Just after Labor Day and as we were approaching the end of Summer, I shared a post regarding “The Effects of Job Hopping” and suspected that there was a handful of you out there that were likely pondering where your career is headed.  Well, now that Summer fun has ended, the Labor Day… Read More

  Have wondered why the search for your next executive level role is taking so long?  Have you honestly assessed the trajectory of your career and many of the associated decisions you made about the roles you have taken, whether by your own decision or out of your own control? While one might think this… Read More

  Earlier this month, I shared insights into what is happening in the arena of board refreshment, particularly in the areas of the latest trends and succession. In this second part of understanding board refreshment, we will look at how the needle is moving in board room diversity and what companies are looking for in… Read More

    In an earlier post, Navigating Board Timing, I shared insights into how most corporate boards, particularly publicly traded, go about appointing new directors to their board. Although it is not an exact science, it is a pretty solid view into how it works in alignment with proxy season.  So, what is happening in… Read More

  This has quite possibly been the most hectic, unpredictable and surprising season for board succession that I have experienced, since representing our first independent director client, Lou Testoni, close to nine years ago. While I typically rely on the premise of introducing our client to a potential board opportunity six to nine months before… Read More

It is quite refreshing to hear that corporate boards are finally turning their agenda toward talent. Institutional investors are getting involved in the topic of talent. Corporate boards are starting to engage on talent issues. At least half of boards are talking about talent management and the human capital agenda, but data shows that boards… Read More

“The single most important thing is to make sure you have the right leadership for the business. In a world economy that remains prone to macro shocks, the firms we work for are looking for expertise and a successful record, but equally important, CEOs who really want to make a difference transforming a company.” —… Read More

Obsolescence should not be feared. While it signals the end of something familiar, it welcomes a new way forward. We have reached this crossroads with retained executive search. It is obsolete. Today, the retained executive search process is costly. Frequently, after lengthy recruiting processes, retained searches deliver new board members who fit poorly with the… Read More

During my daily work of representing C-Suite executives for their interest in independent directorships and partnering with corporate boards by providing them with vetted executives, it is clear to me that investor focus on board performance has reached new levels of intensity. Activist investors who have been historically assertive are now even more aggressive and… Read More

Over the last sixteen years of practicing, advising and serving as an agent in the arena of executive search, I have seen the offer process go very well and I have also witnessed pure disasters. Most often, executives do not know how to negotiate an offer.  Even though an executive may be very talented at… Read More