Where it began
I learned this craft from my father Leonard, a top corporate recruiter who placed Presidents, CFOs, Sales/Marketing and international financial talent for Global 1000 companies. Working alongside him, I interviewed my first Bocconi-educated Fortune 500 CFO in Milan at 21 years old. My dad taught me values of discernment, thoroughness, honesty and curiosity that still anchor my work.
I also learned to do research the hard way—long before it was easy. I once spent three weeks turning the three-inch-thick onion-skin pages of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and combing state CPA licensing rolls to find the handful of people we needed. That was sourcing before Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn, or Crunchbase—and it taught me how vast the world of talent truly is, and how much the right information and skillful outreach are worth. I still bring that depth to every search.
Early on, I also found a knack for spotting talent in my own field. I picked and mentored two young recruiters who became stars in their own right—one went on to build core teams at Palantir, the other is now a recognized leader in renewables recruiting.
The work I love
Years ago, I introduced my knife-making friend Matt Conable to Michael Honack—a venture investor who loved fine knives as much as Matt loved making them. Together they founded William Henry, today one of the world's finest folding-knife makers. Later, I helped Open Gate Sangha, a Zen-based spiritual community, find the Executive Director/CFO to steward its mission.
That instinct reaches well beyond executive search. I guided an unemployed pharmacist I met at a workshop to the role he'd been hoping for in Santa Barbara, and counseled a friend's brother—an aviation enthusiast with an advanced degree in aeronautical engineering—to apply to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he landed his dream job.
What I bring
After four decades recruiting CFOs and senior finance leaders for multinational companies, I've learned that the best matches are never just about a résumé—they're about character, calling, and fit. Integrity, kindness, service, and competence guide how I work. I believe in life-affirming communication, and in helping people step into their power and their life's calling. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than seeing a good match.