How did you find your way to Kelleher Associates?

It was a referral from GPSEG.  Initially, I was referred to another outplacement firm.

What caused you to go with Kelleher Associates?

I chose KAI because of the extensive and professional systems they had set up.  Some firms appeared to provide more value than others and I didn’t know any of them and couldn’t assess that value until I got in, but there were an array of capabilities at KAI to help me, and they did.

What was most challenging about your search process?

My personal impatience.  I’m used to making things happen quickly and I wasn’t going to rush to a position that wasn’t the right fit.  So I had to force myself to wait and be more patient.

In what ways was KAI helpful to you?

It provided an additional objective outside resource that I did not have.  I knew how to get and use most if not all of the techniques that were offered by KAI.  However, I didn’t have an objective source and someone who was facile in using them, and that had such a wide range of resources available.

Did you find Mitch Wienick responsive to your needs and if so, how?

Mitch was always available.  I didn’t need many of the systems that folks who use KAI normally require and I was pretty far down the road with my search before engaging KAI.  Mitch was available, responsive, and he enabled me to test and most often validate theories and practices that I had been using in the search process.  I already had a strategic search plan, I’d already found a board of directors, I had already set up all the search engines and had already secured the names of the search professionals. Without him and without that timely responsiveness I wouldn’t have had that validation.  The objective experience and the validating feedback were most useful.

KAI was also very helpful with the hands-on support they gave me.  A couple specific practices were positively reinforcing: Mitch reviewed, critiqued and helped me edit the content of my cover letter and resume.  Additionally, KAI offered a hands-on, “boots on the ground” approach with people really working on my behalf.  For example, they actually sent out my search letters by post and electronically. That sort of effort was available at KAI and absent at most other firms.

Where did you land and how is that going?

A friend of mine sent a job referral very early on in my search process, and when I opened it up, I didn’t understand the position and didn’t look at it closely.  Later on they came back to me and said “we really want you to take a look at this.”  As it turned out, I just needed to touch it and have my eyes open to it and see the opportunity in the new position.  It aligns with my personal mission to help others in meaningful ways by providing leadership in a respected organization.  Because the budget was much smaller than those I’d worked with, I didn’t look as closely and didn’t know that the position could have as much of an impact.  The mission is so very large, and the way people are helped by this organization is tremendous. TRI works with large foundations, nonprofits and government agencies nationally to achieve outcomes using simple and sure methods.  It inspired me to investigate the position further.

Anything else you would care to share?

I felt a little different than the “average” client because I was a CEO seeking a CEO position, because I was a non-profit executive, and because I was half-way through the search process when I engaged KAI.  And I felt different because of the search methods that I had were already in place.  Yet with all of that, I felt the value of validating those systems, having the hands-on help, as well as some real-time access to Mitch.  I found those three elements very helpful in my search and they ultimately contributed to my successful outcome.

Would you recommend KAI?

Absolutely, without reservation.