The Alexander Group Archives - Page 6 of 7

A few months ago, I reached out to an individual at a Fortune 500 company about a potential opportunity with a client. His background was unusual in that he had leaped from a domestic role into a position with substantial global responsibility. As it turns out, there was a story there.

In his prior role, he had been in close competition with a colleague for an Asia Pacific position. He had more experience than his colleague and had been working long hours in preparation for the move. When his colleague was awarded the role however, he was dumbfounded. He’d been passed over for the promotion, and his spirit was crushed.

This is not an uncommon story. Many strong performers are ambitious and enthusiastic for their next internal role. Getting passed over is disheartening. The real question is, what do you do next?

Take a deep breath… keep your cool

After taking a few days to process his emotions, this executive spoke to his managers to garner a better understanding of the situation. They reassured him that big things were in the works. They encouraged him to maintain his work ethic and get better acquainted with what the company was doing—not only in Asia, but on a global scale.

Two years later, a global position opened in the organization and, today, he manages every region across the globe. And the colleague who was promoted to the APAC position? That colleague now reports to him.

He is a perfect example of what to do when faced with professional setbacks. Disappointment, anger, and frustration are natural reactions but “in the moment, those emotions may prompt you to vent to the wrong people, snap at your manager or, worse—quit,” warns Mike Guerchon, Chief People Officer at Okta. It’s crucial to remember that “how you confront difficult situations is a reflection of your maturity and readiness to take a leadership position.” Keep your composure and maintain a professional demeanor.

Also, be sure to not let this disappointment reflect poorly on your performance. You still have a team to manage, targets to achieve and numbers to nail. “Don’t let those emotions interfere with your productivity,” writes Forbes contributor Andy Molinsky. Resilience is key. How you deal with disappointment demonstrates your EQ and readiness to take on additional leadership responsibilities.

“It’s not always possible to make things better, but it is always possible to make things worse,” advised Ben Dattner, author of The Blame Game and founder of Dattner Consulting. This is critical to remember while emotions are running high. Take a deep breath, go through the emotions once you have left the office, and collect your thoughts on how to proceed.

Talk to your manager

After the heat of the moment has passed, and your emotions have calmed, approach your manager and have a candid conversation. Listen closely, and be inquisitive.

While a combination of variables can influence internal talent decisions, here are a few common culprits that may be at play:

Background is too light. Every organization has specific needs. If the role encompasses a broad range of responsibilities, you may be missing a key component, such as international experience, change management or business development.
Too experienced. Yes, it happens! Fulfillment requires a balance between the knowledge to get the job done and the opportunity to grow. If you can do the role in your sleep, you’ll be bored in less than a year and casting your eye to the horizon.
Lack of gravitas. Do you project a polished, professional approach? Are you engaging, calm and confident? Consider how you connect with clients, colleagues and the highest levels of management.
Politics. “As much as we all wish promotions would go to the most talented, hardworking and dedicated people,” writes one Forbes contributor, “decades of office politics tell us that’s not always the case.”
Bad timing. Are you halfway through a critical project? Been in your role less than a year or two? Are organizational changes in the works that may impact your position? Timing is everything, and sometimes beyond your control.
It’s not you. Sometimes, there is simply someone better suited for the role. Maybe the person you were up against has slightly more experience or contributed to the bottom line in a way you’re not aware of. Or there could be broader, long-term factors involved.

Plan your next move

Now that you’ve gone through the emotions and have gained a clearer understanding as to why you were passed up, it’s time to transform a negative situation into a springboard for opportunity.

If you discover you are missing specific experience, talk to your manager about a career plan so you get that experience. Reinvest in your current role, and look for opportunities to innovate and expand your scope of work.
Are you missing soft skills, such as diplomacy, communication skills or emotional intelligence? Ask a mentor for honest feedback and get coaching if you need to. Take up a management training course to hone leadership qualities.
Bad timing? Short tenures and unfinished projects reflect poorly on you and disrupt your organization’s productivity. Invest more time in your current role. It will pay off in the long term.
If you suspect politics are at play, find a way to heal bad blood. Network with the people in the department or region to which you aspire. Build a base of positive support, especially among top leaders.

