The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. It partnered with The Alexander Group, a global executive search firm, to recruit a Senior Vice President of Digital Marketing. As the organization sought to strengthen its digital-first engagement strategy, it needed a visionary marketing leader to amplify its science-driven mission through digital innovation, emerging technologies, and strategic storytelling.
Key Leadership Need
The American Heart Association sought an SVP of Digital Marketing who could drive integrated digital marketing strategies, leverage emerging technologies like AI for personalized engagement, and align marketing initiatives with the organization’s mission-driven goals. The ideal candidate would bring deep expertise in digital ecosystem leadership, omnichannel marketing, and data-driven decision-making in a nonprofit or large-scale mission-driven environment.
The Alexander Group’s Approach
Managing Directors Amanda K. Brady and Jean Lenzner lead a national search to identify digital marketing executives with proven success in scaling engagement strategies, driving innovation, and aligning digital ecosystems with organizational impact goals.
Search priorities included:
Expertise in digital transformation, omnichannel marketing, and marketing technology leadership
Proven ability to lead high-performing teams and integrate emerging technologies into marketing strategy
Experience aligning digital marketing strategies with organizational missions and revenue growth initiatives
Sharlene Jenner rose to the top with over two decades of leadership experience at organizations such as Vizient, AbelsonTaylor, and Hilton Worldwide, where she specialized in driving digital innovation, marketing transformation, and audience-centered storytelling strategies.
Successful Placement and Impact
Sharlene Jenner joins The American Heart Association as SVP of Digital Marketing. She oversees the strategy and execution of digital marketing initiatives, content strategy, and the integration of emerging technologies to drive relevance, engagement, and revenue growth across both consumer and scientific audiences.
Immediate Impact:
Leads digital engagement strategies aligned with the AHA’s brand and mission
Introduces AI-driven personalization and data analytics to enhance marketing campaigns
Strengthens omnichannel marketing efforts across consumer, professional, and donor audiences
Elevates the AHA’s digital brand presence through innovative content and storytelling
About The American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a nonprofit organization devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke, the two leading causes of death worldwide. Through groundbreaking research, education, and advocacy efforts, the Association helps millions live longer, healthier lives.
About The Alexander Group
The Alexander Group is an international executive search firm headquartered in Houston. Serving nonprofits, healthcare organizations, legal services, technology firms, and more, The Alexander Group helps mission-driven organizations secure transformative leadership to drive strategic impact and sustainable growth.
Looking to elevate your organization’s digital strategy? Partner with The Alexander Group to find the visionary leaders who drive engagement and growth.
National insurance leader, GEICO, appoints Tangela Richter to lead legal operations, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
Client: GEICO | Role: General Counsel | Candidate: Tangela Richter
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is one of the largest and most recognized auto insurance companies in the United States. It partnered with The Alexander Group, a global executive search firm, to recruit a General Counsel. As GEICO continues to expand and navigate a dynamic regulatory environment, it sought a highly experienced legal leader to oversee all aspects of legal operations, corporate governance, compliance, and risk management.
Key Leadership Need
GEICO wanted a General Counsel who could lead the company’s legal strategy across regulatory compliance, corporate governance, litigation, risk management, and M&A support. The ideal candidate would possess extensive experience advising senior leadership teams, overseeing large legal departments, and aligning legal strategy with organizational growth objectives in a fast-paced environment.
The Alexander Group’s Approach
Managing Director John Lamar and Director Sarah Mitchell conducted a focused national search targeting senior legal executives with extensive leadership experience in insurance, financial services, and regulated industries.
Search priorities included:
Expertise in corporate governance, securities law, regulatory compliance, and litigation management
Proven ability to advise C-suite leadership on strategic initiatives and operational matters
Experience leading large, high-performing legal teams in highly regulated environments
Tangela Richter emerged as the ideal candidate, bringing over two decades of leadership experience across organizations such as Wells Fargo, American Express, LendingClub, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where she consistently advised on governance, compliance, and strategic legal issues.
