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Success Requires Having the Right Leadership.

We have proven experience helping organizations identify and hire executive leaders that not only possess the necessary skills and experience but also align seamlessly with the company's culture and long-term strategic vision.

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Our passion is impacting your success. We will guide you through the process of finding the candidate who will make a profound impact on your organization. We partner with our clients to tailor a search strategy to fit the inherent demands of the project but also the unique circumstances facing the board members or owners of the organization.

several professionals reviewing tablet
Our search process includes guiding you through each step of the process from gaining and in-depth understanding of the culture, challenges, and goals to successfully reaching a decision and onboarding the new executive.

Our clients are primarily middle market private, family Business, ESOP or Private Equity owned organizations with up to a billion in revenue. We work across industry segments but have concentrations in manufacturing, distribution and service-related organizations.

We have teams located in Michigan and Pennsylvania. We have a successful track record in those markets but also have proven success in markets across the US. Additionally, we place executives globally through established partners on 5 continents.

Our Focus
We work extensively on CEO, GM, President roles as well as functional C-Suite roles across functions including CFO, CHRO, COO and CRO.
Recently Filled Positions

  • President – Manufacturer
  • President – Community Bank
  • SVP HR – HealthCare System
  • CEO – ESOP Distributor
  • CFO – National DSO (PE)
  • COO – Family-owned Mfg co.

Tailored Hiring Solutions

We recognize that every client’s journey is distinctive. Whether you are a family-owned business, a middle-market corporation, or a private equity-backed company, our approach is tailored to your specific needs and aspirations. Our suite of services, encompassing both retained executive search and contingent search, is designed to adapt, and evolve with you. Your success is our top priority, and we’re here to ensure you have the right leaders by your side at every step.

Executive Search

When you need trusted assistance for your most crucial strategic hiring needs. We have trusted experience leading you through a step-by-step process to identify, attract and hire executives who will seamlessly integrate and impact the success of your organization.

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Professional Recruiting

When you need broader access to talent. We have recruiting team members focused on providing value added direct hire recruiting services to our client organizations. This gives you access to passive candidates who are not answering job postings.

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Contract Placement

When you need to fill a need immediately. We apply the same careful vetting that we use in direct hire to help clients locate candidates to handle contract, project based or interim needs. Our focus in this area includes finance and accounting, human resources across and project resources.

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Our Process Ensures a Successful Fit Every time (How we Work)

We execute each step of the executive search process with a critical eye. We understand the critical organizational importance of hiring the candidate who will deliver exceptional performance.

1 Discovery

 

Gain an understanding around the culture, organizational values, and goals. Meet key constituents and understand the desired outcomes for the role.

2 Strategy

 

Critical for key stakeholders to align around the desired candidate profile. This includes the experience profile and a list of intangibles required for a seamless integration.

3 Recruiting

 

Tailor the recruiting, attraction & evaluation process to the specific need. Build in key steps in the process, assessment, and stake holder involvement.

4 Present

 

Execute the research, sourcing and recruiting strategy. Build a candidate pool that involves covering the desired candidate market while narrowing the pool against tangible and intangible requirements updating our clients through this process.

5 Evaluation

 

Vett the candidate pool and collaborate to develop a short slate of candidates. Incorporate tools and criteria to use through client interview process. Determine final candidate(s) and execute final steps of evaluation.

6 Selection

 

Facilitate the final decision taking into account all the steps in the process including data points from assessment, references and evaluation process. Assist with the offer, acceptance, resignation and on-boarding process.

Building Your Talent Capability One Talented Leader at a Time

We have expertise to fill the critical needs in departments across your organization.

C-SUITE

FINANCE / ACCOUNTING

HUMAN RESOURCES

OPERATIONS

ENGINEERING

SALES / MARKETING

FAMILY OWNED

PRIVATE EQUITY

Client Segments

We are primarily focused on the middle market with companies on average ranging in size up to 500 million in sales. We do a concentration of work with Family-Owned Businesses and Private Equity Owned companies. We have expertise with employee owned (ESOP) and private owned companies.

client segments chart

Industries

WilliamCharles has deep and broad experience working across a number of different industries and sectors. Located in Michigan gives us extensive experience with manufacturing and distribution industries. At times, specific industry experience is critical – other times it is better to seek the best talent across industries. We help you navigate those critical decisions.