Know when to leave

Internal opportunities for advancement can be limited, especially as you rise to more senior levels. If, after careful assessment, you believe you’ve reached an impasse, it may be time to explore external opportunities.

While conducting a search for a Chief Marketing Officer for an Am Law 100 firm, I met a potential candidate who at the time served as a Director of Marketing. I asked her why she was considering a new opportunity. She told me that there had been turnover in the senior leadership at her firm, and most of the C-suite had turned over in the past two years. When the CMO announced his retirement, she was confident that she would be offered the position. Around the same time, however, a new Chief Operating Officer joined the firm and, rather than promoting from within, he brought the CMO from his former firm on board.

This candidate handled the situation with grace and humility, but quietly started exploring the market. She knew she was ready for the next step in her career, and without a viable near-term option at her current firm, she prepared to make her move.

Today, she is Chief Marketing Officer at a prestigious and profitable international law firm. She left her former firm on good terms and exemplifies the type of individual our clients retain us to recruit.

“Getting passed over for a promotion can feel like an impossible-to-overcome roadblock in your career path,” advises one Forbes contributor. “But by learning as much as you can from what went wrong and staying resilient, you can turn a negative into a positive that’ll help you land the next one.”

The Milken Institute, a global think tank, appoints Kevin Herglotz to lead business development, partnerships, and strategic growth initiatives.

Client: Milken Institute | Role: Executive Vice President, Institutional Advancement | Candidate: Kevin Herglotz

Recruiters: Jane Howze, Managing Director; Sarah Mitchell, Director

Overview

The Milken Institute, a globally recognized nonprofit think tank advancing solutions to the world’s most critical challenges, partnered with The Alexander Group, a global executive search firm, to recruit an Executive Vice President of Institutional Advancement. As the Institute expanded its global impact, it sought a dynamic executive leader to drive business development, institutional partnerships, fundraising, marketing, and government engagement initiatives.

Key Leadership Need

The Milken Institute was looking for an Executive Vice President of Institutional Advancement who could lead cross-functional teams spanning business development, global events, marketing and communications, and external affairs. The role required a leader with proven expertise in scaling nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, building international partnerships, and developing high-impact strategic initiatives.

The Alexander Group’s Approach

Managing Director Jane Howze and Director Sarah Mitchell conducted a national search targeting senior executives with experience across nonprofit advancement, business development, strategic partnerships, and global communications.

Search priorities included:

Proven leadership scaling nonprofit, governmental, or mission-driven organizations
Expertise in building global partnerships, marketing, and event management strategies
Strong strategic planning and team leadership capabilities

Kevin Herglotz emerged as the leading candidate with more than three decades of experience in executive leadership roles spanning government, business, and nonprofits, including his prior leadership at HPA Strategies, the National AIDS Memorial, and Safeway.

Successful Placement and Impact

Kevin Herglotz joins The Milken Institute as Executive Vice President of Institutional Advancement. He will lead efforts to expand the Institute’s partnerships, drive business and program development, and elevate the Institute’s visibility and influence globally.

Immediate Impact:

Oversees global business development, marketing, communications, and government relations initiatives
Leads strategic partnerships to support the Institute’s global conferences and policy platforms
Develops growth strategies aligned with the Institute’s long-term mission objectives
Strengthens internal team performance across advancement functions

About The Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that advances collaborative solutions to global challenges by connecting leaders in finance, public health, technology, philanthropy, and public policy. Through events, research, and partnerships, the Institute drives impactful initiatives that improve lives worldwide.

About The Alexander Group

The Alexander Group is an executive search firm based in Houston, known for delivering transformative leadership across nonprofit, healthcare, legal services, financial services, life sciences, technology, and energy sectors. The firm partners with organizations seeking growth, innovation, and global impact through strategic leadership placements.

Seeking proven leaders to elevate your mission-driven organization? Partner with The Alexander Group to secure the executives who create impact.

The American Heart Association, a national nonprofit organization, appoints Sharlene Jenner to drive digital marketing innovation and engagement.

Client: The American Heart Association | Role: SVP, Digital Marketing | Candidate: Sharlene Jenner

Recruiters: Amanda K. Brady, Managing Director; Jean Lenzner, Managing Director

Overview

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

Recruiters: John Lamar, Managing Director; Sarah Mitchell, Director

Overview

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.

