2025

Q2 2025

On April 16, Keith Pearson taught a graduate school class at UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management on “What Makes a Successful HR Leader?” Keith serves on several advisory boards at UTD JSOM and frequently speaks at events for the school’s Capstone Program. The program provides students with skills and knowledge to succeed in today’s competitive business landscape.

On April 8, Renee Arrington moderated a fireside chat for NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) North Texas featuring Debra L. von Storch, NACD.DC and Jeff Thomas, EVP, CRO and Head of Listings for the Capital Access Platform division of Nasdaq. The timely conversation explored global capital markets and the Nasdaq Policy Advocacy study to “unlock capital formation for a stronger American economy.”

Renee Arrington led an executive panel, “Reskilling and Upskilling for the GenAI-Enabled Enterprise,” at HMG Strategy’s Dallas C-Level Technology Leadership Summit on April 3. This timely discussion brought together top tech leaders to share how they’re preparing their teams for the future of work.

On April 2, our global search partnership, IIC Partners, welcomed our newest member firm, GR & Partners, based in Brussels. The firm specializes in executive search, people and culture consulting and leadership development, supporting businesses through every stage of the talent lifecycle.

Q1 2025

On March 5, we hosted our Q1 Pearson Partners Spotlight SeriesTM breakfast: “Jobs on the Line: Navigating the Labor Market Amid Fed Pressure and Policy Shifts.” Renee Arrington led an insightful panel discussion featuring Jordan W. Cowman (Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig), Shelie Gustafson (Former EVP & Chief People Officer, Jacobs Solutions) and Meredith Walker (Global Economist, MMW Research). Read an in-depth summary of our discussion: Navigating the Labor Market Amid Fed Pressure and Policy Shifts, and save the date for our next breakfast on June 10, 2025.

Renee Arrington was a featured speaker at the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) North Texas annual board of directors forum at Old Parkland in February. This year’s forum focused on Dallas’ emergence as a powerhouse of economic growth, provided actionable insights for optimizing one’s board presence and commitments and discussed the practical effects of companies incorporating and reincorporating in Texas.

2024

Q4 2024

In December, we hosted our Q4 Pearson Partners Spotlight Series^TM breakfast: Leading in Culturally Challenging Times: Viewpoints on Corporate Neutrality. Keith Pearson moderated an insightful discussion featuring insights from panelists Ray Hemmig (Chairman, Retail & Restaurant Growth Capital; Hemmig Investments), Eric F. Hinton (Director, Robert B. Rowling Center for Business Law & Leadership, SMU) and Erin Ragsdale (Partner, Allyn Media). Read an in-depth summary of our discussion: Leading in Culturally Challenging Times: Viewpoints on Corporate Neutrality, and save the date for our next breakfast on March 5, 2025.

Pearson Partners is a longtime Gold Sponsor of the Private Directors Association – Dallas | Fort Worth chapter. In November, we hosted an engaging discussion for current and aspiring board directors on “Inherent Risk and Bias with Investigations for Private Companies.” Dan Torpey led an insightful discussion with panelists Julie Lyle, Jessica Magee and Jeff Ferguson, who explored the most prevalent risk and bias in private companies during investigation protocols and response. Learn more about the event and PDA Dallas.

In November, IIC Partners, our global search partnership, welcomed our newest U.S. member firm, Legacy Executive Search, based in Atlanta. The firm specializes in placing high-caliber leaders in the industrial, consumer, technology and private equity sectors.

We are excited to share our latest report, “Build Your Talent Pipeline With Market Mapping,” authored by our global IIC Partners Industrial Practice Group. The report, rich with client case studies, delves into market mapping—also known as talent mapping or pipelining—as an effective tool for organizations to identify and track potential candidates inside and outside the company. Renee Arrington co-authored the report, together with fellow Industrial Practice Group members Tim Zimmermann (Managing Partner, ingeniam Executive Search & Human Capital Consulting, Frankfurt), Ram Iyer (Associate Director, Claricent Partners, Mumbai) and Madeleine McCartney (Consultant, Progress, Paris). A cornerstone of our work lies in our Industry Practice Groups, where fellow members from across the globe meet virtually each month to exchange knowledge, discuss industry trends and collaborate on studies and reports for our clients.

We had an unforgettable week in Athens in October at our IIC Partners Global Conference and Annual Global Meeting, where our colleagues worldwide came together to connect, collaborate, knowledge-share and celebrate our shared achievements. Engaging sessions such as the Owners’ Forum allowed us to exchange insights on governance and organizational structures. We also explored the role of AI and automation in executive search, discussed solutions for the most challenging search situations, and learned how neuroscience can be applied to building trust.

