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February 1, 2019

February 2017 Newsletter – If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I have always believed that the corner bookstore proprietor is more knowledgeable about her collection and has likely read more of it than is and has the staffer at Chapters. I believe the croissant maker at the local bakery is a better pastry chef than the guy behind the counter in the Superstore baked goods department. I believe that boutique hotels and corner hardware stores and neighbourhood coffee houses are more invested in their clients’ needs than the desk clerk at the Hilton, the orange aprons at Home Depot or the green ones at Starbucks. That’s what I believe.

I’m not talking about airlines or pipelines or elevator makers. I will always prefer to fly Boeing’s 737 over Bob’s 737 but those industries are heavily regulated to protect us. However, professional services firms, or more specifically executive search firms, for whom no Bachelor of Recruitment Sciences is required and no barriers to entry exist, whose stock in trade is discretion, connection, hustle and resourcefulness, are not better simply because they’re bigger. Unlike large law firms, say, (whose practitioners are regulated, by the way) and who typically only hire stFebruary 2017 Newsletter – If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em • 2ef6319d c4a8 4350 81aa a6d0b90dfa59udents with the best grades, attract the highest-profile laterals and land most of the bet-the-farm deals, there should be no correlation between the size of an executive search firm and the quality of the work it attracts and executes upon. McDonalds makes the most burgers; they don’t make the best burgers.

It should come as no surprise, then, that as the Founding Partner of a boutique search firm it is my belief that we are simply better, or at least as good, at search than the global giants whose “partners” are really just employees, at worst, or shareholders of a widely-held multi-national corporation, at best. Clearly, there are some exceptional search people at big firms, and I’ve learned from some of the best, but the great ones are usually great already; despite the brand, not because of it.

February 2017 Newsletter – If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em • 6ffba76c 47df 47ed 9839 c810fde13e75I also happen to believe that when companies select a vendor, particularly in economically challenging times, that they have an obligation to buy local. Only, of course, if the product is as good or better and if the price is competitive compared to the national or global offering. After all, if you can get as good if not a better product for a comparable price, why wouldn’t you support the entrepreneurial local vendor who pumps those tax dollars and those hard earned profits back into the local economy that benefits us all rather than toward the bottom line of some giant US or global enterprise?

So maybe that’s why the conversation on our rooftop patio during our firm Stampede party last July, and the events which followed it, so shook that belief and even caused us to seriously entertain two very real advances from two very large national and global search firms interested in acquiring us during the latter half of 2016.

Sure, we’d had knocks on the door before but we never answered; hardly surprising given the foregoing battle cry for the little guy. We even boast on our website that “We Know Small Is Mighty”. And it’s no secret that I left a “Big 5” global search firm to start this one after leaving a global law firm to join that one.
February 2017 Newsletter – If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em • 84ccb460 ec9a 4725 9aa4 b95bf0b5c3ee
I readily admit to having a healthy chip on my shoulder when it comes to the myth that bigger is better. I think the fixation on large, the comfort and safety of hiring the big brand, is more about the decision maker protecting his or her hindquarters than anything else; an elixir that will ward off criticism if things go sideways and the choice is questioned.

So why, with all that, would we dance with the devil?  Let alone two of them!

The answer lies with that disheartening conversation on the rooftop last summer. It was with a soon-to-be-retiring senior executive at a large company who is a long-time client of ours from whom it had been widely assumed for the past couple of years a significant search would be forthcoming to fill the void created by his inevitable departure. Absent his ceasing to age (which I submit is never a good result), retirement was looming and there would be a search for his replacement. So we stayed in touch and hoped for the opportunity to pitch for the work.

While enjoying my beer on my roof that fateful July afternoon, he said, “you know you’ll never get the search for my replacement, right?” In fact, I did know that, because the VP of Human Resources shared the news with me a week earlier, far more delicately though no less painfully. “We would simply never entrust a mandate as important as this,” continued the rooftop beat-down, “in the hands of a little boutique firm.” And while he didn’t pat me on the head after delivering the news, the kick to more southerly regions of my person was punctuation enough.  I had, after all, met with him on several occasions during the past few years, asking only for the opportunity to pitch, for our firm’s most dominant area of specialization is his functional area – law – and he knew that we had successfully executed dozens of round-the-globe searches for identical roles at similarly sized companies. “The only way you’ll ever get a mandate like this” he continued, helpfully, is “if you sold to one of the large global firms.”

