Executive Edge: The Search for Excellence

In today’s knowledge-based economy, the caliber of human capital is critical to an organization’s competitive strength. Securing top executive talent can be a formidable challenge. It requires the skills of highly experienced professionals with the resources necessary to research, identify and secure the best possible candidate for a key position.

The Hunter Group and Corporate Consulting Associates are both well-established in the executive search market, each with a reputation for finding and attracting the highest quality talent for their clients. As a result of their strategic alliance, they have become a virtual tour de force in the pursuit for the best and the brightest.

Principals Jim Lionas and Sherry Muir Irwin, of The Hunter Group, and President and CEO John Bukowicz, of Corporate Consulting Associates, have over 50 years of combined executive search experience. Working in concert with their consultants and research teams, they offer a depth and breadth of market knowledge and industry expertise that sets the alliance apart from the field.

The alliance credits their success to shared values of integrity, professionalism, and dedication to developing and cultivating long-term relationships with their clients. “To be successful in this field, you need to have a long-term outlook,” explained Muir Irwin. “We’ve worked years to establish our relationships and reputations.”

While remaining autonomous companies, Corporate Consulting Associates and The Hunter Group share resources and contacts “behind the scenes” to offer a seamless service to their clients. They also share a common philosophy in the way they approach search as a comprehensive and highly interactive process.

“Our intimate knowledge of our client’s business – their customers, competitors and long-term goals – results in a more effective search and a better return on investment for our client,” said Lionas. Muir Irwin added, “Understanding the corporate culture, the climate, and ‘personality’ of an organization, is crucial for a successful search.”

State-of-the-art, computerized information systems are never a substitute for the professional personal networks executive search firms have developed; however, they certainly complement their research efforts. Integral to The Hunter Group’s and Corporate Consulting Associates’ comprehensive search process is the research component. “We have a highly efficient and organized data system that allows for accurate retention and efficient retrieval of information,” said Bukowicz. “Our professional research team is adept at quickly filtering through that information to identify key prospects for a particular position.” Having this resource in-house enables the alliance to be more efficient and thorough in the search process.

Offering a level of service and expertise usually associated with national search firms in New York or Chicago, Corporate Consulting Associates and The Hunter Group are located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Atlanta and Nashville. “This proximity to our client base creates added value that enables us to offer a greater level of personalized service,” said Bukowicz. Extensive knowledge of their markets also gives the alliance a competitive edge when recruiting national talent. “Being in touch with the local economy and lifestyle of the community is more effective when attracting executives from other states,” said Lionas.

“We approach search as being a contribution to our client’s strategic plan,” said Bukowicz. “It’s ultimately how well the candidate integrates into an organization’s culture that determines the success level of a search and contributes to the overall corporate directive.”

Industry leaders agree that human capital will be the most precious resource in the years to come. Executive search firms with long-term vision, proven search strategies, and strong networks will be inherently valuable to companies searching for that competitive advantage.