Posted by Raya Pachevurova on Tue, Nov 16, 2010 @ 10:42 AM
Seth Harris, Managing Director within the firm's Boston office, was quoted in American Express Inside Edge regarding strategic workforce planning.
Click here to read the article: Ready, Set, Hire?
About Seth Harris:
Seth Harris is an Executive Vice President & Managing Director. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Boston office, and leads Cook's global Technology & Communications practice. Seth's expertise is helping growth companies build elite management teams. His clients range from prominent multinational corporations to portfolio companies of leading venture capital firms. Read more about Seth Harris
Posted by Mary Kier on Tue, Oct 26, 2010 @ 11:52 AM
Thursday, Nov 4th, the Financial Executives Club of Chicago will be hosting a panel titled “Inside the World of Private Equity.” The goal of the panel is to help lift the veil of secrecy that surrounds the private equity world and provide insights on the expectations of CFO’s for private equity back firms. The panel will consist of private equity leaders from the following firms:
- Paul Carbone, Director, Baird Private Equity
- Mary Kier, CEO Executive Search, Cook Associates
- Chris Averill, Director, Lake Capital
- Doug Fumagalli, Principal, Valor Equity Partners
- Jonathan Lieman, Senior Vice President, Pfingston Partners
The panel will provide insights on the following discussion points:
- How are the responsibilities of a CFO in a private equity backed firm different than either public or owner/operator?
- What skills make some CFOs more successful in PE backed firms?
- What is the PE firm looking for the portfolio company CFO to provide?
- What are best practices in dealing with a PE firm for increased success?
- What is the typical compensation package for CFO’s?
- What are the soft skills required to be a successful CFO?
If you have additional questions you would like to ask the panel please forward to the FEI Chicago Chapter office (feichi@aol.com). This special event will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel Magnificent Mile (505 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL). This panel event and all Career Management breakfast workshops are open to all chapter members. Workshops are held on the first Thursday of every month. Registration begins at 7:15 am, and the panel starts at 7:45 am. Please come early to network!
Posted by Sarah Barnes on Tue, Sep 14, 2010 @ 10:02 AM
Seth Harris, Managing Director within the firm's Boston office, was quoted in the WSJ regarding the recent ousting of Nokia's CEO.
Click here to read the article: Nokia Replaces CEO with Microsoft Boss
About Seth Harris:
Seth Harris is an Executive Vice President & Managing Director. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Boston office, and leads Cook's global Technology & Communications practice. Seth's expertise is helping growth companies build elite management teams. His clients range from prominent multinational corporations to portfolio companies of leading venture capital firms. Read more about Seth Harris.
Posted by Sarah Barnes on Tue, Sep 14, 2010 @ 09:33 AM
Register now!
“The Private Equity DNA - Do You Have What It Takes?”
www.experts-conneciton.com
Wednesday, September 22, from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. CST (4:00 – 5:30 p.m. ET, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. PT)
Chicago, IL.– Even in troubled financial times, there is an allure
about working in the field of private equity. Many executives dream of finding a private equity portfolio firm that allows them to work in an unconventional setting and earn bigger salaries. Mary Kier, CEO of Cook Associates Executive Search, will review what it takes to be hired by private equity firms in a webinar session entitled “The Private Equity DNA - Do You Have What It Takes?” The teleseminar, hosted by Experts Connection (www.experts-conneciton.com), is scheduled for Wednesday, September 22, from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. CST (4:00 – 5:30 p.m. ET, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. PT), and is sponsored by NETSHARE® (www.netshare.com).
Mary notes that after 20 years of recruiting for private equity portfolio firms, she has determined that executives need to have a specific kind of DNA to be considered as a viable candidate. Just saying you are an entrepreneur is not enough. You need to demonstrate real value and your ability to not only adapt but thrive in a private equity setting.
In this 90-minute teleseminar, Mary will explain the intricacies of finding a career in private equity, including the qualifications you will need to be considered. The discussion will include:
- The top characteristics every executive should have before considering the private equity world.
- What private equity firms look for and why.
- Understanding the difference in scope and scale between private equity firms and public, private, and family-held held companies.
