The Executive Connections LLC retained search consulting team possesses decades of experience achieving excellence and mutual growth by considering the needs and goals of our corporate clients and our candidates.
To make a match that yields long-term, positive bottom line impact, timing, personality, experience, compensation, location, culture, and ability are just some of the numerous factors in the art and science of executive search.
“What makes EC distinct, in my opinion, having worked with numerous other executive search organizations around the world, is their meticulous attention to detail, follow-up and follow-through — while being made to feel as if we were their only client…”
— Stuart A Spencer, SVP and COO, Worldwide Accident & Health
Chubb Group of Insurance Companies
What makes our retained search services different?
- As a boutique firm, we’ve earned our reputation as respected and connected experts for Fortune 100 executives in the Financial Services, Insurance, Marketing Services, Media, and Healthcare sectors.
- Industry focus means insight into executive reputations ahead of search assignments, giving us a head start in sourcing “star talent.”
- C-level executives know us and respond promptly to our requests.
- We recognize the high-cost when positions aren’t filled well the first time, and failure is simply not an option.
- With every search we bundle 6-12 months of executive transition support from an executive coach, enabling us to guarantee the success of executives we place.
For more information about the value of Executive Connections LLC’s retained executive search, explore our Executive Search Case Studies and contact us.
Check out our current and recent executive searches.
CLIENT SEARCH PROCESS
Once Executive Connections receives a search assignment the following proven process is used:
Step One: Organizational Review
The Executive Connections team meets with the hiring manager, head of human resources, and other stakeholders, to clearly understand the organizational structure and the duties/responsibilities of the position we are being hired to fill. A review of the industry experience, functional experience, and major attributes that the successful candidate must possess is conducted.
Step Two: Position Specification
Executive Connections prepares a detailed written description of the position specifying the duties, responsibilities and qualifications required for each position that we have been engaged to fill. Once this document is completed we obtain client approval and this becomes our common “yardstick” for evaluating potential candidates.
Step Three: Candidate Research & Identification
Executive Connections conducts primary and secondary market research to identify potential candidates and sources at specific companies within a particular industry sector. We review the list of targeted companies including key competitors and industry organizations. The result of this powerful process is between 250 to 300 names, and including contact information.
Step Four: Candidate Evaluation & Screening
Executive Connections meets personally with and interviews each and every potential candidate before forwarding anything on to our client. For each search assignment we develop a “long list” of four-to-six qualified and highly motivated candidates and deliver our recommendations to the client within 4-6 weeks from the outset of the search.
Step Five: Candidate Presentation & Client Evaluation
Executive Connections provides detailed evaluations of each candidate we present, prior to the initial meetings with our client. This evaluation includes candidate reference checks. We coordinate the interviewing process and facilitate the feedback between the client and the candidate.
Step Six Negotiations & Closing
Executive Connections prepares and delivers the employment offer. Since we pre-qualify candidate interest and compensation expectations prior to the offer stage surprises at this point in the process are kept to a minimum. However, should it become necessary we handle any objections and counter-offers.
Step Seven: Executive Coaching/On-Boarding Support
Executive Connections guarantees the successful transition of every executive we place by providing six months of executive coaching, beginning on the date the offer is accepted, to provide support and continued involvement to ensure the executive gets off to a successful start in the new position. Please read our Guarantee for more details and visit the Blended Solutions section of our site for further details.
CANDIDATE SEARCH PROCESS
Step One: Resume Submission
We invite candidates to fill out a candidate information form (found on our database) providing information on your career objectives, geographic preferences/restrictions, compensation details, etc. and e-mail this information to us together with a copy of your resume. Once Executive Connections receives your resume and background information, we will enter it into our database.
Step Two: Telephone Call
Once Executive Connections identifies a position that might be a potential fit with your background and objectives, we will call you to discuss this opportunity. We will also e-mail you a position specification outlining all the duties, responsibilities and qualifications required for each position. We evaluate your requirements as they relate to the position and interview you again based on your interest and overall fit.
Step Three: Personal Meeting
Once Executive Connections and you agree an opportunity is worth pursuing, we meet with you in person for a face-to-face interview. We never forward your resume to our clients without having completed this step.
Step Four: Candidate Presentation & Reference Checking
Executive Connections checks your references and prepares a written evaluation and recommendation to present to our client.
Step Five: Client Interviews & Feedback
Executive Connections coordinates your interview at the client site and facilitates the feedback between our client and you.
Step Six: Offer & Negotiations
Executive Connections prepares and delivers your job offer. Since we pre-qualify your interest and compensation expectations prior to the offer stage surprises at this stage are kept to a minimum.
Step Seven: Executive Coaching/On-Boarding Assistance
Executive Connections provides you with six months of executive coaching, beginning on the date you accept your offer, to provide every possible support and continued involvement to assure you get off to a successful start in your new position. Visit the Blended Solutions section of our site for further details.
SEARCH SERVICES GUARANTEE
Executive Connections is so confident about the results of our Executive Search and Bended Solutions approach that we guarantee the success of the candidates we place. If the individual we place leaves the organization or is terminated within a six-month period from the hiring date Executive Connections will replace them at no additional fee (excluding direct expenses).
Executive Coaching is included in the placement fee for the Executive Search assignment as an added value and is highly recommended. Executive Coaching is provided because the costs of a failed executive placement for our client, the candidate, and ourselves, are far too great to allow this to be an option or outcome of the search process.
From the very beginning of the new relationship, coaching builds agreement and alignment between the hiring executive and the placed executive on the specific objectives and deliverables for the position.