MANUFACTURING

DISTRIBUTION

HEALTHCARE

SERVICES & BANKING

NOT FOR PROFIT

Hope Network logo

We’ve recently worked with WilliamCharles for placement of two key roles within our executive leadership team – Chief Financial Officer and Chief People Officer.  Bill and Chuck took the time to learn about our business, understand the skill gaps we were trying to fill, and kept our desired culture top-of-mind. In both cases, they were able to source and pre-screen a variety of individuals, providing us with a panel of highly qualified candidates.

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- Bob Von Kaenel || President & Chief Executive Officer, Hope Network
Kentwood Office Furniture logo

WilliamCharles did all the time-consuming work of identifying and qualifying the candidates, scheduling our time with the candidates, providing appropriate time and space for the interviews, and recommending an outside testing service we had not used before that proved incredibly helpful as we made our final decision. There is no possibility that we would have surfaced the number of excellent candidates that WilliamCharles brought to the process.

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- Art Hasse || Chairman of the Board, Kentwood Office Furniture
DWH logo

Our collaboration with WilliamCharles in the search for a President for our trucking company was a tremendous success. From start to finish, their expertise and dedication made the hiring process seamless and efficient.

They took the time to understand our company’s unique needs, values, and goals, ensuring that they sourced candidates who aligned perfectly with our vision. They maintained open lines of communication, providing regular updates and valuable insights throughout the entire search.

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- Ben Borisch || Managing Partner, DWH Corp

Case Studies

Hiring a key executive is among the your most critical decisions to get right. We understand the gravity of these decisions and each situation provides a unique set of circumstances. We have a successful track record creating successful outcomes to these seemingly daunting situations.

Medical Products – CEO

Situation
Growing medical device manufacturer was replacing a long time, President. Concurrently, the owners decided to move from the executive office to board roles leaving open a CEO role. The challenge was replacing both the President and the two owners who were working in the business.

Our Approach
We worked with all the stake holders to develop a specification and a search strategy. We searched locally as well as nationally and within and outside of the medical device industry. The owners met a diverse slate of candidates and then took finalists through interviews, an assessment, and references.

Outcome
The successful candidate has successfully transitioned into the role and has accomplished setting up the organization for additional growth.

Distributor – Pres./CEO search

Situation
Regional ESOP owned distributor going through a CEO retirement/transition. Met with the board to outline the approach WC would take, process and timetable. We were selected to perform the search.

Our Approach
Used a multiple approach search strategy which in this case included posting the position in an industry publication, reaching out to multiple referral sources and conducting both a nationwide and local area search for industry experience and general leadership candidate profiles.

Outcome
Brought five highly qualified candidates through a multi-step process with the board resulting in a successful hire and transition from the retiring CEO to the new leader.

President (Community Bank)

Situation
500+ million asset community bank was creating a succession plan to replace a long time successful CEO. After gaining an understanding of the desired profile and goals of the organization we set out to finding the right pedigree, experience and fit with the organization and board. The challenge was finding the person with local market relationships which was a finite potential pool.

Our Approach
We did a market survey and included all potential candidates within the market. We reached out and engaged the pool. We boiled down the list to those who fit and were interested. The CEO and Board Chair interviewed a slate of candidates.

Outcome
A finalist separated from the pack and went through final steps including meeting the leadership team and full board of directors. This individual has fit in with the organization extremely well giving the CEO the succession plan he was seeking.

Executive Hiring Guide

Career Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s Elevate Your Success

Contact us today to discover how WilliamCharles Search Group can strategically elevate your leadership team and drive your organization toward new heights of achievement.

Michigan

5550 Cascade Rd SE, #200
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

616.464.4355

Pennsylvania

1001 Liberty Avenue
5th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

412.392.7260

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