- The specific skills you should highlight and how to gear your resume.
- How the interview process differs.
- What is expected once you land at a private equity portfolio firm.
“I really enjoy recruiting senior executives for Private Equity portfolio firms," says Mary. “Matching the CEO candidate (or CFO, VP HR, etc) to a private equity assignment is much more challenging than resume accomplishments. The interview process is more adapted to a myriad of things, not the least of which is risk / reward mentality – is this individual someone who can 'do it all' in a very tight time frame? Does this person have an EBITDA focus? Since everything is measurable and immediate, it is all about building value – understanding the company’s goals and providing strong returns to demanding investors in a defined time frame. I look forward to sharing this and much more of what I have gleaned from my years of executive search with Private Equity firms.”
The Experts Connection teleseminar series gives executives access to leading career experts. The cost of the seminar is $60, $50 for NETSHARE members, and access is provided via web and telephone. For more information, visit the Experts Connection online at www.experts-connection.com.
About Mary Kier
Mary Kier has been with Cook Associates Executive Search since 1984 and now serves as the CEO of the Executive Search division. In addition to her own Consumer Products and Services search practice, Mary leads the Consumer & Retail practice, managing an integrated team of consultants specializing in Consumer Services, Consumer Durables and Non-Durable Goods, CPG, and FMCG. She also serves as the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion practice leader. Mary is actively involved in the firm’s partnership with InterSearch – one of the top ten worldwide executive search consortiums. Her search work encompasses CEO’s, COOs, CFOs, CMOs, Divisional Presidents as well as functional heads of Sales, Marketing, Finance, HR and Operations. Mary earned her BS degree in Management and Industrial Relations, graduating with honors.
About NETSHARE
NETSHARE (www.netshare.com) is a confidential, membership based organization dedicated to providing executives across all disciplines and industries with quality $100K plus job lists. NETSHARE also offers networking opportunities and a community of peers for the exchange of strategic information related to job search, professional development and best practices. NETSHARE has been recognized by Fortune and Forbes magazines as the best online destination for executive positions.
Posted by Sarah Barnes on Tue, Sep 14, 2010 @ 09:19 AM
Chicago, September 2010 – Cook Associates Executive Search is pleased to announce the opening of its Los Angeles office with the addition of Colleen Hulce, Managing Director and head of the new CFO Practice.
“We are thrilled that Colleen has joined our firm as head of the CFO practice and Managing Director of our new Los Angeles office. Colleen has the same executive search DNA that has always been a standard for Cook – to give our clients outstanding service and to be the ultimate ambassador for them. We are aggressively expanding our business on the West coast and we plan to be firmly entrenched in this dynamic search market by the start of our 50th anniversary, in January 2011,” states John Kins, Chairman of Cook Associates Executive Search.
With over 25 years of executive search experience, Colleen has developed numerous long-term relationships due to her client centric approach and consistent diligence with candidate assessment. She is also retained to recruit the CFO’s direct reports including VP Tax, Treasury, Planning and Analysis, Internal Audit, and Controller. Colleen has successfully completed over 300 senior level searches for large multi-national corporations as well as small cap companies across a broad range of industries and on a global basis.
Before joining the firm, Colleen was the Global Practice Leader of DHR’s Chief Financial Officer Practice for five years. During her tenure with DHR, Colleen worked on numerous CFO engagements for Fortune 500 companies, private companies and private equity concerns.
Prior to her role with DHR, she was with the headquarters office of Korn/Ferry International in Los Angeles as a Managing Director, where she was recognized as one of the most productive partners in the firm. Colleen also had one of the highest placement records and the most repeat business from clients on a global basis. During her tenure with Korn/Ferry, she completed numerous searches in other functions, including CEO's, CIO's, CMO's, Heads of Human Resources and Board of Director searches.
Colleen has a BBA degree in Accounting and spent the early part of her career as an auditor with a major public accounting firm in Chicago. She began her search career with a small boutique firm prior to being recruited to the Chicago office of Russell Reynolds Associates by a former client who had joined RRA. Outside of work, Colleen is very active in her two children’s lives, is a member of the Pali Charter High School Booster Club and PTSA and is an outdoor enthusiast. She is also a member of the Los Angeles Optimist club that aids needy children and their families in the greater LA area and is a key contributor to the ALS Association of Greater Los Angeles.
