Pearson Partners Q3 2015 Searchlight Newsletter | Pearson Partners International

Searchlight Newsletter – Q3 2015

Q3 2015

A Message from Keith Pearson, President & CEO

We founded Pearson Partners International 14 years ago as a retained executive search firm serving the portfolio leadership needs of the leveraged buyout and private equity community. Today, we proudly serve clients in every industry, securing top talent for virtually every senior management function from the director level to the boardroom. But private equity still accounts for the largest piece of our business, with roughly 30 percent coming from either parent companies or their portfolios.

In private equity investments, leadership talent is critical, and relationships can make or break success. So when our good friend Linda Wilkins, founding partner of Wilkins Finston Friedman Law Group LLP, offered to moderate our next Spotlight Series^SM event with a focus on relationships between private equity operators and the CEOs of their portfolio companies, we jumped at the idea.

We invited a panel of leaders from both sides of the PE equation to share their thoughts on what makes successful private equity relationships tick, and the conversation covered everything from Texas’ rising star as a PE market, to how to keep employees invested, to whether (and when) company founders should let go. Don’t miss the summary of the panelists’ discussion in this issue.

Read more in this edition of Searchlight.

In This Issue

Quarterly Spotlight Series Breakfast:
Private Equity and the CEO: Building a Healthy Relationship

When a private equity firm invests in a company, one thing is certain: change is coming. These ownership relationships are built on a common goal of dramatic growth, which inevitably requires new strategies. Cultivating a management team that is up to the task is key to the venture’s success or failure. At our recent Spotlight Series^SM breakfast, our panel of leaders from both sides of the private equity experience shared their thoughts on what makes for a successful PE partnership. Read a summary of the discussion.

Case Study:
Meeting Professionals International

When a worldwide membership organization needed a chief operating officer—twice—it called upon Pearson Partners to find the right people for the job. This highly specific niche required a unique skill set, yet both times, Pearson Partners’ Lisa Thompson found ideally qualified candidates and helped fill this critical role within just three months. Our client was doubly impressed with our results, and their current COO says the search process was unlike any other he’s experienced. Read the case study to find out why.

Pearson Partners HR Roundtable:
Unleash the Power of Diversity

In recent decades, companies have grown to understand that a diverse employee base can contribute to business success. But what does “diversity” really mean, and how, exactly, can companies translate it into better results? At our recent Pearson Partners HR Roundtable, Debjani Biswas, consultant, speaker and author, shared her thoughts on how to build and leverage multicultural competencies that make a difference. Read the highlights of her presentation.

Tips from the Leadership Coach:
How Does Your Organization Cope with Uncertainty?

In an uncertain world, how an organization assesses and manages risks says a lot about its culture. Whether a company evaluates potential threats and emphasizes protective actions; embraces a high-risk, high-growth-potential strategy; or blazes a trail for everyone else in the business, it’s all a reflection of the leadership’s style. Check out our tips for helping your organization cope with uncertain times.

Pearson in the Community:
Tech Titans

Pearson Partners encourages its team to give back to the community. Deborah Sawyer, vice president and technology practice leader, tells us about her involvement with Tech Titans, the largest innovation hub and technology trade organization in Texas.
Read More

Featured Search

We are conducting a search for a Board Director for one of the nation’s largest rent-to-own operators. The board member must be a technology expert and bring innovative ideas for impacting and improving current strategy. Learn more.

View more featured searches

Recent Placements

Chief Administrative Officer, Flintco / Alberici Group

Executive Director, Facilities, WellStar Health System

Managing Director, Intranet, Global Financial Services Provider

Director of Genealogy, WorldVentures

Business Development Executive, CTMI

Other news

Robert Pearson contributed to a study entitled Texas Corporate Directors: Who They Are & What They Do, authored by Lawrence J. Trautman for the Social Science Research Network and published on September 17, 2015.

Renee Arrington has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Foundation for the Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Fort Worth. Part of the broader Young Women’s Preparatory Network, the Fort Worth YWLA is a partner with FWISD and offers single-gender education for grades 6-12 focused on STEAM (Science Technology Education Art and Math).

The Dallas Chapters of Society of Information Management (SIM) and Financial Executives International (FEI) are collaborating again for the Technology Breakfast on Friday, December 11. Renee Arrington (SIM member) is collaborating with Mahesh Shetty (immediate past president of FEI) to plan the event, entitled “Disruption Engines and the Impact on Finance and Technology Leaders.”

Tech Titans and the Collin County Business Alliance are jointly hosting the Cybersecurity Leadership Forum on October 2. Deborah Sawyer, Tech Titans board member and programs director, serves on the event’s speaker selection committee.

Stephen Konstans has been named to the Advisory Board for the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance (IECG). The IECG is hosting several board-related events throughout the fall and winter. Contact Stephen to learn more.

The firm is attending our global partners’ meeting in Hong Kong on October 7-9, where Renee Arrington is presenting a case study of how Pearson Partners leverages assessment as an integral part of executive search.

Pearson Partners is a sponsor of Ellevate’s October 15 luncheon, jointly sponsored with the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC). The evening will be part of the DEC’s month-long series of events celebrating female entrepreneurs (#WEDallas) and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Lisa Thompson is a panelist for an AESC BlueSteps Executive Career Insider webinar on November 18, “Expert Tips for Executive Compensation Negotiation.”

Deborah Sawyer is a panelist at Ellevate’s November 12 luncheon, jointly sponsored with SMU’s Women in Business.

Pearson Partners Advisory Board Member Roz Mallet was featured by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) for her recent participation at the Armed Forces Forum for Culinary Excellence. Current President and CEO of PhaseNext Hospitality, Roz is a former board chair of the NRA. She shared leadership insights for military foodservice professionals at the event.

Be sure to catch our executive career TweetChats, live chats on Twitter on a variety of executive-search-related topics, moderated by AESC’s BlueSteps . In August, Keith Pearson discussed “Executive Search and Boards of Directors.” Next up: Stephen Konstans “Executive Search and the Chief Financial Officer” on October 6. View future chats and past transcripts on our event calendar.

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