This blog was originally published in April 2015 and remains one of The Alexander Group’s most-read blogs. A decade later, we’re revisiting “To Beard or Not To Beard.”

Close-up of young bearded man touching his beard while standing against grey background

The beard is back and in a big way. The past few years have seen a significant upturn in the number of men wearing their facial hair “loud and proud,” both inside and outside of the office – a trend spanning industry, age and even socioeconomic groups – leading to the inevitable question: “To beard or not to beard?”

For the first time in more than a century, many of the world’s business leaders are sporting facial hair. Beards grace the faces of Nike co-founder, Phillip Knight; Goldman Sachs CEO, Lloyd Blankfein; Time Warner Chairman, Richard Parsons; Jim French, CEO of Flybe; and Walt Disney’s president, Edwin Catmull; to name a few.

The newspaper’s front page hasn’t been this hirsute since Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gould, Morgan and other captains of industry were shaping the economy.

The shaving industry is not thrilled with this trend, which has had a surprisingly significant effect on business.

According to Newsweek’s Alex Renton, “sales of shaving equipment have fallen in both the U.S. and Europe for the first time in modern history,” and Proctor & Gamble, who owns Gillette, reported a drop in sales of 10% last year.

The New York Post’s Beth Landman points out that “investment bank Jefferies reported that sales of non-disposable razors dropped 15% in the last quarter of 2013.”

Growth of Growth

What has led to this dramatic change? Facial hair and capitalism have a connected history. Beards were once considered an indicator of liberal, anti-establishment views and dissident tendencies, championed by men like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.

However, not since the Robber Barons have beards been as popular in conservative, capitalist boardrooms as they are today. The hirsute look is currently not tied to any threatening economic or political ideology, and according to The New York Times, whiskers “no longer code as a threat.”

One interesting hypothesis is that many professionals began growing beards due to the recession. Christina Binkley of The Wall Street Journal describes two financial services professionals who lost their jobs and stopped shaving. She also points out that Al Gore grew a beard after losing the presidential election in 2000, stating that “it’s one of those tiny luxuries unleashed by unemployment.”

A significant contribution to the growing popularity of scruff comes from the technology industry.

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Marc Benioff of Salesforce, Netflix’s Reed Hastings and Richard Branson of Virgin Group all have beards. However, as Steve Tobak notes, they are all founders of their companies.

The Alexander Group Managing Director John Lamar comments, “I went through a beard phase about 10 years ago. Okay, it was a goatee, and not a very good one at that…I guess that was all I could muster.”

He continues “I still like to go unshaven over the weekend…the rebel in me has not quite died. But come Monday morning, I break out the ol’ razor.” Lamar believes that the resurgence of the beard has a lot to do with celebrities and techies. “The laid-back culture coupled with explosive wealth in these two worlds has created an “I just don’t care” attitude.”

Sebastian Dillion of NextShark claims that young CEOs sport beards to look older and wiser and to display their entrepreneurial, anti-corporate ideals.

According to an article in Daily Mail Reporter, men with beards “look as much as eight years older than their unshaven counterparts.” The late Steve Jobs of Apple is perhaps the epitome of how the image of the CEO has changed over the years.

Beard of Directors

Despite the growing popularity in recent years of facial hair on professionals, the number of unshaven business executives is relatively small.

The Alexander Group Managing Director Beth Ehrgott has only had one client with a beard in all her years of search, but says that “It seems strange to think that beards still seem out of place in corporate America, yet many companies all have diversity initiatives and programs.”

Sarah Mitchell, Associate Director in The Alexander Group’s San Francisco office, says there is so much facial hair in the Bay Area that “it’s more of the rule than the exception. But I suppose I don’t see it very much when I think about those working in a more conservative corporate environment, as opposed to Google or one of the many startups.”

Phillip Rudolph, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal & Risk Officer and Corporate Secretary at Jack in the Box, was fully bearded in 2007 when he was interviewed and then hired at Jack in the Box. He doesn’t believe beards “are even remotely disqualifying.”

However, before joining Jack in the Box, Rudolph was Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at McDonald’s. He explains that while interviewing for the position, the human resources executive “asked how attached I was to my beard. I noted to him that, more correctly put, the beard was attached to me.”

Rudolph continues, “But I took the hint and shaved off the beard. I remained clean-shaven throughout my five years with McDonald’s.” Perhaps geography plays a role. Jack in the Box is headquartered in San Diego and McDonald’s home is a Chicago suburb.

A recruiter for Shell Oil Company, says that she rarely sees candidates with facial hair, and hirsute executives at Shell “are few and far between.”