Cook Associates is headquartered in Chicago, IL, with additional offices in Boston, New York City, and Stamford.
Posted by Sarah Barnes on Wed, Aug 18, 2010 @ 09:08 AM
Survey of C-level executives finds IBM and HP execs are likely candidates
Boston, MA, August 2010 – What do C-level tech-sector execs and members of the Private Equity community think about who ought to succeed Mark Hurd at HP?
Cook Associates Executive Search asked over 1000 top executives about their thoughts on who should be the next leader of the world’s largest technology and services company. Some of the findings were predictable, while others were surprising.
One key finding was that of the 20 largest public companies based on market capitalization, only six were represented on the list. When asked why this was significant, Seth Harris, EVP and Managing Director of the Technology Practice at Cook Associates said “I am left wondering what lessons the tech sector learned from the notable success of Lou Gerstner, who had no previous tech industry experience. He was one of the most successful CEOs of his time.”
The most frequently cited companies outside of HP from which the next CEO should come were Apple, Boeing, Dell, EMC, IBM, Motorola, and Oracle. In particular, nearly 43% of respondents felt the most qualified person to lead HP would be internal (from HP) or from IBM. Jeff Leopold, Managing Director at Cook Associates commented “The wisdom of the crowd suggests that HP’s current strategy is sound and that an internal executive would be the most able to keep the company on its path. IBM’s significant presence on the list was to be expected.” Harris added, “There are few companies in the tech sector other than IBM that match the scale scope, and complexity of HP.”
Just over 11% of respondents proffered the names of female execs as the next leader. Harris said, “Women continue to play a prominent role in the tech sector. Had we conducted this research when Gerstner retired in 2002, I doubt the number would have been in the double digits.”
While the executives solicited were all based in North America, most had extensive European and Asian business operations exposure. Yet very few European or Asian execs were cited. Leopold suggested, “With its extensive operations outside North America, I would think an international executive from an company like Philips, General Electric, or Samsung would be worthy of consideration.”
A large contingent—25%—believes an existing HP executive or Board member would be the best choice. The most frequently cited executive at HP to lead the company was Todd Bradley. Harris opined, “Bradley could indeed be a logical choice. With stints at General Electric, FedEx, and Palm prior to his leadership role at HP, he has the breadth of operating experience to run HP. Plus, while he understands HP’s culture, he has not spent his entire career at HP as was the case for some of the other HP names suggested.”
Perhaps the most jarring insight from the survey results was that Mark Hurd was tied for second place with Ann Livermore among the HP execs cited to be next CEO of HP. Respondents who picked Hurd frequently questioned the HP Board’s judgment in terminating him.
Leopold, who leads Cook’s Board Director practice, noted the importance of succession planning. “It’s crucial for every public company to have a documented plan in place so it can avoid shareholder concerns.”
At one point last week, HP had lost over $10B in market cap, due in some portion to the leadership vacancy.
About the Technology Practice: The Technology Practice at Cook Associates Executive Search has a track record of identifying inspiring leaders and partnering with organizations around the globe to build exceptional management teams. Our search consultants have personally held prior operating roles in general management, sales and marketing and understand the inner-workings of high technology companies. Their relationships with multi-nationals, venture capital investors, and global leaders in private equity provide an expanded network and unparalleled access to senior executives. Click here to learn more about the Technology Practice.
Posted by Sarah Barnes on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 @ 02:12 PM
The recent HP CEO survey conducted by the Technology Practice at Cook Associates Executive Search was featured in the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal.
The survey reached over 1,000 tech and finance industry executives, asking them to predict Mark Hurd's successor.
Complete results will be published soon.
Read here: HP, IBM seen as source of new HP chief Read more: HP, IBM seen as source of new HP chief - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
Posted by Sarah Barnes on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 @ 11:20 AM
The Technology Practice at Cook Associates Executive Search recently conducted a survey of 1,000 top executives from the technology sector and financial community to inquire about who they feel should be the next HP CEO. Jeff Leopold, Managing Director within the Boston office, was quoted.