Our global search partnership, IIC Partners, welcomed our latest U.S. member firm, Potrero Group, in October. Potrero Group, based in San Francisco, specializes in helping not-for-profit organizations navigate complex challenges through strategic planning, board transformation, executive search and leadership consulting.

Renee Arrington spoke on a panel in October at the Tech CxO LaunchPad at SMU, along with fellow panelists Eric Poon (CTO Portfolio Manager, PepsiCo) and Ajay Patel (VP, Business & Technology Services, Mary Kay Global). The panel, moderated by Chris Boult (CIO, U.S. Urology Partners), shared insights with the next generation of technology leaders. These instructional conversations are vital to shaping a bright future.

Pearson Partners International, in proud partnership with IIC Partners, unveiled our 2024 Executive Mobility Report. We surveyed over 300 global business leaders to study career mobility motivations and trends among senior executives worldwide.

Q3 2024

On September 10, we held our Q3 Pearson Partners Spotlight Series^TM breakfast: “Future Texas! Industry and Innovation in the Texas of Tomorrow,” focusing on the future of the world’s eighth-largest economy. Renee Arrington moderated our expert panel, featuring Stacey Doré (Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer and EVP of Public Affairs, Vistra) and Raanan Horowitz (former president and CEO, Elbit Systems of America). Our panel discussion highlighted energy, talent and space innovation across industries in Texas. Read an in-depth summary of our discussion: Future Texas! Industry and Innovation in the Texas of Tomorrow.

Pearson Partners International hosted an informative Private Directors Association – Dallas | Fort Worth discussion: “Defining and Refining your Board Search,” featuring panelists David Allen (CFO, LifeScience Logistics), Allen R. Westergard (board member, audit committee chair and retired managing partner at KPMG) and Cathy Skula (board member and chair of Compensation Committee, Save A Lot), about the many aspects of private company governance. The discussion was led by our president & COO, Renee Arrington.

Pearson Partners co-hosted the August Pearson Partners/K&L Gates CLE event, featuring a discussion with timely insights on the latest status of non-competes. Cortland Kelly Grynwald moderated the discussion, which was presented by K&L Gates Partner Brent Hockaday.

Q2 2024

On June 11, we held our Q2 Pearson Partners Spotlight Series^TM breakfast: “The U.S. and Mexico Presidential Elections: A Fireside Chat.” Keith Pearson led a one-on-one discussion with Rodrigo Aguilar Benignos, a senior advisor at APCO in Washington, D.C. and member of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations. Their discussion centered on this year’s presidential elections in Mexico and the U.S., whose outcomes—and the relationship between the prevailing candidates—will have a lasting influence on many vital issues, including the growing friendshoring movement. Read an in-depth summary of our discussion: Fireside Chat on the U.S. and Mexico Presidential Elections.

In June, we joined our search partners from around the world at our IIC Partners Global Meeting in Panama City. In addition to informative sessions and collaborative opportunities, the conference featured an interview with Renee Arrington, who discussed the qualities she seeks in candidates for board search assignments. 

We are pleased to announce that Renee Arrington has been elected as board chair of our global search partnership, IIC Partners. Renee was elected to the post during our annual global meeting in Panama City in June, having previously served as vice chair.

Renee Arrington has been elected board chair of NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) North Texas for 2024–2025. Renee joins Tom Leppert (independent board director and former Mayor of Dallas), who was elected board vice chair, and fellow new officers and board members Matthew Bob (independent board director), Ron Chu (External Audit Committee Chair to the Board, Toyota Motor Credit Corporation), Bets Lillo (independent board director) and Julie Silcock (independent board director). Renee has been a board and committee member of NACD  North Texas since 2016. Pearson Partners has long supported NACD North Texas, frequently sponsoring events that foster insight into leading boardroom practices.

We are honored to share that Forbes has once again recognized Pearson Partners International as one of America’s Best Executive Search Firms. This accolade, which we have earned four times (in 2024, 2023, 2018 and 2017), reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence in executive search and leadership consulting.

On May 1, Pearson Partners celebrated our 22-year anniversary. We are honored to have served our clients, candidates and friends for over two decades. We look forward to the future with enthusiasm, strengthening partnerships and driving impactful results together for many years ahead.

Pearson Partners hosted an insightful Private Directors Association – Dallas | Fort Worth program in May, “Is Your Board Ready to Navigate Disruption.” The program discussed the board’s role when serving on an ESOP company and the questions to ask to provide strategic oversight in this unique company structure. John Kober (Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP) moderated the panel discussion, with experienced board director panelists C. Jackson Pfeffer, Al Near and Christopher Cervantes sharing great insights, questions board members should be asking and real-life board experiences.

