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LETTER FROM VALERIE | FEATURED SEARCHES | CLOSED SEARCHES A SPOTLIGHT ON… | FREDERICKSON PARTNERS ON THE MAP | OPEN TO CONSULTING? EVENTS | ABOUT FREDERICKSON PARTNERS
Welcome to our newly resurrected newsletter! Once upon a time—before, during, and right after the Great Recession—this unfiltered missive on the current state of all things human resources would hit the inboxes of HR execs, CEOs, and board members from all over the country on a monthly basis. The approach was always no-nonsense: I tried to tell people not what they wanted to hear, but what they needed to hear. I’ve been told people awaited it eagerly, talked about it at industry gatherings and cocktail parties. I know firsthand that it engendered many nods of agreement as well as a few ruffled feathers. And recently, a lot of people have been telling me how much they’ve missed it. Many thought we were still doing it and that they had just somehow been removed from the mailing list. Not true. The truth is that, in the past few years, we’ve simply been too busy keeping up with all the growth and transformations our clients have been going through. Like any good professional services firm, we’re always responsive to what our clients need. And for the last few years, they’ve needed their People and HR roles filled more than they needed a newsletter.
That hasn’t changed—the national shortage of great HR and People talent is now a global shortage—but as my firm (and frankly I) have grown and transformed, we are now at the point where I get to work on the business, not just in it. And thankfully that means I can now bring back one of my first loves: this candid, no-holds-barred monthly look at the opportunities and challenges facing those of us in the business of leading, assessing, hiring, and retaining great people, packed with timely information and insights on current trends in the HR market, and hopefully leavened with a few OMGs, WTF?s, and other assorted laughs.
What has changed since we last did a regular newsletter? Well, the Dow has risen from 6,500 to over 26,000, the unemployment rate has fallen from 9.5 to 3.8, and our body politic has undergone seismic change. Meanwhile, here at Fredrickson Partners, our boutique search firm has ceased being a boutique. Our revenues have quadrupled over the intervening years, and our team has grown from the five who kept it going during the 2008-2010 downturn to more than 25 W-2 employees today. We now have brick-and-mortar offices in San Francisco, Menlo Park, and San Jose, as well as full-time team members based in Ohio, Florida, Texas, and New York. We’ve gone from doing one or two HR searches at any given time to handling 25 to 30 HR and board searches concurrently. We’ve added Fortune 100 clients, winning the business against virtually every executive search firm in the country. We’ve placed HR leaders at the fastest growing software companies, at the most innovative biotech and pharma plays, at industry disrupters in edtech, fintech, and adtech. We’ve been hired by top players and hot startups from Seoul to Espoo to New York to Sao Paolo. We pull out the best FAANG People leaders, the most sophisticated big-company HRBPs, the world’s best TA leaders, the impossible-to-recruit D&I leaders. We place another new Chief People Officer (or equivalent) every week—and sometimes two or three in one week—competing fiercely against multiple offers and helping our clients win the superstars they want.
How do we accomplish this kind of growth and keep our standards so high? How do we protect our culture through all this growth? The answer is that we are dramatically different from any other search firm. For starters, my entire team is incentivized to help close every search and to treat every candidate well. All searches belong to every member of the team. No one is on commission, and no one will make an extra dollar if they steal a candidate from one of their colleagues for their own search. And unlike a certain big-box search firm that shall remain nameless—wink wink, the one that’s been going around offering CHRO searches for a 20% fee—we don’t transfer the work onto junior-level people from a different division who don’t have the experience necessary to conduct a true executive search. We don’t have an A list and a B list; all of our clients are on our A list. Every last one of them gets a full kick-off, a full process, a full team, and full results. What we do is ridiculously simple and heinously difficult at the same time: We meet a CEO, learn everything we can about that person and their company’s strategy and growth plans, evaluate their executive leadership team and figure out what help and support they need, figure out who is the one grain of sand needed to add to this glass bottle, determine how to approach them and convince them to sail away on our ship, and get the deal done.
That fact that we’ve gone through our own explosive growth, surviving and thriving through three economic cycles, gives me insights into what my clients are going through that are hard to replicate. This is not my first rodeo; it’s my third. I started the business in 1995, with my first clients including Genentech, one of the leading innovative biotech company in the world; and Electronics For Imaging, at the time one of the most profitable company in the world. By 1999 our client list included Philips Electronics, Nokia, Compaq, Raychem/Tyco, Women.com, Baan and Napster. We also helped grow and then shrink dozens and dozens of dotcoms, including my personal all-time favorite waste of VC money, the now-ironically named humorworld.com. Personally I’ve seen growth, shrink, scary growth, scary shrink, and finally almost 10 years of ridiculously strong growth, based this time on two major client needs: to find the best talent in an ever-limited pool, and to have leaders who can use technology to drive transformation and growth.