Like being fired in a crowded restaurant or dumped in a packed bar, I had no choice but to take it, act graceful and carry on with my hosting duties. Not easy for I am a sore loser. But this was neither the time nor place to remind him of all the flaws in his reasoning; of all of our firm’s past successes; of the fallacy in the myth that bigger is better; of the higher fees the global firms charge; of the bait and switch of the senior partner landing the search while some junior is left to work it; of the purported superiority of their research capabilities; of the reluctance to actually involve one of those many global offices for fear of having to split the fee; of the reminder that our Internet works outside of Canada and our phone plan includes long-distance. Instead, I grimaced gracefully and offered him another beer.

February 2017 Newsletter – If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em • 0e5abf9c 70a1 4665 8d20 78baa913dfc5Not entirely magnanimously I did, however, email the VP HR who had shared the news with me the week prior, and in my email I wrote:  “I will watch with interest as the global search firm secures a leading global candidate for you when the time comes to do the General Counsel search, though I’ll wager you a corned beef sandwich and a pickle that the successful candidate will come from Alberta at the end of the day.”  I take no joy in reporting to you these many months later that I am owed a corned beef sandwich and a pickle. An “I told you so” doesn’t pay the rent, though it does taste good.

And so we danced.

By autumn, NDA’s were signed, financials exchanged, and clandestine meetings with competitor global firm Regional Leaders and CEOs were held in dimly lit restaurants in far away places.

Then, as if on cue, the music picked up and another sign that perhaps my rooftop tormentor was right, appeared.

In this case, we were at least invited to pitch. The search was for a CEO in a very niche space—the proverbial purple squirrel where no one firm could credibly boast a depth of expertise. Again, we had spent many years cultivating a relationship with the Board and the senior management team. And when the invitation came to pitch, we poured our heart into our written submissions, as we always do.  We spoke of the relative ease in mapping the space and explained that the hard part of any search isn’t finding the people, or the squirrels, but rather telling them a compelling story about the organization, about Alberta, and, in this case, about Calgary. We even went so far as to boldly suggest that they look outside their industry to bring in some new and different thinking, and we speculated that the successful candidate was likely right here in Calgary.

In the end, we again lost to a large global firm who flew in a partner from a US office who, allegedly, specialized solely in purple squirrels. That actually made me feel better, until I read the press release a few weeks ago announcing that the successful candidate would be joining from outside their industry to bring in some new and different thinking and, wait for it, he came from right here in Calgary.

Again, unable to ignore a friendly poke, I emailed: “Congratulations on the hire. Heck, if I’d known you were going to hire a local guy with no [industry] experience I would have thought we might have had a better shot at this one. Either way, a good result in the end for you.  Pleased for you.”

So pleased.

Yes, we enjoy nipping at the heels of the big guys and we are self-aware enough to know that we aren’t going to win every mandate. And to be perfectly clear, we take no issue with the end results above; in both cases the ultimately successful candidate was a strong choice, but the furthest thing from a global one.

And so our modest losing streak last summer drove us into the arms of those two large firms and caused us to flirt, rather seriously.

Who can blame us. The market, or at least a certain segment of it, simply can’t ignore the allure of big. The adage that “no one ever got fired for hiring IBM” haunts us frequently. Sure, we’re nearly eight years into this venture and we have completed over 500 searches for some of Canada’s largest companies, government bodies, academic institutions, not-for-profits and professional services firms, yet the voice in our head (and on our roof) whispered, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

Then a third portent occurred. The closest thing we had to a doppelganger is, or was, BluEra; a well-run local boutique search firm and kindred spirit built on relationships and community. So when they announced their sale to DHR International and the consequent end of the BluEra era, our dance suddenly felt more like a game of musical chairs. We feared the music might stop without a chair for us (as recently as last week, another chair disappeared with sale of Conroy Ross to Optimum Talent, another strong local brand selling out and ‘going big’). With all this peer pressure surely we’re to be forgiven for temporarily straying and forsaking our boutique roots to explore our options, right? All the cool kids are doing it.