Complete results of the survey will be published soon.
Click here to read the article. Survey Says: Next H.P. CEO To Come From H.P. or I.B.M.
Posted by Sarah Barnes on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 @ 11:29 AM
Seth Harris, Managing Director within the firm's Boston office, was quoted in the Boston Herald regarding the recent resignation of HP's Mark Hurd and possible candidates for his replacement.
Click here to read the article: EMC chief seen as top candidate for HP CEO
About Seth Harris:
Seth Harris is an Executive Vice President & Managing Director. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Boston office, and leads Cook's global Technology & Communications practice. Seth's expertise is helping growth companies build elite management teams. His clients range from prominent multinational corporations to portfolio companies of leading venture capital firms. Read more about Seth Harris.
Posted by Sarah Barnes on Mon, Aug 09, 2010 @ 10:25 AM
Chicago, August 2010 – Cook Associates, a leading executive search and M&A advisory services firm, announced that it has named Mary Kier to serve as the CEO for the Executive Search Group. Cook Associates’ former CEO, John Kins, will remain with the firm as Chairman. The promotion comes at a time of celebration for Cook Associates as it will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011.
In her new role, Mary will manage the day-to-day operations of the Executive Search group. Additionally, she will continue to manage the Consumer Products and Services practice, Diversity practice, as well as the global partnership with InterSearch, one of the top international executive search organizations in the world.
In promoting Mary to CEO, John Kins stated, “I am pleased to turn over the day-to-day operations of our search group to Mary Kier, a veteran of executive search and one of the top consultants in the industry. Mary is highly respected by her clients, candidates and Cook personnel. She has demonstrated a strong and passionate commitment to the success and longevity of Cook Associates Executive Search and I am confident she will continue do an incredible job.”
Mary Kier remarks on her recent promotion, “I feel honored to have been chosen as the next CEO for the Executive Search group of Cook Associates. To follow in John Kins’ footsteps and to continue to build this organization is a wonderful challenge. Our Executive Search group has always held as its hallmark to strive for quality in everything that we do, and to delight our clients with a truly engaged search process. Our clients have come to expect a passionate approach to securing talent, and to being their best ambassadors. I intend to foster this in the years ahead and I look forward to working with the leadership team to ensure that we always make a positive contribution to our clients’ success.”
Be sure to follow Mary’s popular Executive Search blog, “Successful Careers in the Making”: Click here.
About Mary Kier
Mary began her search career with the firm in 1984 and has been promoted several times to her current position of CEO of Cook Associates Executive Search. In addition to her own search practice in Consumer Products and Services, Mary leads the Consumer & Retail practice, managing an integrated team of consultants specializing in Consumer Services, Consumer Durable and Non-Durable Goods, CPG and FMCG.
In addition, Mary serves as the firm's Diversity & Inclusion practice leader. She is passionate about building diverse teams and has successfully worked with members of senior management teams to develop high performance plans to build best-in-class diverse organizations. Cook Associates recognizes the value in a team comprised of diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. The Diversity & Inclusion Practice believes that organizations with a strong belief in diversity recruitment will be prepared to take the lead in their respective industry for years to come.
Mary is also actively involved in the firm's partnership with InterSearch - one of the top ten worldwide executive search consortiums. Mary coordinates relationships with the international search partners and speaks at annual global summits.
Throughout her search career at Cook Associates, Mary has been recognized for bringing unique value to every search initiative and for passionately delivering on her promises. She measures her success on personally contributing to the face of corporate America, uniting the best and brightest talent to her client companies. She is respected for her comprehensive understanding of the strategies, operations and management of companies in the Consumer marketplace and for her grasp of the cultural nuances of companies and executive leadership teams. Her search work encompasses CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CMOs, Divisional Presidents as well as functional heads of Sales, Marketing, Finance, HR, and Operations.
Mary received her BS degree in Management and Industrial Relations with high honors. She is a member of several industry organizations.