Successful Placement and Impact
Tangela Richter joins GEICO as General Counsel. She will lead all legal, regulatory, compliance, and risk management functions, supporting GEICO’s growth strategies while ensuring operational integrity across its national footprint.
Immediate Impact:
Strengthens corporate governance practices and regulatory compliance frameworks
Advises senior leadership on legal risk and business strategy alignment
Leads internal and external counsel management for operational efficiency
Develops proactive legal strategies to support the company’s continued expansion
About GEICO
GEICO is a national provider of auto insurance and related products, serving millions of policyholders throughout the United States. As a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, GEICO is dedicated to providing affordable and reliable insurance services while upholding a customer-first philosophy.
About The Alexander Group
The Alexander Group is a global executive search firm based in Houston. The firm partners with leading organizations in insurance, financial services, technology, healthcare, and professional services to recruit senior leaders who drive innovation, growth, and operational excellence.Building a world-class leadership team starts with the right search partner.
How is DEI changing? Many companies are moving towards more subtle, “Quiet DEI” initiatives, continuing their commitment to diversity without explicitly labeling it as DEI.
There is a continued leadership commitment to DEI. Despite reduced public enthusiasm, many C-suite leaders remain dedicated to promoting DEI values within their organizations.
Evolving DEI Strategies include a focus on organically integrating diversity efforts into broader business practices to better capture everyday workplace cultures.
Peruse the headlines, and it seems the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movement has moved on—at least for now.
The roster of companies distancing themselves from DEI hiring and practices is a Who’s Who of familiar names—Zoom, Home Depot, DoorDash, Tractor Supply, and Lyft. Social and cultural tastemakers Meta, Tesla, and X join the mix of major corporations that cut DEI teams by 50 percent or more in 2023.
It’s a far cry and a fast fall from the surge of DEI hiring and policies established in the wake of George Floyd’s 2020 death. Whether moved by altruism, public pressure, or even economic gains, American companies prioritized racial equality, building teams dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Evolution of DEI Practices
The push for DEI rose to public consciousness in 2020, but its roots are embedded in the Civil Rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s. Affirmative action and equal employment legislation such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 were the foundation for DEI, setting the stage for future growth.
.Fast forward 65 years, and you can see how DEI is changing in practice in academia and corporations worldwide.
The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision overturning affirmative action in college admissions fueled the DEI pushback, creating a domino effect throughout academia.
Shifts in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives in Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education tracks how DEI is changing through legislation and found state legislators have introduced at least 65 anti-DEI bills since 2023. Florida, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas have passed legislation that prohibits colleges from having diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or staff and bans mandatory diversity training, among other things.
The decision also prompted executives nationwide to reexamine their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, resulting in the disbanding of programs and internal DEI hires.
Adjustments in DEI Implementation in the Corporate Sector
Most recently, Tractor Supply Co., the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the U.S., took a public step back from its robust DEI policies, citing customer feedback as the reason for eliminating its carbon emissions goals and DEI programs.
With its highly respected board and management group and legacy of community engagement, the company made the decision out of respect for its customers, who include recreational farmers, ranchers, homeowners, gardeners, and pet enthusiasts.
In a press release on June 27, 2024, Tractor Supply Co. said, “We work hard to live up to our Mission and Values every day and represent the values of the communities and customers we serve. We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them. We have taken this feedback to heart.”
The company listed five key changes in the release, including “…eliminating DEI roles and retiring our current DEI goals while still ensuring a respectful environment” and “no longer submitting data to the Human Rights Campaign.”
Tractor Supply Co. isn’t alone in its DEI shift.
Changing Trends in DEI Approaches in Workplace Settings
Washington Post reporter Taylor Telford disclosed that Zoom’s chief operating officer Aparna Bawa told employees the company would replace its internal DEI team with DEI consultants who would “champion inclusion by embedding our values…directly into our people programs rather than as a separate initiative” according to a Jan. 29 memo.