Discover how The Alexander Group helps organizations secure transformative legal and executive talent.

Anyone who has ever been involved with a not-for-profit will at some point be asked to serve on a search committee or lead a search committee’s search for a new CEO/President or senior officer. We have written previously about the responsibilities of search committee members and how candidates can prepare for a search committee interview but wanted to take a deeper look at the role of the Search Committee Chair. We turn to Steve Taylor, a leader in the not-for-profit community for nearly 30 years, who is currently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Mission Officer of the Arthritis Foundation. Steve recently chaired the search committee for the President & CEO of the National Health Council which has been widely viewed as a well-run search with an outstanding result. Below, Steve answers the questions we are frequently asked as not-for-profits recruit using search committees.

How big should a search committee be?

I believe the ideal size is seven, including the Chairman who should also have a vote. You could possibly do nine or five, but frankly, if the Committee becomes too large, it can be hard to coordinate schedules. You have too many opinions in the discussions, and you want every voice to be heard. You’ll also want to make sure it’s an odd number; that way there is no tie.

Who should be on a search committee?

Much of it depends on the position. Ideally, one to three members of the Executive Committee should be on the Search Committee and supplement that with volunteers who represent different parts of the organization. I recommend looking at the various responsibilities of the position you are trying to fill. Which volunteers can best represent and understand these responsibilities? The key to a successful search committee is that you want members with perspective but who are not living in the past. On the other hand, you don’t want search committee members being so free-spirited they are substituting their vision for that of the Board’s.

The ideal Search Committee member understands the history of the organization as well as its future vision.

And that is what is so important when selecting volunteers to serve on a search committee: they need to be familiar [with] and embrace the Board’s vision for the organization and also represent different constituencies of the organization.

Should current employees sit on a search committee?

That is a question that many organizations wrestle with. Sometimes it can make sense, especially when you have long-term employees who understand the organization. But this is not a choice without challenges.

If there are internal candidates for the position, it can be difficult to ask a colleague [to] make an unbiased choice.
Secondly, a staff member on the Committee may not have the strategic view of the organization that a high-ranking volunteer or board member will have.
Thirdly, it can be sensitive for an employee to be involved in salary discussions involving the successful candidate.

What I typically recommend is that one of the Search Committee members serve as a liaison to a group of employees/staff. On the recent search I led for the National Health Council, I personally maintained contact with the senior leadership team. While I did not discuss individual candidates, I asked the search firm to solicit their opinions for the type of leaders we were seeking, and I communicated to them on the progress of the search.

Who selects the search firm, and what should be considered?

I can’t overemphasize the importance of a strong partnership with the search firm. You want it to be a partnership, not just a firm presenting resumes. The Chair should have meaningful input on selecting the search firm because they’ll be the one working [most] closely with them. Of course, the Search Committee reviews proposals and meets with a small number of finalists. But ultimately the Chair of the Search Committee should have a strong voice in selecting a search firm.

For me, it was critical that the search firm had experience in organizing and administratively providing infrastructure to the committee so that I and the Committee could focus on the candidates.

I also believe the Chair shouldn’t rely on the Search Committee or search firm to do all of the coordination. There will be times that it is important for the Chair to jump in to either facilitate meetings or deal with scheduling or personnel challenges. The search firm should be willing to do more than just conduct the search as many members of a search committee have full-time jobs.

I advise my colleagues running search committees to be very specific with what you would like the search firm to do.

Do you want them to:

Attend search committee meetings?
Set the agenda for search committee meetings?
Provide interview questions?

I believe you need a search firm to do anything the Search Committee and its Chairman cannot or do not want to do because of time restraints.

It is a given that a search firm needs to have a robust Rolodex, but I’m still trying to figure out how to evaluate that. [laughing] What you can evaluate is recent searches a search firm has conducted for similar positions. As we evaluated search firms, some listed searches they conducted more than a decade ago! That was a lifetime ago in the not-for-profit world.

And finally, I believe you need to find a search firm that is upfront and honest with you about who the lead staff will be—and that you have the opportunity to meet with that lead staff to ensure compatibility and understanding of the process you envision—before you finalize your selection on a firm.

What allowances did you make during COVID in the most recent search you chaired?