Pearson Partners is pleased to present our latest report, “Build Your Talent Pipeline With Market Mapping.” Authored by our global IIC Partners Industrial Practice Group, the report, rich with client case studies, explores market mapping—also known as talent mapping or talent pipelining—as a valuable service for organizations to identify and track potential candidates, ensuring rapid hiring when talent needs arise. Contributors from our Industrial Practice Group include Renee Arrington (Pearson Partners International), Tim Zimmermann (Managing Partner, ingeniam Executive Search & Human Capital Consulting in Frankfurt), Ram Iyer (Associate Director, Claricent Partners in Mumbai) and Madeleine McCartney (Consultant, Progress in Paris).

Renee Arrington spoke at HMG Strategy’s 15th Annual Dallas C-Level Technology Leadership Summit on April 2 at the Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco, Texas. Renee and her fellow panelist Jamey Cummings (Partner, JM Search) shared insights from the executive search perspective on attracting, nurturing and retaining top tech talent. HMG Strategy hosts these summits across the country, featuring brainstorming sessions for CIOs, CISOs and other business technology leaders to collaborate on common challenges and opportunities they face in their roles.

Pearson Partners co-hosted the April Pearson Partners/K&L Gates CLE event: “The New Texas Business Courts: What Do They Cover and How Do They Affect My Client(s)?” We are thrilled to co-host this informative series of events for legal professionals with K&L Gates, spearheaded by Cortland Kelly Grynwald of Pearson Partners and Melissa Langley of K&L Gates. With over five years of co-hosting this series, each event continues to draw engaged participants and deliver valuable insights.

Q1 2024

Renee Arrington spoke at the HMG Strategy 15th Annual Phoenix C-Level Technology Leadership Summit on March 21. Renee and fellow business technology experts discussed “Reskilling and Upskilling the Tech Workforce for the GenAI-enabled Enterprise.”

On March 5, we held our Q1 Pearson Partners Spotlight Series^TM breakfast: “The Shift From China to Mexico: Redefining Global Partnerships,” discussing why many companies are cutting ties with China to pivot to nearshoring/friendshoring in Mexico. Our panel of experts, moderated by Keith Pearson, included Jeff Cartwright (Managing Director, Shoreview Management Advisors), José (Pepe) Guevara (Chairman & CEO, Pecan Grove Farms), Alberto de la Peña (Partner/Co-Chair, International Practice Group, Haynes Boone) and Darla Roden (General Counsel, LALA U.S.). Read an in-depth summary of our discussion: The Shift From China to Mexico: Redefining Global Partnerships.

Pearson Partners hosted an insightful Private Directors’ Association – Dallas | Fort Worth program in February discussing “Protocol in the Boardroom: Are You Prepared?” Our panel of experts highlighted best practices around taking minutes, proper communications among board members and between board members and management, using (or not using) AI recording tools, committee structures, the Executive Committee, and executive sessions, along with answering probing questions from our attendees. Cortland Kelly Grynwald moderated the discussion with expert panelists Michael Stockham (Partner, Holland & Knight), Andrew Wallace (General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Board Secretary, NTE Mobility Partners and LBJ Infrastructure Group) and Arash Mostafavipour (Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary, Tabani Group), sharing great insights from inside and outside the boardroom.

Pearson Partners and K&L Gates kicked off our co-hosted 2024 CLE series in February with a fantastic presentation led by K&L Gates Partner Virginia Peters on “Streamlined Contract Review: How to Minimize Risk and Maximize Efficiency When Drafting, Negotiating and Managing Commercial Contracts.” It was an engaging and interactive session with lively discussion and contributions from attendees.

2023

Q4 2023

On December 12 , we held our Q4 Pearson Partners Spotlight Series^TM breakfast: “The U.S. & China: The Struggle for World Leadership.” Our panel, moderated by Keith Pearson, discussed the escalating tensions between the two global superpowers and the implications for business, the economy and our community. Our expert panelists included Michael Frank (Senior Fellow,
Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)), Meredith Walker (Principal & Global Economist, MMW Research), Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, PhD, Four-Star Admiral (Retired), United States Navy) and Ashley K. Yablon, (Attorney at Law and Author of the book Standing up to China: How a Whistleblower Risked Everything for His Country). Read an in-depth summary of our discussion: The U.S. and China: The Struggle for World Leadership.

We congratulate our President and COO, Renee Arrington, who was elected in November to another term as vice chair of the Americas at our IIC Partners Annual Global Conference in Prague. Congratulations and continued leadership success to Renee and the new and returning board members from our partner executive search firms across the globe.