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, Tesla, and SpaceX, echoed the sentiments of billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who shared his thoughts about DEI on X, calling it “inherently a racist and illegal movement in its implementation even if it purports to work on behalf of the so-called oppressed.”
Musk followed Ackman’s post with his own, saying, “DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it. DEI, because it discriminates on the basis of race, gender, and many other factors, is not merely immoral, it is also illegal.”
Data from the job search site Indeed further supports how DEI is changing. There is a decline of dedicated DEI policies with a 23 percent decline in job postings with “DEI” in the title or description between November 2022 and November 2023.
The Pew Research Center data shows how the political fault lines reflect the country’s thoughts about DEI. The Pew survey found that 78% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning workers say focusing on DEI at work is a good thing, compared with 30% of Republican and Republican-leaning workers.
How Is DEI Changing or Expanding?
So that’s it, then? Is DEI done? After all, Musk said DEI is immoral, and data shows a reverse in hiring, so it must be true.
Well, not exactly.
Despite data and the change in hiring, many companies are pursuing Quiet DEI, reframing efforts without using acronyms.
A November 2023 survey conducted by Littler Mendelson P.C., the largest global law practice devoted to representing management in employment, employee benefits, and labor law matters, revealed that despite the gloom and doom of the headlines, the C-suite is still actively pursuing and expanding its diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies.
More than 300 C-suite executives, including Chief Executive Officers, Chief Legal Officers, and Chief Diversity Officers representing a diverse range of industries and company sizes, responded to the survey, which shed light on DEI’s future.
Highlights include the following:
More than half of U.S. executives say their organizations have expanded their diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies over the past year despite an increased backlash against broader diversity initiatives.
57% of C-suite executives in the U.S. said they had grown their diversity commitments over the past 12 months, even as 59% reported growing opposition to diversity programs in the U.S. following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to roll back affirmative-action college admissions policies in June 2023.
91% of C-suite leaders say the Supreme Court rulings have not lessened their prioritization of DEI.
“Most of the business leaders with whom I speak across the professional services and nonprofit sectors continue to support a broad definition of diversity, equity, and inclusion that rejects the echo chambers of old and capitalizes on how the differences make them stronger,” said Amanda K. Brady, Managing Director and Chief Client Officer, The Alexander Group.
Transition of DEI Programs Should Be Straightforward
There is room for improvement, or rather clarity of program execution. Thirty-five percent of the executives said their organizations need clear plans and goals relating to DEI initiatives.
The survey revealed the most popular initiatives tend to be straightforward and established. These include providing training and professional development opportunities to diverse employees and providing organization-wide DEI or “implicit bias” training and educational resources, which have already been implemented or are in the planning stages at 77% of organizations.
About three-quarters of executives (73%) also say their organizations already provide or plan to develop mentorship opportunities for diverse employees.
This data rings true for Jane Howze, Managing Director of The Alexander Group. She has experienced multiple shifts across the executive recruiting landscape throughout her career and says DEI hiring practices may currently look different, but they have taken root.
“Our firm has seen many trends over its 40-year history, and the pendulum always swings back. While there may be a pause in highlighting DEI initiatives, you must think about it in the long term, and we do,” Howze said.
How Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are Evolving To Stay In Place
Growing DEI effectively is undoubtedly an evolving process. Caroline Wanga, President and CEO of Essence Ventures, Co-Founder of WangaWoman, and former Chief Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer at Target, thinks it’s time for corporate DEI efforts to take a step back and ask critical questions.
These are Wanga’s five prompts for reframing the corporate DEI discussion:
1. Do your workplace policies give individuals permission to express themselves and ask for what they need?
For the amount of time I invested in being in all the right places for DEI, none of my numbers moved because I was there. My numbers moved when people saw me come to work with dreadlocks and finally started wearing their vacation braids to work.”
