership teams stress-test executives before major deals and governance decisions. Leading the build-out is newly appointed Partner Christopher Jaros, who brings nearly two decades of investigative due diligence, legal and executive intelligence experience to the role.

Closing the Gap in Leadership Due Diligence

True Forensic Referencing is designed to give investors and boards a fuller picture of the executives they're backing, through structured, confidential conversations with high-signal sources spanning a leader's entire career. Rather than a standard reference call, the offering aims to surface consistent behavioural patterns — how executives build teams, handle pressure, make decisions, and are experienced by the people around them over time.

The new capability sits alongside True's existing executive search, assessment and leadership advisory services, adding a deeper investigative layer for moments when leadership decisions carry the greatest financial and strategic weight.

"Investors apply extraordinary rigor to the business, but often crave more due diligence on the people running them."

— SAM MCGRATH, GLOBAL GM, TRUE SEARCH

Why Post-Close Surprises Are a Preventable Risk

McGrath framed leadership missteps discovered after a deal closes as one of the most consistent — and most avoidable — sources of value erosion in private equity and other high-stakes corporate decisions. Those gaps in diligence, he noted, tend to surface at the worst possible moment. He added that Jaros's track record helping clients navigate complex situations with precision gives clients a meaningful new edge when the stakes are highest.

Meet Christopher Jaros

Jaros joins True from a partner role at a boutique global investigations firm in New York, where he helped build and lead its business intelligence practice. He has been ranked by Chambers & Partners as a leading practitioner in crisis and risk management for global investigative due diligence. Before that, he spent more than a decade practicing law, including as a partner at a major global law firm, handling complex civil and criminal matters alongside federal regulatory investigations.

Jaros said True is already involved when the most consequential leadership decisions get made, and that growing Forensic Referencing extends that impact earlier — into the evaluation window before key investment and partnership decisions are finalised. He pointed to True's relationships with clients and its global executive network, paired with its technology platform, as the combination that drew him to the firm.

About True

Philadelphia-based True describes itself as an executive talent management platform combining data, technology and global expertise. Its portfolio spans True Search for executive recruiting, TrueBridge for fractional and interim placements, True Talent Labs for coaching and assessment, the Thrive talent CRM, and SearchEssentials for tech-enabled hiring. The Forensic Referencing launch follows a string of recent practice expansions at the firm, including new real estate and financial services teams earlier in 2026.

Key Takeaways

  • →True has launched Forensic Referencing, an investigative intelligence offering to help vet executives before major deals and governance decisions.
  • →Christopher Jaros joins as Partner to build and lead the new practice, bringing nearly 20 years of investigative, legal and intelligence experience.
  • →The offering uses structured, confidential conversations with career-spanning sources to surface behavioural patterns rather than a typical reference check.
  • →Leadership Global GM Sam McGrath frames post-close leadership surprises as a preventable, recurring source of value erosion in private equity.
  • →Jaros was previously ranked by Chambers & Partners as a leading practitioner in crisis and risk management for investigative due diligence.
  • →The launch expands True's broader platform, which already spans True Search, TrueBridge, True Talent Labs, Thrive and SearchEssentials.
Tags: True Executive Search Due Diligence Private Equity Leadership Hiring Talent Intelligence Deal Intelligence Christopher Jaros