Overall, it worked out well. In certain ways, the process moved more efficiently given the Search Committee met by Zoom and the candidates were interviewed by the search firm and us for first-round interviews by Zoom. One advantage we had as a search committee is that we all knew each other—some better than others—but this familiarity allowed us to work together well virtually.

Once we narrowed the process to our finalists, we asked them to meet face to face, of course, social distancing, wearing masks, etc. with another search committee member and me. Despite adapting to video conferencing, meeting the candidate in person makes a big difference. To have a candidate being willing to invest the time, to travel to a meeting, meet a group of people, some in person, some virtually, was critical to the final steps of our process.

We were able to observe how they handled themselves in the middle of a pandemic, watch how they coordinated their presentation, and even how they arranged the papers on the conference table. In a virtual interview, you have no idea if the candidate has sticky notes all over their computer screen providing possible hints to questions. That was important to us because that’s what the job is going to be (ultimately): face-to-face meetings working with different constituencies and being able to communicate and think on their feet. Interestingly, I believe we would have ended up with the same candidate if we had conducted the search before COVID.

How do you, as a search committee chair, handle candidate withdrawals and surprises?

As a search committee chair or member, you understand that many of the candidates currently are in good positions, and you are hoping to attract them to your organization. You can’t get too nervous about that. It is part of the process. You reach for candidates, and some you attract, and some you lose. And if a candidate pulls out, I believe it’s better that they do it in the search process rather than later.

As for the second part of your question, as Chair, you have to be flexible, responsive, and nimble because issues arise that need to be acted on quickly. Several times, I had to reach out to Committee members individually to keep the process moving either because an issue arose on a Friday night or there was simply not the time to call a full committee meeting. You establish that at the beginning of the search so there is no misunderstanding. In every search, there may be small decisions made either by the chair or by a smaller group on the committee, because trying to get everyone together all the time isn’t possible, but ultimately the big decisions are made as a group.

How much time does it take to do a good job?

The time required ebbs and flows during the search. If you have a good search firm, as we did in using The Alexander Group, there’s less time initially because you allow them to do the search and trust their judgment on the candidates they’re presenting. The search committee chair is then free to focus on the higher-level items most important to finding the right candidate. Once the interview process is underway, you will need to be available for the search committee, search firm, [and] staff as the process unfolds. There is a significant time commitment required for the Chair. The organization needs someone who can make that time commitment because, if it is not a priority, you’ll never finish the search.

Who should be the Chair?

Choosing the right search committee chair is critical to a successful search. It needs to be a leader in the organization who understands its past but also understands the future vision of the organization. It does not have to be the current board chair. It could be a past board chair who might have more time because they’re not the current board chair. It is important that the chair can lead without supervision and is trusted by the board.

Robinson+Cole appoints Liz Sobe to lead strategic business development and client growth initiatives.

Client: Robinson+Cole | Role: Director of Business Development | Candidate: Liz Sobe

Recruiter: Amanda K. Brady, Managing Director and Chief Client Officer

Overview

Robinson+Cole, a national Am Law 200 firm known for its deep industry insight and collaborative culture, partnered with The Alexander Group, a global executive search firm, to recruit a Director of Business Development. As the firm aimed to expand its client relationships and sector focus, it sought a leader to elevate firmwide business development strategies and embed growth-focused initiatives across practices.

Key Leadership Need

Robinson+Cole needed a Director of Business Development to lead client development, improve data-driven decision-making, and partner with attorneys to expand client relationships. The role required a leader who could blend strategic thinking with execution, backed by deep knowledge of legal services marketing and a strong understanding of firm operations.

The Alexander Group’s Approach

Amanda K. Brady led a targeted national search focused on experienced business development executives in legal and professional services environments. The team prioritized candidates with a strong firm growth planning, attorney coaching, and cross-functional collaboration history.

Search priorities included:

Experience building and executing firmwide business development strategies.
Strength in attorney relationship management and strategic coaching.
Ability to drive client acquisition and retention using data, positioning, and client insight.

Liz Sobe stands out for her extensive leadership across firms like Fish & Richardson, Goulston & Storrs, and Cornerstone Research. With nearly 30 years of experience in marketing and business development, she brings a proven record of helping firms grow market share through relationship-driven strategy and execution.