As part of this process the placed executive prepares and implements appropriate action plans to successfully address the key responsibilities and accountability of the position, as well as to help transition successfully into the new organization and culture. Coaching continues for a period of six months from the start date.
EXECUTIVE SEARCH CASE STUDIES
Case Study #1 – Media/Publishing Client
Challenge:
The media and publishing sectors have been experiencing advertising revenue declines as customers shift their media consumption from offline to online media sources. While most media/publishing companies have “custom publishing” business units, several have begun aggressively expanding these units to compete directly against advertising agencies for CRM, loyalty, and other direct and digital “agency of record” assignments as a means of building new sources of advertising revenues and profits.
Actions:
As a specialized, “boutique” firm with significant knowledge and connections in the direct, CRM, and digital agency sectors, we were retained by a major, publicly-owned media/publishing client to recruit a President, Integrated Marketing Services. Subsequently, we continued to assist this client in other C-level strategic hires as they built this business organically over the first 2-3 years.
Also, as part of this process, we provided significant “best practice” research to our client on the strengths and weaknesses of the top 2-3 executives who lead the strongest 5-10 direct and digital agencies in the competitive sector. We also introduced our client to several specialized M&A advisory firms that could identify potential acquisitions to accelerate scaling their business to a $250 million+ level within 3-4 years.
Results:
Our media/publishing client successfully hired a President, Integrated Marketing Services and 2-3 other key executive team leaders with our assistance, and we provided our unique “blended solutions” approach of assisting with the transition support over the first 6-12 months to assure each of these executives was successful.
Our client successfully completed four acquisitions of digital, database, and mobile marketing agencies and integrated these to create a business, which was recently recognized by Advertising Age as one of the A-list agencies to watch.
Case Study #2 – Direct Response Insurance Client
Challenge:
We were contacted by a major consumer packaged goods client that owned an infant nutrition division containing a direct response juvenile life insurance business. This client needed to recruit a new President as part of a succession plan to replace the outgoing CEO who was approaching retirement. Since this was not a “core business” for our client, they depended upon our knowledge and connections within the direct response insurance sector to assist them in identifying and vetting candidates with the potential to take over as President and ultimately rise to become CEO of this business.
Actions:
As a specialized, “boutique” firm with significant knowledge and connections in the direct response insurance business, we were retained to assist our CPG client to recruit a President for this specialty unit. Subsequently, we continued to assist in building a “best in class” marketing department, including key placements of several marketing executives to help transform this business from an old-line direct mail acquisition model to an integrated, multi-channel business model.
Also, as part of this long-term relationship, we provided significant “best practice” research to our client on key marketing areas related to growing their business, including consumer marketing, call center, and digital marketing strategies, practices, and processes. We also recruited “best in class” talent from leading credit card and financial services organizations outside of insurance to contribute leading-edge marketing and direct selling know-how.
Results:
We were successful in recruiting the President of this direct response insurance unit and providing our unique transition support coaching services to help this executive get promoted to CEO within the first three years. This CEO has continued to run business successfully over the past 8-9 years, during which time he has doubled the size of this business unit while maintaining the highest profit margins within this CPG division.
Subsequently, we continued to assist this CEO in building a “best in class” marketing department, including key placements of the VP – New Product & Business Development, VP – Consumer Marketing, and VP – Digital Marketing.
We are now assisting the CEO as he leads his succession planning process to select a new President within the next 18 months prior to his transitioning out of this business unit. We continued to provide executive coaching services to the CEO over his entire tenure running this business.
Case Study #3 – Association Client
Challenge:
We were contacted by a large non-profit association which was reorganizing its “for-profit” business unit as a result of a strategic consulting engagement with one of the major business strategy consulting firms. The President of the “for-profit” business unit was an existing executive coaching client of our firm, and he engaged us to assist in defining the marketing organization structure, developing key position descriptions for the SVP- and VP-level marketing roles, and recruiting for SVP- and VP-level marketing positions for this revitalized business unit.
Actions:
As a specialized, “boutique” firm with significant knowledge in the affinity marketing and direct response sectors, we partnered with our association client to finalize the marketing organization structure, develop written position descriptions for all marketing roles, and recruit 3 SVP-level roles: SVP – Marketing, SVP – Product Management, and SVP – New Business Development. Subsequently, we continued to help build their “best in class” marketing department and transform this business unit, including key placements of 7-8 VP-level marketing executives (including VP – Marketing, VP – E-Commerce, VP – Product Management, VP – Business Development).
Simultaneously, our client was launching a top-down executive coaching initiative geared to improve accountability as part of the leadership provided by a new CEO. We personally coached 3-4 members of the association’s the C-level team and also provided our transition support coaching to the 10+ executives we placed at this client over a 2-year period.
Also, as part of this long-term relationship, we provided significant “best practice” research to our client for key marketing areas related to growing their business, including consumer marketing, call center, and digital marketing strategies, practices, and processes. We assisted our client with introductions to key industry suppliers who became their strategic resource partners.
Results:
We successfully completed an initial engagement to assist the President of this “for-profit” unit to develop written position descriptions for all SVP-level and VP-level marketing positions. We also provided outside compensation benchmarks to assist the President in getting each of these positions “graded” at an appropriate compensation level to attract top talent from the corporate side.
We were successful in recruiting three SVP-level executives who drove positive change within the organization. These executives were so effective, they were later named Chief Branding Officer of the non-profit side of the association and Chief Operating Officer of the for-profit subsidiary.
We were also successful in recruiting seven VP-level executives in key marketing, e-commerce, new product development, and new business positions. Most of these executives have remained with this for-profit unit for 5+ years and have contributed significantly to the continued growth of the for-profit unit.