In November, Pearson Partners joined our colleagues from partner firms across the globe at our IIC Partners Annual Global Conference in Prague. These annual meetings abound with opportunities to network, learn and share insight about our search industry, business development, client service strategy and best practices in search and leadership consulting. During the conference, Keith Pearson and Samuel Dinte (President at Dinte Executive Search) led an informative session on how they are using AI in their search businesses to maximize efficiency for their clients and candidates. Another highlight of the conference was a posthumous lifetime achievement award in honor of our late co-founder and chairman emeritus, Robert L. Pearson, who passed away peacefully in January.

Q3 2023

We held our Q3 Pearson Partners Spotlight Series^TM breakfast on September 12: “AI Chapter II – Back From the Future: How and Where AI is Already Implemented Today.” Keith Pearson led a lively discussion with our expert panelists, Todd Basile (Shareholder and Patent Attorney, Greenberg Traurig), Skip Howard (Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Spacee, Inc.), Michael Ross (Chief Product & Technology Officer, Trintech) and Jennifer Sanders (Executive Director, North Texas Innovation Alliance). Continuing on our Q2 breakfast topic, our panel pivoted from envisioning AI in the future to exploring the here and now, delving into how trailblazing organizations are already harnessing AI for tangible results today.

Q2 2023

On June 13, we held our Q2 Pearson Partners Spotlight Series^TM breakfast: “AI and the Future of Work: Navigating the New Frontier of Business Innovation.” Keith Pearson moderated our expert panel of thought leaders in AI, digital technology and innovation, including Tom Edwards (Director of Tech Consulting, Customer & Growth, Data and Analytics, EY), David Evans (Managing Partner, Sentiero Ventures), April Goff (Partner, Perkins Coie LLP) and John Gorman (Head of Product, Blue Nano Solutions). Our discussion about the rapidly evolving AI landscape and what lies ahead in this fascinating frontier proved so lively that, by popular demand from our audience, we planned a Part II of the topic for our Q3 breakfast in September.

We are thrilled to announce that Forbes has once again named Pearson Partners International one of America’s Best Executive Search Firms. This is the third time we have earned this distinction (2023, 2018 and 2017) for our commitment to best-in-class client service in executive search and leadership consulting.

Pearson Partners is proud to celebrate our 21st anniversary on May 1. We are grateful to our loyal clients, candidates and community for their loyalty and friendship over the past two decades. We are excited to continue our journey, building lasting relationships and delivering exceptional, best-in-class client service for years to come.

On April 24, Pearson Partners International’s late co-founder and chairman emeritus, Robert L. Pearson, was honored with a posthumous lifetime achievement award by our global association, AESC (Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants), at its annual meeting in Manhattan. We are proud and grateful to receive this well-earned tribute on Bob’s behalf for his lifetime of contributions to the executive search industry and the profession.

Renee Arrington led a panel discussion at HMG Strategy’s combined 2023 New York CIO Summit of America and Global Women in Technology Summit on April 13 at the Harvard Club in Manhattan. The event showcased top-tier leaders of global innovation and digital transformation.

Renee Arrington moderated a panel of expert speakers at the HMG Strategy 2023 Dallas CIO Executive Leadership Summit, which was held on April 6 at Brookhaven Country Club. The event featured HMG’s annual 2023 Global Leadership Institute Awards, which recognize outstanding business technology leaders who are making a difference in their organizations and industries.

Q1 2023

On March 7, we held our Q1 Pearson Partners Spotlight Series^TM breakfast: “Don’t Fumble Your Succession Plan: Navigating Leadership Transitions Effectively.” Renee Arrington and Cortland Kelly Grynwald co-moderated the insightful discussion, with our panel of experts delving into best practices for effective succession planning to ensure business continuity, mitigate risk, minimize disruption, develop talent and enhance organizational and career performance. Esteemed panelists included Norm Bagwell (Chairman of the Board, Bank of Texas), Jennifer Evans Morris (Vice President – Associate General Counsel, AT&T), Allison Mullis (Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Bell) and Sherry Vidal-Brown (Chief People Officer, Invited).

Pearson Partners mourns the loss of our esteemed co-founder and chairman emeritus, Robert L. Pearson, who passed away peacefully on January 18, 2023. For 22 years, Bob led our firm, team, family and global executive search industry with excellence, honor and integrity. Bob co-founded Pearson Partners International in 2002 with his son Keith Pearson at the height of a storied career in executive search (Bob’s daughter Jill joined the firm later that year). He contributed his lifelong passion for executive search and his love of his family to our firm. Bob was a role model and mentor, and his leadership will have a lasting impact. We miss him tremendously.