Searchlight Newsletter – Q1 2014 | Pearson Partners International

Searchlight Newsletter – Q1 2014

Q1 2014

A Message from Keith Pearson, President & CEO

For decades, North Texas has been an incubator for successful companies, from technology to food service to telecom. And with a growing population of workers, rapid job growth and continued expansion of higher education opportunities—including UT Dallas, which is on track to become a Tier One research university—our area remains one of the most attractive locations in America for business. These and other factors discussed at our recent Spotlight Series breakfast paint a rosy picture for the future of business in North Texas. In this issue, read a summary of the discussion and learn about how our positive business climate is creating the next generation of innovation.

This quarter has been full of equally exciting activity for our firm. Our business in Houston continues to grow, helping companies in Texas’ significant energy sector find the talent they need to drive the continuing oil and gas boom. Renee Arrington was a keynote speaker at IDG’s IT Roadmap conference in Chicago on March 18, and was a panelist speaker at HMGT’s CIO Summit in Houston on March 5.

Also in March, four of our team members participated in the Association of Executive Search Consultants annual global conference in New York, where I was confirmed to the Council of the Americas and Renee Arrington participated on the conference planning committee. Highlights of the day were Geoff Colvin’s presentation on “Talent Is Overrated” and his interview with James P. Gorman, chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley, who talked about the challenges of transformational leadership. You can see more of our recent news in this issue.

You may have noticed a new format in our email for this edition. This is just a sneak peek at our new website launching soon, which is part of our overall brand enhancement this year, in our continuing effort to improve the insight we share with our clients and partners. Stay tuned for more exciting developments.

In This Issue

Quarterly Spotlight Series Breakfast:
Vision 2020: The Future of the North Texas Business Climate

There’s no place like North Texas, and right now, whether you’re a business owner or employee, there’s no better place to be. At our recent Spotlight Series breakfast, our panelists discussed our area’s healthy post-recession economy, historical business success, abundant higher education opportunities, seed accelerators that are feeding innovation and 1,400 new Texans who arrive daily to strain our natural resources even as they staff our companies.

Tips from the Leadership Coach:
How to Make the Switch

Sometimes a career path can take an unexpected turn, and for some executives, it leads to a leadership role in an entirely different industry. For executives seeking to switch from one industry to another, it’s important to clarify exactly where they want their next job to be and how their skills and experience would fit into this new role. Pearson Partners’ leadership coach, Lisa Thompson, offers a tried-and-true process to guide executives through the transition.

DFW HR Roundtable:
The Impact of Behavior on Performance

Most people work best in certain types of jobs and working environments. Yet too often, people end up in a job that’s not a good match for their working style, causing stress and lost productivity. How can you successfully match an individual with the right role? At our recent DFW HR Roundtable discussion, Adrian Wood, co-founder of ShadowmatchUSA, shared some ideas and resources to gauge individual behaviors and habits, then match them accordingly.

Pearson in the Community:
Our Friends Place

The No. 1 indicator of poverty for U.S. women is how young they have their first child. Our Friends Place is working to help girls and young women in North Texas defy those statistics by breaking the cycle of abuse, neglect, poverty and homelessness. Lisa Thompson, Pearson Partners’ managing director, professional services and 2014 president of Our Friends Place, explains how the organization empowers young women by assisting with affordable housing and life skills while they work and continue their education.

Pearson Partners Profile:
Chris Reinsvold

Meet Chris Reinsvold, who joined our new Houston-based team late last year as vice president. Chris has more than 25 years of management experience in the energy sector, primarily in upstream oil and gas and the oilfield equipment and services sectors. Learn how and why he transitioned from the energy industry to management consulting to executive search, and how he applies this valuable mix of experience to earn clients’ repeat business.

Featured Search

We are conducting a search for a Chief Executive Officer for a manufacturer of high-end competition sporting goods in a rapidly expanding market segment. The CEO will steer the company as it continues to lead its industry in innovation and technological advancement.

We are conducting a Chief Technology Officer search for an energy research institute. This position reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for standardizing the R&D commercialization process and instilling a culture of innovation so that the research conducted benefits the institute’s clients specifically, and the energy industry broadly.

View more featured searches

Other News

We are honored that Deborah Sawyer has been elected chair of the nominating committee for this year’s Tech Titans awards, sponsored by the Metroplex Technology Business Council. These prestigious awards honor the most elite in North Texas technology and innovation. Nominate yourself, your company or a client, now through May 19. For questions, email Deborah.

Our next DFW HR Roundtable is April 8, featuring Renee Arrington on Success Strategies for Personal Branding to Advance Your HR Career. Learn more.

Pearson Partners is participating in a series of TweetChats on Twitter, hosted by the AESC, about executive-search-related topics. Next up is Executive Search in Venture Capital and Startups, featuring Keith Pearson, at 11:00am CDT on April 8.