Then an amazing thing happened. Both deals died. One offer we flatly rejected, the other, turns out, was never that serious to begin with. And rather than regret, we felt immense relief. Both suitors did a great job articulating why the deal would be great for them but failed to make clear what was in it for us. Best we could tell, it was about making them bigger and making us disappear.

And within weeks of our renewal of our vows to ourselves, having arrived unflinchingly at the decision to double down on our brand, we won (and recently successfully filled) a CEO search with a European backed start up here in Alberta; a COO search with Canada’s largest collection agency based in Toronto; a CFO search for a start up involved in the manufacture aFebruary 2017 Newsletter – If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em • 981d0908 6c45 4870 ac30 76f4a4d8984and distribution of biodegradable remediation products; and a VP, Global Consumer Marketing for Travel Alberta. Just last week I was on a conference call with a client in Paris and another in Tel Aviv while I dialled in from our global HQ in Fernie, BC. Turns out, we already are global. We already are operating in the C-Suite. We already are an award-winning search firm attracting national media. We already do have great researchers and market share and, even, Internet. Turns out we don’t need to join them to beat them.

Having wrestled our existential crisis to ground, we, like many in Alberta, are feeling better about the road ahead.

And I’ll bet you a corned beef sandwich and a pickle that we’ll be the better for it.

Regards,

February 2017 Newsletter – If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em • 9ec86f04 b77d 4d3c b26b 24ef1866d50c

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YANOUK POIRIER

ASSOCIÉ-DIRECTEUR
M. Yanouk Poirier cumule plus de 25 ans d'expérience professionnelle et il a dirigé avec succès de nombreuses missions de recrutement exécutif, de conseil en leadership et de recrutement de membres de conseils d'administration pour des PME, de grandes entreprises nationales et internationales.

Très impliqué, M. Poirier siège aux conseils d'administration de Penrhyn International, du Club St-James de Montréal et de la Fondation du cancer du sein du Québec. Il est également mentor et gouverneur pour l'Université de Sherbrooke. Yanouk se décrit comme un homme de famille, un père, un entrepreneur et un connecteur. Il croit profondément que nous pouvons changer le monde un leader à la fois et que nous avons la responsabilité de redonner à la société.

Titulaire d'un MBA de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Yanouk détient également un post-MBA axé sur les grands enjeux stratégiques mondiaux. Il est également certifié en coaching exécutif (ACC) par l'International Coaching Federation.
CO-MANAGING PARTNER
Mr. Yanouk Poirier has over 25 years of professional experience and has successfully led numerous missions in executive recruitment, leadership consulting, and board member recruitment for SMEs, large national and international companies. Highly involved, Mr. Poirier sits on the boards of Penrhyn International, Club St-James in Montreal, and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. He also serves as a mentor and Governor for the University of Sherbrooke. Yanouk describes himself as a family man, a father, an entrepreneur, and a connector. He deeply believes that we can change the world one leader at a time and that we have a responsibility to give back to society.

Holder of an MBA from the University of Sherbrooke, Yanouk also holds a post-MBA focusing on major global strategic issues. He is certified in executive coaching (ACC) by the International Coaching Federation.

CYNTHIA LABONTÉ, MBA

ASSOCIÉE-DIRECTRICE
Depuis plus de 20 ans, Cynthia Labonté assiste des conseils d'administration et des dirigeants d’entreprises dans la gestion complète des processus de recrutement de cadres exécutifs. Auparavant, elle a dirigé une équipe en recrutement de cadres au sein d’une importante firme de consultation stratégique au Canada.

Elle a réalisé à bien, plus de 350 mandats de recrutement de cadres exécutifs pour des entreprises et des firmes réputées dans les secteurs manufacturier et industriel, de la distribution, du commerce de détail, des services professionnels et des organisations à but non lucratif. Son esprit entrepreneurial et son sens des affaires, lui permettent de reconnaître la culture unique et d’analyser le leadership requis afin de répondre aux enjeux d’affaires de ses clients.