A Hairy Decision

The bottom line is that if you are going to go unshaven, there are certain written and unwritten rules to follow.

  • Know your company’s culture and whether or not there are regulations or unwritten “rules” concerning facial hair. Do your homework, or ask your manager.
  • If you are going to grow facial hair, make sure that it is trimmed and neat. The last thing any executive (perhaps outside of the creative arts) wants to see is something ill-groomed and distracting.
  • If you are interviewing, it is always better to play it safe. Research the industry and company. If in doubt, shave! You can always grow it back.
  • Finally, if you decide to grow facial hair, plan accordingly. Wait for a holiday or vacation for ample time for proper growth. Stubble tends to be perceived as sloppy or lazy.

John Lamar sums it up perfectly: “For me, it basically boils down to the corporate culture. There are places where ping-pong, beards and tattoos are completely acceptable and places where they are not. Having interviewed thousands of executives in various corporate cultures, I subscribe to one simple rule regarding facial hair – just keep it neat and clean.”

“A big bushy beard that could potentially house a family of robins says to me you don’t care about your appearance or how others may perceive you. That doesn’t bode well for a future leader.”

The Alexander Group celebrated 40 years of executive search leadership with an April celebration at The Podium at Porsche River Oaks in Houston. The evening drew more than 150 clients and friends of the firm, culminating in speeches from Managing Director and Founder Jane Howze, Managing Director John Lamar, and long-time client ​Larry​ ​Jobe,​ ​former​ ​Regional​ ​Managing​ ​Partner ​​of​ ​Grant​ ​Thornton

Other clients and friends of the firm attended the party, including Bud Simpson, a client since 1993. Bud was the former Chief Human Resources Officer for Coastal Corporation and a local not for profit leader. We also welcomed Linda Lang, former CEO of Jack-in-the-Box; Steve Taylor, CEO of the Arthritis Foundation, Phil Rudolph, former General Counsel of Jack-in-the-Box, Keith Fullenweider, Chairman of Vinson & Elkins, Kent Zimmerman, Senior Partner of Zeughauser Group, Nick Peacock, Chief Operating Officer of Baker Botts, Jay Sears, Managing Partner of NewQuest, Jim Katt CEO of US Cryo, Tom Brackin, CEO of American Omni Trading, and Andy Baker, former Managing Partner of Baker Botts.

Revved up and ready for the next four decades (and more) of service to our clients, the party featured a host of Porsche’s newest cars, a curated selection of light bites and special sips, a 360-camera booth, and a drawing for one party guest, who won Porsche test track experience.

Scroll through the images below for a look at The Alexander Group celebration.

The Alexander Group proudly announces Leah Salinas has joined the firm as a Director in its Houston office. Salinas’ clients include a broad range of middle-market companies, and private equity and venture capital firms. 

“Leah’s record of helping clients build impactful executive management teams—particularly in the energy sector—is a terrific fit for us,” said Amanda Brady, Managing Director of The Alexander Group. “We are delighted to welcome her to our team.”

Salinas has extensive experience recruiting energy executives for leadership roles, with an emphasis on midstream, transition, and carbon capture, and also for the industrial, manufacturing, distribution, technology, and construction sectors.

“I am thrilled to join The Alexander Group, with its 40 year history, a global presence, and outstanding reputation.  The firm’s client-first commitment, coupled with its research-intensive approach, gives it a competitive edge and makes it an exceptional home  for long-lasting client relationships,” Salinas said.

Managing Director Beth Ehrgott has been named to the Life Science Cares National Board of Advisors.

Life Science Cares is a nonprofit organization that leverages the power of the life science industry to solve poverty by uniting the human and financial resources of life science companies and industry leaders.

Life Science Cares works with organizations in the areas of basic human survival (hunger, homelessness, domestic abuse, crime prevention, etc.), education (STEM education, college preparation and college success, educational enrichment and inspiration) and sustainability (job creation, job training, mentoring and economic development.)

Life Science Cares operates in Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay area and New York—five locations that are home to mass companies working in biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical technology and research.

Beth joins other industry leaders who shape and support the work of Life Science Cares across the country, but don’t live in one of the hub cities.

“Thank you Rob Perez and Sarah MacDonald for all that you do! I am humbled and honored to join the Life Science Cares family and excited to help champion such an inspiring mission!” said Beth.

Beth is the Head of The Alexander Group’s Global Life Sciences Practice, bringing more than 35 years of both global and national business development and executive search expertise to The Alexander Group.