Becoming an expert in HR—something I never studied in school and never did professionally myself—has been a serendipitous gift. I’ve come to understand, deeply and personally, that the human part of HR is seriously the one differentiator that will make or break a company. Similarly, there’s a reason why executive search is the most-desired retirement job among C-suite executives. It’s endlessly exciting, ever-changing, and all-consuming, and the high of winning feels so, so good. I love the excitement that comes from being great at what I do and helping others while doing it. Making a lasting difference in people’s lives is what really turns me on.
In future editions of this newsletter you’ll hear more about what turns me on, in terms of best practices in HR and in retained executive search, how you can map out your People function for every stage of your company’s lifecycle, where you should (and shouldn’t) be investing HR resources for the future, and why you might need to give yourself a reality check right now. I look forward to having you on the journey with me, and to learning—and winning—together.
LOCATION: Emeryville, CA (HQ)
THE ROLE: Head of People
SEARCH STAGE: Developing Slate
LOCATION: Emeryville, CA (HQ)
THE ROLE: Director of HR
SEARCH STAGE: Search Initiation
LOCATION: Redwood City, CA
THE ROLE: Vice President of People
SEARCH STAGE: Search Initiation
LOCATION: San Francisco, CA
THE ROLE: Head of Global Recruiting
SEARCH STAGE: Shortlisting
LOCATION: Menlo Park, CA
THE ROLE: Head of People
SEARCH STAGE: Search Initiation
CONFIDENTIAL SEMICONDUCTOR
THE ROLE: Senior Director Total Rewards
LOCATION: Menlo Park, CA
THE ROLE: Head of People
SEARCH STAGE: Search Initiation
LOCATION: San Carlos, CA
THE ROLE: HR Business Partner
SEARCH STAGE: Search Initiation
LOCATION: Mountain View, CA
THE ROLE: Head of People
SEARCH STAGE: Developing Slate
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
THE ROLE: HR Business Partner
SEARCH STAGE: Developing Slate
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
THE ROLE: VP Talent & Culture
SEARCH STAGE: Developing Slate
LOCATION: San Ramon, CA
THE ROLE: Vice President Human Resources
SEARCH STAGE: Search Initiation
LOCATION: San Mateo, CA
THE ROLE: VPHR, Americas
SEARCH STAGE: Developing Slate
LOCATION: Portland, OR
THE ROLE: Head of HR
SEARCH STAGE: Developing Slate
LOCATION: Palo Alto, CA
THE ROLE: Head of People
SEARCH STAGE: Search Initiation
LOCATION: San Francisco, CA
THE ROLE: Special Advisor, Talent Engagement
SEARCH STAGE: Search Initiation
LOCATION: Sao Paulo, BR
THE ROLE: Head of Compensation
SEARCH STAGE: Shortlisting
LOCATION: Sao Paulo, BR
THE ROLE: HR Business Partner
SEARCH STAGE: Shortlisting
LOCATION: Mexico city, MX
THE ROLE: HR Business Partner
SEARCH STAGE: Developing Slate
LOCATION: Sunnyvale, CA
THE ROLE: Head of Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging
SEARCH STAGE: Developing Slate
LOCATION: Santa Clara, CA
THE ROLE: Vice President Human Resources, G&A
Recently closed!
LOCATION: Seoul, South Korea
THE ROLE: Chief Talent Officer
Recently closed!
LOCATION: Sao Paulo, BR
THE ROLE: Global Head of Talent Acquisition
Recently closed!
LOCATION: Santa Monica, CA
THE ROLE: Senior Manager Compensation Operations
Recently closed!
LOCATION: Sao Paulo, BR
THE ROLE: International Expansion
Recently closed!
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
THE ROLE: Global Head of Recruiting
Recently closed!
LOCATION: Sao Paulo, BR
THE ROLE: International Expansion
Recently closed!
LOCATION: Mountain View, CA
THE ROLE: Employee Relations Leader
Recently closed!
LOCATION: San Jose, CA
THE ROLE: Head of Human Resources
Recently closed!
LOCATION: TBD
THE ROLE: Head (VP) of Talent
Recently closed!
LOCATION: Mentone, IN
THE ROLE: Head of Human Resources
Recently closed!
LOCATION: Tampa, FL
THE ROLE: Director, Sales Onboarding
Recently closed!
When asked about Brazil, most people would immediately think of Rio de Janeiro, the sprawling seaside city famed for its Copacabana and Ipanema, the breathtaking statue of Christ the Redeemer, and Sugarloaf Mountain with cable cars bridging the summit to this populous city. While most definitely a noteworthy destination, Brazil is also where São Paulo is located, this country’s largest city and the world’s seventh largest. Home to about 20 million proud Paulistanos (natives of São Paulo), São Paulo (Sampa, as it is often called) is a great city to explore, with its own idiosyncrasies, cultural flavor, and blend of contemporary and historically traditional architecture. This is Brazil’s vibrant financial center that has managed to delicately mix rich, artistic cultural traditions with established institutions, making it one of the most diverse cities in the world.