Mme Labonté est membre d’EntreChefs (réseau de plus de 2000 membres d’entrepreneurs au Québec). Cynthia est très impliquée dans la communauté philantropique de Montréal et participe activement à des conseils d’administration et de nombreuses causes locales.

Elle est titulaire d'une double diplomation MBA de l'Université Paris-Dauphine et de l'ESG-UQAM.
CO-MANAGING PARTNER
For over 20 years, Cynthia Labonté has been assisting boards of directors, corporate executives and public organizations in the complete management of executive search processes. Previously, she led a team of senior managers and consultants at a major Canadian strategic consulting and executive search firm.

She has successfully completed over 350 executive search mandates for leading companies and firms in the manufacturing, industrial, distribution, retail, professional services and not-for-profit sectors. Her entrepreneurial spirit, business acumen, rigor and analytical skills are essential attributes that enable her to recognize the unique culture and needs of organizations, and to analyze the leadership required to meet her clients' business challenges.

Ms. Labonté is a member of EntreChefs (a network of over 2,000 entrepreneurs in Quebec). Cynthia is very involved in Montreal's philanthropic community, actively participating on boards and in many local causes.

She holds a double MBA from Université Paris-Dauphine and from ESG-UQAM in Montreal.

ROBIN FERRÉ

CONSULTANT
Robin Ferré est consultant en recherche de cadres exécutifs.

Avant de se joindre à Humanis, Robin a travaillé comme consultant, puis directeur chez un acteur important en recrutement exécutif ou il a œuvré dans des secteurs variés tels que les services professionnels, les technologies ou le secteur manufacturier.

Auparavant, il a travaillé dans diverses organisations en Europe et au Canada, dans des fonctions liées aux ressources humaines et au recrutement.

Durant son temps libre, Robin est très impliqué dans sa communauté. Il est membre du conseil d’administration de la Société Économique de l’Ontario et du conseil d’administration de l’Alliance Française de Toronto.

Il est également un grand amateur de sports de combats qu’il aime pratiquer ou simplement regarder, après un bon diner avec ses proches.

Robin Ferré est titulaire d'un baccalauréat en droit et d'une maîtrise en ressources humaines.
CONSULTANT
Robin Ferré is an executive search consultant.

Prior to joining Humanis, Robin worked as a consultant and then as a director for a major player in executive search in Canada, where he worked in a variety of sectors including professional services, technology and manufacturing.

Prior to this, he worked in various organizations in Europe and Canada, in human resources and recruitment functions.

In his spare time, Robin is very involved in his community. He is a board member of the Société Économique de l’Ontario and the Alliance Française de Toronto.

He's also a big fan of combat sports, which he likes to practice or simply watch after a good dinner with his loved ones.

Robin Ferré holds a bachelor's degree in Law and a master's degree in Human Resources.

MARIA ICAZA

CONSULTANTE
Maria Icaza vient de Mexico et possède plus de 13 ans d'expérience en recrutement de cadres. Elle collabore en continu avec les associés pour le recrutement de cadres supérieurs dans les secteurs manufacturier et distribution, de la vente au détail, des services professionnels et des OBNL. Elle a surtout travaillé sur des mandats au Canada et au Mexique, elle a aussi effectué quelques projets en Europe et aux États-Unis.

Elle a d’excellentes aptitudes relationnelles et sait naturellement attirer des talents de haut niveau. Outre sa passion pour les relations interpersonnelles, elle s’épanouit en apprenant sans cesse. Engagée auprès de la firme, elle comprend le marché des talents et carbure travail d’équipe.

Elle possède un baccalauréat en marketing de la Universidad del Valle de Mexico.