She has conducted searches for top C-Suite executives across research and development, commercial, finance, corporate development, tech ops, legal, information technology, compliance, human resources, and diversity and inclusion for Fortune 500 companies as well as private equity/venture capital backed emerging growth clients across multiple industries, including pharmaceutical, generics, biotech, medical device, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, not-for-profit, retail, financial services, and professional services.


Prior to joining The Alexander Group, Beth was Head of Talent Acquisition for Europe & ROW as well as Head of Global Talent Acquisition Projects for Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics. Beth was tapped by this newly formed division of Novartis not only for her consultative approach to executive search but also for her proven track record to achieve the “slightly impossible.”

Previously, Beth was Co-founder & Partner of a national interim staffing firm that recruited executive level human resources professionals for a Fortune 500 client base.

HOUSTON—The Alexander Group proudly announces the addition of seasoned international executive Sally King to the firm’s advisory and consulting team. King brings extensive experience in global operations, strategic planning, merger planning and integration, finance, and all aspects of operational management to the consulting role.

King will play a pivotal part in furthering The Alexander Group’s mission to provide unparalleled strategic guidance to its diverse clientele. With more than 30 years of experience working with global, national, and regional law firms, King’s knowledge expands The Alexander Group’s ability to serve clients through team and executive assessment, advisory, and consulting strategies.

“We have followed Sally’s career and her impact on the firms for whom she has worked for decades,” said John Lamar, Managing Director at The Alexander Group. “She is an outstanding thought leader in this rapidly evolving industry.”

Prior to joining The Alexander Group, King served as Regional Chief Operating Officer for Clifford Chance, Chief Operating Officer for Dentons and Akin Gump, completing her career at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler.

“I am excited to embark on this new journey with The Alexander Group,” said Sally King. “I have long admired the firm’s dedication to excellence and its unwavering commitment to client success.”

King holds an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business and is a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and has served on the Boards of British American Business, Infinite Global Consulting, and the Board of Advisors for Catalyst.  She is a certified Executive Coach and a member of the International Coaching Council. King was also a Special Advisor to the New York State Bar Association Committee on Law Practice Management. 

HOUSTON—As a leading provider of executive search firm services, The Alexander Group celebrates its 40th anniversary by continuing to evolve and grow with the integration of sister firm Alex & Red and the launch of its Professional Services Division. The integration of Alex & Red into The Alexander Group expands the firm’s ability to provide a holistic solution to recruiting high-quality executives across an organization unrelated to its size. The merger is effective March 13, 2024.

The Alexander Group, led by Managing Directors Jane Howze and John Lamar, established Alex & Red in 2011, with The Alexander Group’s executive John Mann at the helm, to help entrepreneurial organizations recruit their leaders, as well as recruit future C-Suite leaders for existing clients. Under Mann’s leadership, Alex & Red was an immediate success, building a national client base in multiple industries and functional areas. The firm was recognized for successfully completing “hard to fill” positions with superior talent.

“Prior to the creation of Alex & Red, our clients asked us to help them recruit outstanding mid-level managers who would be future C-Suite leaders. At the time, we hadn’t focused on how few options our clients had for getting the quality of search The Alexander Group offers at the Board and C-suite level for mid-management positions. Combining Alex & Red’s success with ours, we can better serve our clients by offering an integrated firm that fills all their leadership needs,” said John Lamar.

Lamar adds, “In addition to offering clients one home for all their executive needs, the merger allows the firm to tailor search teams with uniquely broad industry, capabilities, and functional search experience.

“I was privileged to build and lead the team at Alex & Red that brought The Alexander Group’s commitment to client service and excellence to younger and more entrepreneurial companies. As a result, both Alex & Red and its clients have grown in a very short time to the point that it makes sense to integrate both firms into a seamless organization that will fulfill all our clients’ needs,” said John Mann, Managing Director, The Alexander Group.

Alex & Red Managing Director Jonathan Verlander joins The Alexander Group’s robust staff of executive search consultants including founder Jane Howze, CEO John Lamar, Managing Director and Chief Client Officer Amanda Brady, and Director of Research, Kyle Robinson.

About The Alexander Group Executive Search Firm Services

Established in 1984, The Alexander Group has provided top-tier executive search firm services for over 40 years, positioning itself as an industry-leading global executive search firm. Specializing in Board and C-Suite searches across a wide array of industries—including Legal and Professional Services, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Financial Services, Industrial and Manufacturing, Energy, and Not-For-Profit—the firm is recognized for its commitment to long-term client relationships, a highly acclaimed research capability, and a dedication to recruiting leaders who make a difference.