Searchlight Newsletter – Q3 2016

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                        Q3 2016

keith pearson

A Message from Keith Pearson, President & CEO

Uncertainty is nothing new to business leaders, who often thrive in spite of it. But this year, more wild cards than usual seem to be in play.

All of America is captivated by a very unusual presidential race, but for the leaders of the country’s economic engines, the stakes of this election are even higher. Control of Congress and the Supreme Court – not to mention fiscal, trade and regulatory policy – could all be soon to change. How drastically remains to be seen, and the eventual impact on the business environment is a great unknown.

At the same time, we face an unprecedented threat of global terrorism, plus several years of watching and waiting as our peers in Europe sort out the fallout of the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Because these interrelated topics are at the top of a lot of minds right now, the third quarter of this volatile year seemed like a good time to sit down with our fellow business leaders, break bread and hash through the issues. So, we invited three economic, military and legal experts to lead the discussion at our recent Spotlight SeriesSM breakfast, and it was an exciting discussion indeed. Don’t miss the summary of the discussion in this issue of Searchlight.

In This Issue


Quarterly Spotlight Series Breakfast:
Global Uncertainty: The Election, Terrorism, Brexit

The outcome of the November election will undoubtedly have a big impact on business in America, but that’s not the only source of uncertainty for decision-makers. The worldwide threat of terror has become a new normal, and the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union has created more questions than answers. To examine the potential impact of these interrelated forces on business, Pearson Partners’ panel of experts broke down the possibilities at our recent Spotlight SeriesSM breakfast.

Read More

Tips from the Leadership Coach:
Leading in the Face of Uncertainty

None of us can predict the future, but with good leadership, it’s possible to keep surprises—and their associated risks—to a minimum. What skills do business leaders need to cultivate to maintain a steady course during uncertain times? What are the best strategies to minimize risk while keeping the door open for future opportunities? Lisa Thompson, LPC, PCC, our managing director of professional services, answers these questions and more in this issue. Read her tips.

Read More

Pearson Partners HR Roundtable:
Change Leadership in a Changing World

In organizational change initiatives, the right approach can make all the difference. Winning support for change requires careful attention to both people and process. At Pearson Partners’ August HR Roundtable, featured guest speaker Kirsten Jordan, a partner at PeopleResults, shared the three most important steps for change leaders to create or support organizational change. Read a summary of the discussion.

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Case Study:
A New HR Leader for Rosewood Corporation

The retirement of a well-respected, longstanding human resources leader left Rosewood Corporation with big shoes to fill. Seeking a new, experienced vice president of HR who would mesh with the organizational culture—and bring new perspective—the company enlisted the help of Pearson Partners. After a deep dive to learn about the organization, its culture and its leaders, we found not just one, but several ideally qualified candidates for Rosewood to choose from. Learn how we did it.

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Global Survey:
The Rise of the Chief Digital Officer

Our global executive search membership organization IIC Partners recently surveyed our collective worldwide client base—including more than 500 business leaders—and found that 80 percent of senior executives consider the investment in digital transformation highly important to organizational success. Yet, only about a third of the organizations surveyed plan to hire a chief digital officer within the next two years. If there’s no CDO on board, who is leading the digital drive? Find out, and learn what organizations should look for in a CDO.

Read More

Featured Searches

We are conducting a search for a Chief Marketing Officer for a leading financial services provider. The CMO will lead the company’s strategic digital transformation of marketing activities and will drive growth across traditional, digital, social and mobile platforms. The successful CMO will build and implement a marketing strategy that leads the way to more direct collaboration with clients, new product and service opportunities and new markets. Learn more or provide a confidential referral.

We are conducting a search for the Commercial Director, Americas for Feadship Royal Dutch Shipyards. Feadship is recognized as the world leader in pure custom superyachts. The commercial director will be based in the Feadship Americas office in Fort Lauderdale. He or she will have proven custom sales expertise as well as a strong affinity for the design, engineering and construction that sets the standard of Feadship.
Learn more or provide a confidential referral.

View more featured searches

Recent Placements

Chief Operating Officer, Cinema Entertainment Company

Chief Operating Officer, Leading Automotive Repair Company

Chief Operating Officer, General Practice Law Firm

SVP Development, Not-for-Profit Foundation

VP, Business Enterprise Solutions, Asset Management and Brokerage Services

Vice President Sales & Marketing, Office Furniture Company

Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, Real Estate Agents and Managers

Director of Real Estate, Commercial Truck Leasing

Senior Project Manager, Architecture, Design and Urban Planning Firm

Controller, National Tax Consultancy

Other news

Renee Arrington continues her national speaking circuit at the HMG Strategy CIO Summits. Most recently, she spoke on ”Strategic Leadership in a World of Accelerated Change” at the CIO Summit in Denver on September 1, 2016. Next up, the Philadelphia CIO Summit on November 9.

Pearson Partners is a co-sponsor of NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) North Texas chapter’s luncheons “The Economy and the Election” on October 11 and 12, featuring Frank Hatheway, Chief Economist for NASDAQ.

Renee Arrington was named a finalist at D CEO’s CIO/CTO Awards for 2016, in the Technology Advocate category. This award honors chief information officers, chief technology officers, top IT executives and technology advocates in the North Texas Region. Please help us congratulate Renee on this well-deserved honor.

Frank Morogiello is on the Workforce Development Panel at the Texas Travel Industry Association’s Texas Travel Summit Houston on October 10-11, where Frank will discuss how best to recruit, retain and develop travel industry executives.  

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. On August 9, Keith Pearson discussed Executive Search and Boards of Directors. On September 20, Lisa Thompson discussed Executive Interview Tips. Next up, Lisa Thompson will discuss Executive Career Coaching on October 4. View future chats and past transcripts on our Event Calendar.

Read more updates in our Q3 2016 Searchlight newsletter.

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