2. Do your mentorship programs pair employees based on their appearance or the deeper qualities they need to succeed?
Corporate America mentorship should be aligned to the needs of the person and the best person who can give them that. What they happen to look like should not be a factor in whether they’re a good mentor.”
3. Does your workplace offer space for employees to truly listen to each other?
We were teaching everybody how to come out and say stuff that makes people uncomfortable… What we forgot to do is teach people how to listen to it.”
4. Do your DEI programs foster personal accountability and action?
The next time you use the word ‘ ’instead of saying I need DEI to do this, or I’m worried that DEI is doing this, take out the word ‘ ’and put your name and see how you feel. Because if you’re not doing it, I don’t care about DEI.”
5. Are your DEI initiatives primarily for meeting business objectives or creating a more humane workplace?
DEI is not about ‘How many of this do you have? ’DEI is not about meeting goals. DEI is about teaching people how to get in touch with what they are good at.”
Bottom line in answer to “How is DEI changing in the future?”
DEI initiatives aren’t going anywhere.
“The firms I have spoken to indicated they are doubling down on their DEI initiatives,” said John Lamar, Managing Director of The Alexander Group. “Prioritizing diversity in their workforce, leadership, and client engagements will continue, as will efforts on creating an inclusive workplace culture.”
Transformations in DEI Strategies and Progression of DEI Efforts By Executive Leadership
The evolution of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts highlights that while public enthusiasm for DEI may have declined, these initiatives are far from over. Many organizations are transitioning to a more discreet, “Quiet DEI” approach, showing continued individual leadership commitment despite broader corporate pullbacks. Leaders remain dedicated to organically embedding DEI principles into business practices, underscoring the importance of diversity as a long-term goal. As DEI strategies adapt, the focus shifts toward sustainable integration that reflects the fundamental values of leadership and employees.
Moving forward, consider how your organization can continue to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in the evolving workplace landscape. Whether through quiet initiatives or more visible commitments, DEI should remain integral to leadership strategy. Connect with us to learn more about integrating DEI seamlessly into your business practices.
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.
Finding a new position isn’t easy. It takes time, more time than any respected professional wants. In fact, after you reach a certain level of acumen in your chosen field, it’s downright insulting to be part of this slow-moving process, waiting tirelessly to land that next, rightful position. But once the deal is done, you are ready. You are pleased with the compensation package and determined to make a move. And then what? It’s time to tell the news to your current employer: not such a ‘gee-I’m-really-looking-forward-to-it’ kind of task. It might even keep you up at night, actually rehearsing what to say to your direct report.
And then, nervously, you announce to the higher-ups you’re leaving: “It has been a terrific time spent, but a better opportunity has come along, and I’m taking it.” Your heart rate slows, and you’re breathing fresh air. But the next step could come as a surprise if you aren’t prepared for it.
Your employer says to you: “Hey, can you hold your decision for 24 hours? I would like to discuss this with someone in the corner office and get back to you tomorrow.” Much like the spouse who refuses to sign the divorce papers, you are now caught in a game of ‘how much you are valued in your old post’, and it’s a bit alluring. Hmm. They don’t want me to leave, they want to keep me, that’s interesting. What am I really worth in this position? Shall I play this out a bit and see?
Well, here’s my best advice, based on all of the candidates that get seduced by the counteroffer: Cut your losses. Because, truly, sticking around isn’t exactly what you wanted in the first place. Here are some reasons why:
The counteroffer is a holding pattern. Your employer hasn’t found your replacement and they’re unwilling to have you leave until they are ready. Does that sound like job security? Not so much.
Don’t forget, there was a reason you were open to new opportunities. The company you are leaving has not met your professional goals, so you were receptive to new opportunities. Don’t forget the basic premise of your search—you had some philosophical differences that got you here in the first place. Why didn’t you ask for a raise if it was just compensation?