Maria est parle couramment l’espagnol et l’anglais et améliore son français de façon intensive!
CONSULTANT
Maria Icaza is from Mexico City; she has more than 13 years of experience in executive search. She has collaborated with partners on senior management roles up to C-Suite positions in the manufacturing, consumer, retail, pharmaceutical, industrial and professional services industry. She has been working in Mexico and Canada, nevertheless she did some assignments in Latin-America, Europe, and in the United States.

She has strong interpersonal skills and naturally attracts high-caliber talents. Besides her love for connecting with people, she aims to learn new things every day. Committed and devoted to the firm, she understands the talent market and thrives from being part of a team.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Universidad del Valle de Mexico.  

Fluent in Spanish and English, and in French (in development).

STÉPHANIE LAROSE

COORDONNATRICE DE PROJETS
Stéphanie œuvre en communications et en recherche depuis plus de 10 ans. Toujours à l’affût du mot juste, elle se spécialise en rédaction, en traduction et en révision. Elle a également à son actif plusieurs mandats de recherche de candidats. Son sujet de prédilection reste l’humain : l’exploration du potentiel de celui-ci la fascine.

Véritable caméléon, elle navigue au sein d’industries variées et côtoie tant des profils exécutifs qu’artistiques. Sa force réside dans sa curiosité ainsi que son sens de l’écoute de ses collaborateurs.

Titulaire d’un baccalauréat en Lettres modernes de l’Université de Lorraine (France), elle accorde une place importante à la bonification de ses connaissances linguistiques et littéraires. Sensible à l’art sous toutes ses formes et créative, elle tire son inspiration de ceux qui osent sortir du lot.

Mère de deux jeunes enfants, l’éducation et l’ouverture sur le monde restent au cœur de ses priorités. Dans ses temps libres, rien ne la ravit plus que de recevoir à sa table des personnes authentiques et ricaneuses.
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Stéphanie has been working in communications and research for over 10 years. Always looking for the right word, she specialized in writing, translating, and proofreading. She has also worked on many search mandates. Her favourite topic remains human beings: exploring their potential fascinates her.

A true chameleon, she has worked within various industries and still deals equally with executive and artistic profiles. Her strength lies in her curiosity and her listening skills towards her collaborators.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Modern Literature from Université de Lorraine (France) and attaches great importance to improving her linguistic and literary knowledge. Sensitive to art in all its forms and creative, she draws inspiration from those who dare to stand out.

A mother to two young children, education and openness to the world remain at the heart of her priorities. During her free time, nothing pleases her more than to welcome at her table people who are authentic and have a great sense of humour. 

RICHARD BÉLANGER

CONSULTANT SENIOR
Le parcours de Richard Bélanger en tant que gestionnaire de haut niveau lui a permis d'accompagner plusieurs types d'entreprises dans divers secteurs d'activité, principalement en recherche de cadres mais aussi dans leur processus de planification de la relève.

Son expérience de plus de 25 ans dans le domaine du recrutement exécutif a été acquise au sein de sa propre firme ainsi qu’auprès d’une importante firme canadienne de consultation stratégique et de recherche de cadres.

Richard a été président d’une filiale au sein d’un important détaillant et distributeur dans le domaine des produits de consommation et de vente par catalogue au Canada.

Il siège sur différents conseils d’administration et a développé un réseau enviable basé sur ses valeurs personnelles qui sont l’authenticité, la rigueur et le sens de l’éthique. Ses compétences relationnelles et sa capacité d’écoute active combinées à son courage managérial lui permettent de s’assurer de la compréhension des besoins de sa clientèle.
SENIOR CONSULTANT
Richard Bélanger is a senior consultant who has extensive experience in high-level management which has allowed him to support several types of businesses in different industries and sectors, mainly in executive search but also in their succession planning process.

His experience of more than 25 years in the field of executive recruitment was acquired within his own firm as well as with a major Canadian strategic consulting and executive search firm.

Richard was President of a subsidiary of a key retailer and distributor of consumer products and catalog sales in Canada.

He serves on different Boards of Administration and has developed an enviable network based on his personal values which are authenticity, rigor, and a sense of ethics. His people skills and his ability to actively listen combined with his managerial courage allow him to ensure that the needs of his customers are understood.
Richard Bélanger
514.808.6084