Successful Placement and Impact

Liz Sobe joins Robinson + Cole as Director of Business Development. She will lead business development strategy, attorney coaching, and client growth programs across the firm, aligning BD efforts with the firm’s long-term market positioning goals.

Immediate Impact:

Drive strategic BD initiatives across practice groups and markets
Collaborate with firm leadership to expand client acquisition and retention efforts
Build cross-functional alignment around growth, visibility, and brand engagement
Elevate attorney coaching, targeting, and pipeline development

Insights from the Recruiter

“Liz brings a unique blend of market-growth perspective and leadership experience across a variety of professional services sectors. Her creativity, pragmatism, and data-driven mindset will no doubt mesh well with Robinson + Cole’s leadership team as they continue to advance the firm’s strategic growth initiatives.”

– Amanda Brady, Managing Director and Chief Client Officer, The Alexander Group.

About Robinson+Cole

Robinson+Cole LLP is a U.S. law firm with offices across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Florida. The firm serves clients across industries, including construction, insurance, environmental law, finance, and healthcare. Robinson + Cole is widely respected for its client-first approach, collaborative culture, and legal innovation.

About The Alexander Group

The Alexander Group is a global executive search firm headquartered in Houston. With a strong reputation for placing senior leadership across legal services, professional services, and corporate sectors, the firm helps clients drive transformation through strategic hires that deliver results.Your next phase of growth starts with leadership aligned to your strategy. The Alexander Group finds the people who make it happen.

Summer travel season has arrived and with it comes opportunities to catch up on New York Times bestsellers, beach reads, and books for personal growth written by modern thought leaders. This holiday weekend, Alexander Group team members are sharing the books they are reading for pleasure, personal enrichment and professional development.

Our Favorite Personal Development Books

From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. Brooks

Cover or personal growth book From Strength to Strength

Recommended by: John Lamar, Managing Director

Book Description:

Many of us assume the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. But the truth is, the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs.

What can we do, starting now, to make our older years a time of happiness, purpose, and yes, success?

At the height of his career at the age of 50, Arthur Brooks embarked on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. From Strength to Strength is the result, a practical roadmap for the rest of your life.

Drawing on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and Eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women, Brooks’ books for personal growth show us that true life success is well within our reach. By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (narrated by Meryl Streep)

Tom Lake is on the TAG list of books for personal growth

Recommended by: Jean Lenzner, Managing Director

Managing Director Jean Lenzner is a voracious reader and the ultimate TAG source for book recommendations from every literary genre, not just books for personal growth.

Audiobook Description:

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today

“I would gladly listen to anything with Meryl Streep as the narrator. This explores love, family dynamics and the lives people lived before marriage.”

The Women by Kristen Hannah

Books for personal growth: The Women book by Kristin Hannah

Favorite Fiction Empowerment Book Description:

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

“A young American woman coming of age novel set against the backdrop of the of the Vietnam War.”

Crooked by Nathan Masters

Favorite Non-Fiction Personal Growth Book Description:

Many tales from the Jazz Age reek of crime and corruption. But perhaps the era’s greatest political fiasco—one that resulted in a nationwide scandal, a public reckoning at the Department of Justice, the rise of J. Edgar Hoover, and an Oscar-winning film—has long been lost to the annals of history. In Crooked, Nathan Masters restores this story of murderers, con artists, secret lovers, spies, bootleggers, and corrupt politicians to its full, page-turning glory.

Newly elected to the Senate on a promise to root out corruption, Burton “Boxcar Burt” Wheeler sets his sights on ousting Attorney General Harry Daugherty, puppet-master behind President Harding’s unlikely rise to power. Daugherty is famous for doing whatever it takes to keep his boss in power, and his cozy relations with bootleggers and other scofflaws have long spawned rumors of impropriety. But when his constant companion and trusted fixer, Jess Smith, is found dead of a gunshot wound in the apartment the two men share, Daugherty is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, exposing the rot consuming the Harding administration to a shocked public.

Determined to uncover the truth in the ensuing investigation, Wheeler takes the prosecutorial reins and subpoenas a rogue’s gallery of witnesses—convicted felons, shady detectives, disgraced officials—to expose the attorney general’s treachery and solve the riddle of Jess Smith’s suspicious death. With the muckraking senator hot on his trail, Daugherty turns to his greatest weapon, the nascent Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose eager second-in-command, J. Edgar Hoover, sees opportunity amidst the chaos.

