Recruiting a Chief Executive Officer is probably the single most important decision any Board or business owner is called upon to make, as so much of the organization's future impact and success hinges on the person selected - and it requires specific skills on the part of the recruiter over and above those necessary to recruit at lower levels. 

The requisite understanding of business philosophies and practices; the impact of leadership style on the organization; understanding of the interrelationships of technical functions and the human element within the organization; and "culture" matching of candidates to the organization; are all far more sensitive than in lower level positions.  A recruiter's skill and experience in dealing with these issues, in partnership with the selection committee, directly influence the top and bottom lines on the income statement.

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After almost 30 years of Presidential recruiting, we have amassed a strong reputation for this high level work, receiving a citation in the most recent edition of John Sibbald's  book,The New Career Makers, as the #14 General Management recruiter in North America.  This reputation has been earned by functioning effectively over a broad array of industries, a sampling of which appears below:

The rigor of our approach and the methodology through which we seek referrals produces a group of candidates of impecably high caliber.  The critical issues for the recruiter at this level become the matching of management philosophy and operating style to the organization, the recognition of true leadership, and a heavy personal involvement in the recruiting (or "selling") of the candidate on the proposed job transition.

In our Opinion:

Demand for CEO's Will Escalate During the Next Year

"Times of turbulence create opportunities, and these are certainly turbulent times," says Managing Director, Ralph Dieckmann.  "The simple facts are that the recession has created enormous stresses in the business community, and many CEO's will not survive the downturn - regardless of whether the fault lies in the marketplace or in their leadership.  Not only are times unfavorable," he continues, "but leading in a down economy requires greater skill than the obverse - and the discovery is now being made that many younger executives do not possess the requisite skills to flourish in turnaround mode.  Not only will CEO's find themselves in higher demand, but those with leadership honed in prior recessions may well find themselves presented with the most rewarding challenges."

Updated April 2004,      Copyright©2004,     DIECKMANN & ASSOCIATES, LTD.