As you may be aware of, we just closed the Global Head of Talent Acquisition search, and are currently working on three other searches – Head of Total Rewards, Head of Compensation, Senior HRBP for Engineering - for the unicorn fin-tech company in Sao Paulo called Nubank. Nubank is the largest financial tech company in Latin America with a valuation of over $16 billion. They are the second highest valued fintech company in the world, and one of Fast Company’s 2019 ‘Most Innovative Companies in the World’.
A company born in the heart of this diversely rich city, this financial services tech company that looks to return financial control to the individual. They are a diverse mix of employees from over 25 countries with a prevalent LGBTQ population that leads to a unique mix of the best qualities that exist within Silicon Valley and São Paulo.
Bringing much of this vibrancy, is former Twitter, Uber, and Google HR executive, Renee Mauldin, who now serves as the Chief People Officer at Nubank. Renee, a highly respected and renowned HR leader from Silicon Valley reached out to us with a tall order when it comes to building out an HR department. It has been rewarding to collaborate with her and her team to make sure we bring them the best of the best as the organization scales.
These searches have not only given us business but have given us an opportunity to work closely with a prestigious people leader Renee, and allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in a culture so different from our own and opened our eyes to how traditional and modern ideas can work together to create a colorful company culture.
Check out this video where Renee and Nubank CEO and Founder, David Velez talk about their People and Culture.
Where I’m From I was born in Paintsville, Ky., a town of about 4,000 in the Appalachian foothills, where the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum celebrates recording artists like Loretta Lynn, and a stone’s throw from where her biopic, Coal Miner’s Daughter, was filmed. I too started out as a coal miner’s daughter, though my family ultimately left the region and moved north to Central Ohio when I was in 5th grade.
Where I’ve Been The first member of my family to earn a college degree, I received a B.S. in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco and spent 30 years in the Bay Area—the last 19 on the Peninsula in San Mateo—before returning to Ohio about three years ago. My most extensive HR experience came as a generalist at the director or senior director level. For the bulk of my career, I had the honor of leading a phenomenal team at one of the world’s largest global law firms, supporting 14 regional offices comprised of 1,500 lawyers and staff.
Why I Joined Frederickson Partners I’ve had the good fortune to know Valerie for nearly 20 years. We initially crossed paths when the law firm where I worked had to face the first reductions-in-force in its history. I researched outplacement service providers, and Frederickson Partners (then known as VF&Co.) stood out among the competition. We remained a client for many years, largely utilizing their robust outplacement services for our departing professional staff. I came to Frederickson Partners for the opportunity to shift my career focus to HR executive search—to help HR leaders find terrific matches with our vast, impressive array of clients.
Why I Stay Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Working for Frederickson Partners has given me the opportunity to return to my Middle American roots while still being connected to a superbly branded, highly respected, HR-focused business in Silicon Valley. Although I work remotely, our firm strives to ensure inclusivity for remote workers, so I don’t feel disconnected from the rest of the team. My day-to-day work as a candidate manager me to make a difference in people’s lives when they are in career transition, be it on their own initiative or due to changes going on at their companies or in their personal lives. My deep knowledge of HR helps me to select the best candidates and match them with the right roles. I’m also able to utilize my HR expertise to counsel candidates on the appropriate next steps for their careers. My background has given me exposure to a wide variety of different HR models, from centers of excellence and shared services to locally managed services. And my own transition from being an HR leader to recruiting and placing others is a very fulfilling way to pay it forward and give back to the HR community.
If I’m Not Working I’m Probably… Spending quality time with my husband, reading, discovering new restaurants, golfing, or swimming. Or I might be out playing with Jake and Mac, the pair of amazing Whippet–Border Collie mixes we adopted when we relocated back to the Columbus area.
Are you a high-level, experienced human resources executive who is looking to make a transition into consulting and contract work? We’re in the process of expanding our consulting bench for all functions of HR, with a focus on Head of People professionals. Contact us here, if you’re interested in learning more.
https://huntscanlon.com/pe-conference-san-francisco/
Frederickson Partners will be sponsoring Hunt Scanlon’s exclusive VC & PE event this fall, where some of the top private equity and venture capital firms and leaders in the nation will come together to discuss the tie between talent and growth. Valerie Frederickson, our CEO, will be introducing Jon Weber, Head of Portfolio Company Management at BlueMountain Capital Management, who will be speaking about a talent-focused approach to increasing investment returns and improving overall outcomes for organizations.
https://huntscanlon.com/next-gen-conference-nyc/
Valerie Frederickson has been invited to speak at Next-Gen this November, an event dedicated to addressing various issues women face in the workplace. Along with over 350 business professionals, Valerie will be discussing the various ways to aid in paving the path for women leaders and specifically the role executive recruiters play in advancing women into the C-suite.
Frederickson Partners, a Gallagher company is a market leader in retained executive search since 1995. As one of the top-rated HR executive search and C-suite recruiting firms, we have expertise in placing Chief People Officers, Chief Human Resources Officers, Chief Diversity Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Legal Officers and many other senior leaders. We draw on a broad network of rising and established executives and leaders, and a 28-year reputation as a talent acquisition and HR Advisory provider.