“Jazz Age story of corruption and scandal perpetrated by our most corrupt US Attorney General and a US senator who goes against all odds in his fight to bring him down, while also documenting the rise of J. Edgar Hoover. Hard to believe this book is non-fiction.”

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee

Cover art for Free Food for Milliionaires by Min Jin Lee

Recommended by: Sarah Mitchell, Director

Book Description:

Meet Casey Han: a strong-willed, Queens-bred daughter of Korean immigrants immersed in a glamorous Manhattan lifestyle she can’t afford. Casey is eager to make it on her own, away from the judgements of her parents’ tight-knit community, but she soon finds that her Princeton economics degree isn’t enough to rid her of ever-growing credit card debt and a toxic boyfriend. When a chance encounter with an old friend lands her a new opportunity, she’s determined to carve a space for herself in a glittering world of privilege, power, and wealth—but at what cost?

Set in a city where millionaires scramble for the free lunches the poor are too proud to accept, this sharp-eyed epic of love, greed, and ambition is a compelling portrait of intergenerational strife, immigrant struggle, and social and economic mobility. Addictively enjoyable, Min Jin Lee’s bestselling debut Free Food for Millionaires exposes the intricate layers of a community clinging to its old ways in a city packed with haves and have-nots.

“I’m always reading fiction! I try to read for an hour every night before bedtime – my brain appreciates going somewhere a little less real at the end of the day before sleep. Up next in my queue is Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee. She wrote Pachinko – I read that book last year and never got it out of my mind. Right behind it is South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami, one of my top five novelists of all time.”

Never Lie by Freida McFadden

Recommended by: Abby Buchold, Senior Research Associate

Book Description:

Two newlyweds are searching for their dream house visit the remote home of a renowned psychiatrist who disappeared four years prior. They wind up stuck there overnight due to a bad snowstorm. While looking for something to read to pass the time, Tricia finds a secret room containing audio transcripts for all of the doctor’s patients. Tricia listens to the tapes and discovers the horrific events leading up to Dr. Hale’s disappearance. All will be revealed when she listens to the final tape.

“I have not gotten very far into the book yet, but I’m thinking it will be a good mystery for summer with plenty of twists and turns.”

The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman and Paul White

Books for Personal Growth: The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace

Recommended by: Jodi Smith, Manager of Administration Support

Book Description:

Dramatically improve workplace relationships simply by learning your coworkers’ language of appreciation.

This audiobook will give you the tools to improve staff morale, create a more positive workplace, and increase employee engagement. How? By teaching you to effectively communicate authentic appreciation and encouragement to employees, co-workers, and leaders. Most relational problems in organizations flow from this question: do people feel appreciated? This audiobook will help you answer “Yes!”

A bestseller on the list of books for personal growth—having sold over 300,000 copies and translated into 16 languages—this audiobook has proven to be effective and valuable in diverse settings. Its principles about human behavior have helped businesses, non-profits, hospitals, schools, government agencies, and organizations with remote workers.

When supervisors and colleagues understand their coworkers’ primary and secondary languages, as well as the specific actions they desire, they can effectively communicate authentic appreciation, thus creating healthy work relationships and raising the level of performance across an entire team or organization.

Growth-Minded Resources and Books for Personal Growth for Executives

Books on personal growth can offer valuable insights that extend beyond individual development—they can also shape leadership skills and enhance professional effectiveness. The Alexander Group is a global executive search firm dedicated to finding transformative leaders. We understand the power of continuous learning. Whether aiming for personal growth or seeking executive insights, these books can provide the inspiration and guidance needed to thrive in your personal and professional journey.

We can support your next C-level search. Contact us to explore how our executive search expertise can connect you with transformational opportunities that align with your vision of success.

As graduates across the country turn their tassels and embark on life’s next chapter, The Alexander Group team is applauding their efforts with collective words of wisdom.

Our thoughts for 2024 graduates veer more toward the practical, but we also value resilience, a trait needed no matter where you are in life.

Golden glitter number 2024 with graduated cap. Class of 2024 concept

John Lamar, Managing Director

Q: What are two to three practical tips you employ that makes you successful at your job?

