I was recently writing a round up for The Information Advisor, on company directory databases that do the best job in providing a deep level of executive names. I covered the usual suspects–D&B, OneSource, various Dialog databases, and some alternative Web ones too like ZoomInfo.

But I was pleasantly surprised when I tested a database I had not come across before, and found that it did the best job of providing the most names and titles. And the names provided were not just at the executive level, but down to senior managers too, like HR contacts, libraries and information centers, training and development departments, purchasing, corporate contributions, and government affairs personnel. And for some of the contacts listed, there were direct phone numbers, and sometimes even emails.

The database is called Leadership Library on the Internet and it is the online equivalent of those oversized yellow print “Leadership Directories” you probably have come across at some time in the library. One really nice feature about this one too is that the Web site allows you to do a search absolutely free of charge to see if the person or organization you are researching is included in the database.

Like all professional databases, it’s not cheap to subscribe (though not completely unreasonable either), but if you regularly need deep and timely information on people in companies–or in other types of organizations too for that matter–this one looks like a winner to me.