Your employer will view you as untrustworthy. You have crossed the line. In fact, they now know you were looking for another position when they thought your lunch just ran late. You are now considered a traitor in their eyes; one who is just avaricious enough to stick around.
Head them off at the pass. When breaking the news, tell them you are leaving, don’t ask for permission. Ensure that your employer knows your decision is firm. Don’t even allow them to get to the point of a counter offer. You have slogged through this process for a reason, so don’t let your flattered ego stop you from forward motion. Politely tell them you’re mind is made up.
Hold your ground, give plenty of notice and do your best to ensure an orderly transition. Because you never really know if a time could come when you are landing back on your old employer’s doorstep—or your old employer becomes your new employer. Still, hold your ground. People always remember how you leave.
The seduction of a counteroffer is rarely what it seems. Though the bitter taste of disloyalty may linger in the mouth of your current employer, your new post is awaiting you with open arms.
Much has been written lately about emotional intelligence and the role it plays in a successful career. But what is emotional intelligence? I suppose I could take the position that the U.S. Supreme Court took with pornography: “I can’t define what [it] is…but I know it when I see it.”
Let me start by saying what emotional intelligence is NOT.
Emotional intelligence has nothing to do with your intellect or IQ. We all have seen many executives who are incredibly intelligent but don’t have a modicum of common sense. Recently, I interviewed one of the top software executives in the country. He arrived at the interview late with no apology and, after ordering a glass of wine at 3 p.m., continued to take call after call. And he really wanted the position for this start-up technology company.
Emotional intelligence is not friendliness or empathy. While solid interpersonal skills play a role in emotional intelligence, all recruiters have stories of candidates who overstep boundaries by being overly familiar and talkative. My colleague Bill recalls an executive who sends him birthday and Easter greetings every year despite the fact he met her once eight years ago. While Bill enjoys the shout out and it makes for a good story, he is not sure that the candidate has appropriately sized up their relationship or lack thereof.
Emotional intelligence has nothing to do with honesty and integrity. Actually, I believe that some of the best con artists, embezzlers, and self-promoters have a high degree of emotional intelligence, which makes them effective at their dubious profession.
Emotional intelligence is not equivalent to good judgment, though they overlap. Good judgment is synonymous with making solid business decisions and choices. While someone who has emotional intelligence often has good judgment, many make sound judgments from facts but miss the unspoken cues that someone with emotional intelligence gets.
There is substantial disagreement over what emotional intelligence is, how it is measured, and whether it can be taught. Emotional intelligence starts with reading the environment, listening to your audience, and assessing the appropriate response based on spoken and unspoken prompts. Here are five ways that it or the lack thereof has played out in the interview process.
You have a meeting scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. Evidence of poor emotional intelligence is arriving at 4:10 p.m. or taking 45 minutes to address the first question of “tell me a little about your firm or background.”
Your meeting is at a hotel restaurant at 10 a.m. Your host orders black coffee. You, on the other hand, notice there is a lavish breakfast buffet and excuse yourself before it closes, so you order a custom-made omelet and pile your plate with an assortment of pastries.
For your meeting with a top recruiter for a CMO position, you think the best way to show why you could work from Frankfurt rather than move to London is by bringing your newest squeeze to the interview. You fail to notice the look of horror on the recruiter’s face as your companion orders snacks for the table and monopolizes the conversation.
You are meeting the CEO of a company and, granted, it is a sunny day outside, but did you really have to don a red dress and heels when on your prior meetings you noticed that navy suits were the order of the day?
You meet with executives for a company for which you want to work or do work. The executives disagree among themselves about the position or project. While it would be easy to spout off a quick response and jump into the fray, the better tack is to pause, listen and ask more questions so that you are not jumping in on an internal political issue or have not misread the underlying communication that was taking place.
These are obviously blunders that require you to bury your face in your hands. But the news is not all bad. Many executives have highly developed emotional intelligence.