A: Try to exercise every day. It’s a great reliever of stress.

Communicate with clients every day. Past, present and future clients. It is what I do, and it is how I try to set an example. Jane does it, Johnny does it and Amanda does it. It’s so important for any person in business.

We all make mistakes. Admit it. Apologize for it and move on.

Jane Howze, Managing Director

Q: What’s a practical tip you employ that makes you successful at your job?

A: Over communicate. No one complains about over communication.

John Mann, Managing Director

Q: What are two to three practical tips you employ that makes you successful at your job?

A: Maintain a sense of urgency and anticipate and exceed your client’s expectations; take leadership, ownership and responsibility in your career and work; find a career that you enjoy (I know it’s cliché, but true).

Kyle Robinson, Director of Research

Q: What’s a practical tip you employ that makes you successful at your job?

A: Best tip I could give: utilize a second brain.

Don’t try and remember all the tasks and deadlines you have, both professionally and personally.

As soon as a thought pops into your mind, write it down in your second brain (a notebook, the notes app on your phone, your calendar) and reference it later when either finishing your day or planning the next.

De-clutter your mind so that you can be more intentional with your daily projects.

Jacqueline Griffin, Director of Accounting and Administration

-How have you fostered resilience throughout your career? Why is resilience important?

By adapting to change and developing a growth mindset by believing in my ability to learn and grow from experiences. View change and challenges as opportunities to develop rather than obstacles.

Resilience is important because it enables one to overcome obstacles and pursue goals with confidence and determination.

William Lepiesza, Director

Q: What are two to three practical tips you employ that makes you successful at your job?

A: Put in the time upfront to ensure success at the end: conduct thorough due diligence, know your client as well or better than they know themselves, and do your best to anticipate where problems or issues might occur

When issues or obstacles do arise, don’t simply communicate problems, communicate solutions: don’t leave it up to the client to figure out the answer, provide alternative paths, and recommendations to overcome hurdles.

There are many external factors and things we can’t control, so do your absolute best to control the things that you can.

Sarah Mitchell, Director

Q: What’s a practical tip you employ that makes you successful at your job?

A: Don’t forget to find inspiration and fulfillment outside of your job.

It can be from family, a rich social life, making art, a physical practice (yoga, running, team sports, weightlifting, whatever), adventure travel, and so on. Finding a sense of self-value outside of your job will help you weather the inevitable ups and downs in your career. And beyond that, it will lead you being a more authentic, inspired, and interesting person–that’s the kind of person others want to work with.

Beth Ehrgott, Managing Director

Q: How have you fostered resilience throughout your career? Why is resilience important?

A: A few thoughts:

Aristotle quote:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

And these are my own thoughts:

You will have to fight to have a seat at the table…and then keep it. Be resilient and relentless.

You will be pushed to your limits and resilience and being relentless will empower you with the mindset to embrace setbacks as opportunities.

Show up everyday and there will always be adversity and more to learn and conquer.

Commit to lifelong learning.

Always act with integrity and compassion and they must never be compromised.

Anthony Ott, Senior Associate

Q: What’s a practical tip you employ that makes you successful at your job?

A: Find the right balance between pushing boundaries and drawing from life’s lessons. You must do both.

The only way to create life lessons is by pushing the boundaries. It will always be a consistent pendulum swing. Life lessons learned can shape how you should push the boundaries. Pushing those boundaries will shape new life lessons.

You will never know if you don’t try. Always be willing to set your pride aside, make necessary adjustments, then push the boundaries again.

Jonathan Daniels, Associate

Q: What are two to three practical tips you employ that makes you successful at your job?

A: Use a calendar for everything in your life, and proactively plan your days. I have missed lots of events and deadlines because I was not organized. Today, my calendar helps keep me on track for everything I need to accomplish, a good record for follow-up with clients, and plan trips with friends.

Proactively Communicate. Despite Elon Musk’s best efforts, we cannot read minds yet. Always share updates with your supervisor, clients, and other stakeholders so they are aware of your work and can better partner with you.

Assume Positive Intent. Life is too short to worry about other people. Be kind, do your best, and always assume others are doing the same.

Document everything. You will forget your notes and you will need to show proof to others. Clients and Courts alike need paper trails.

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.

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.