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Areas Of Expertise

PROVEN PROCESS – GUARANTEED RESULTS

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS SINCE 1992

Asset Management

Key Asset Management Talent Is Harder to Find

The asset management business is not only maturing but experiencing tumultuous change. The rise of passive investing and the need for active managers to scale operations to compete effectively has triggered a wave of M&A.

Despite an increase in displaced executives, the challenge is engaging with world-class talent with the strategic mindset to forge continued success. Our goal is to distinguish the strongest talent from those simply looking for their next opportunity.

We’re accustomed to helping our clients navigate the landscape for talent during unpredictable times. As a trusted partner, we help clients analyze their businesses and identify the competencies required to address each new challenge.

Board of Directors

Build A Stronger Board

The growing complexity of the investment industry demands that corporate and fund boards have a greater diversity of backgrounds, skillsets and perspectives. Many boards today are composed of longtime directors who didn’t encounter the same level of legal, regulatory and compliance issues common in today’s business environment.

To build a better board, firms need directors with more industry expertise. Challenges from new regulatory oversight and the fiduciary rule are forcing boards to address a heightened level of scrutiny. As important, investment industry firms should consider refreshing their boards with the gender and racial diversity that comprise their clients.

We partner with companies to identify and assess a diverse range of directors whose capabilities can strengthen a board or transform a leadership team into a strategic advantage for the business. Our disciplined process delivers candidates customized for each board assignment and are benchmarked against a specific need.

 

TESTIMONIALS

  • Kathy Freeman Company's preparations for the search committee members and interviewers were great. I really enjoyed them challenging us on the front end of the engagement about the job description. I also believe the time they spent in our office was invaluable.
    Bob Kaspar, Chairman of the Board
    National Advisors Trust Company
  • Successful search outcomes require an in-depth understanding of the role a candidate is expected to fulfill, an inventory of potential candidates, the insight to seek out and identify additional candidates from non-obvious sources, and the energy and focus to vet and pre-sell attractive candidates. Kathy Freeman Company performed all of these activities with a high degree of professionalism and enthusiasm.
    Allan Martin, Partner
    NEPC

Brokerage

The Brokerage Industry Is In Transition

The brokerage industry is restructuring to adapt to a new era of complexity and competition. Enhanced regulatory scrutiny, the DOL Rule, and the pressure to scale to gain efficiencies are prompting brokerages to reassess their business models from top to bottom.

With so much change taking place, organizations need to ensure they have the right talent in the right places. Brokerage firms are facing a critical need for strategic leaders cognizant and focused on the client’s needs and the importance of the fiduciary mandate.

To flourish in today’s marketplace, broker dealers must have a team in place that can develop and execute a new vision within this regulatory framework. We work with companies to find executives who thoughtfully see past the curves and who can anticipate and drive their firms toward the business opportunities which lie ahead.

Wealth Management

Wealth Management Is In Growth Mode

Wealth Management is emerging as one of the most dynamic sectors of the investment industry. RIAs, multifamily offices, broker dealers, trust companies and private banks are partnering and merging. They’re coming together in response to client growth, combined infrastructure, competitive pressure from low-cost robo-advisors, and a growing shortage of industry-specific talent. With an estimated 18,000 professionals expected to exit wealth management in the next 10 years, sustainable firms must be proactive to establish and act on a defined talent strategy.

One of the most critical conversations we have today is CEO/Founder succession planning. Failing to execute a well-designed succession plan can be a costly mistake that can jeopardize a firm’s future growth and the CEO/Founder’s legacy. As important, a carefully orchestrated succession plan can professionalize a firm and maximize its value upon a sale.

Our experience and extensive network of relationships across wealth management can help you define your human capital strategy. We work with your firm to articulate its growth story and engage professionals who can take your business to the next level.

PERFORMANCE

20 K

INDUSTRY CONTACTS

We tap into our national network of 20,000+ industry contacts.
99%

ACCURACY

1+ candidates are hired from our initial slate 99% of the time.
31

DAYS

It takes +/-31 business days to present our first slate of candidates.
99%

SUCCESS RATE

<1% of searches have resulted in a replacement search.
63%

DIVERSITY

In the past 5 years, 63% of our hires were diverse executives.
5-10

HOURS

We conduct 5-10 hours of rigorous assessment with every candidate.

Investment Consulting

Impact Players Are Key to Investment Consulting

Institutional Investment Consulting is now a mature industry. Over the past few years, the number of top-tier consultants has been reduced to just a handful of prestigious firms. Many of these visionaries are now preparing to wind down their careers.

Finding professionals who can succeed these distinguished leaders is a significant challenge that the industry faces. In some instances, it’s important to consider promising executives from outside the community who can step into leadership roles and fill the talent gap.

We have worked with institutional investment consultants for years and recognize the diplomacy necessary to present compelling opportunities to executives in this tight-knit community. We have the expertise to identify and attract those who possess the vision, expertise, and experience to become tomorrow’s industry leaders.

Fintech

Fintech Needs Industry Veterans

Fintech will remain a disruptive force within the investment industry for the foreseeable future. The accelerating transformation from analog to digital means that every segment of the investment industry will be challenged by new thinking and technology.

To pursue their mission, fintech firms need more than just innovative technology. They need well-respected executives as well as senior managers who understand their vertical market. Fintech firms must be able to attract professionals with deep domain expertise who can establish industry credibility and win over incumbent firms in their space.

For more than two decades, we’ve helped our technology clients engage executives across the investment industry. Our nationwide network and proven process helps fintech firms evaluate and champion those executives willing to take on greater risk and potentially greater reward working for a company early in its development.

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