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Here are several case studies, representing just a few of the searches since the firm's founding in 1982, that show the way we work with our clients to help them achieve their business goals through leaders who deliver results.
Our client, one of the leading centers for interdisciplinary teaching and research, and also regarded as the premier Medical Center in the Middle East, needed to hire their first VPIT/CIO to create and implement a unified vision for IT for the University and for its Medical Center. The CIO as a Direct Report of the President of the University would serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet and be an advocate for the value of IT solutions to the future success and growth of the University and the Medical Center, acting as the primary advisor on these solutions to the President’s Cabinet and to the Board of Trustees.
Our challenge was to identify and recruit an IT leader with the vision, strategic and tactical experience to partner with the President of the University, the Provost, the VP for Finance, the VP for Medical Affairs and the other members of the President’s Cabinet to ensure that the technology solutions and the technology organization would continuously align IT with the changing needs of both institutions, enabling both institutions to expand their contribution to the academic and healthcare communities of the Middle East, and who would also enable both institutions to maintain their accreditations with US professional accreditation bodies.
After considering several firms our client retained JB Homer Associates to conduct their search based upon our strong references solicited by the Board of Trustees, and proposed action plan for the search.
The parameters of the search were to find candidates who were capable of creating, delivering and supporting a unified vision for IT for the University and its Medical Center, could build consensus among the leadership, faculty and staff at both institutions and who would adapt well into the Middle Eastern culture.
To gain a better understanding of the challenges of the position and the needs of the University and Medical Center, the President of our firm and our Account Manager for this search spent a week in the Middle East visiting with the President, Provost, Search Committee members, and gaining their insights into the position as well as expanding our understanding of the attractions and challenges of recruiting candidates to relocate to this part of the world.
To source viable candidates for this search we advertised the position on a global basis in the top academic publications and forums, evaluated potential candidates that came to us through direct referrals from the University and Medical Center’s members; and through our own extensive research identified and contacted the CIOs of every top university and college in the United States and Canada. We expanded the search to also include IT executives from the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries who would bring their experience in working with ERP and mission critical business systems to the position. The list of potential candidates from around the world contacted and assessed by phone, Skype, and through in person interviews numbered in the hundreds.
We presented a short list of 22 candidates to the President and Provost of the University for their consideration. The short list candidates varied from CIOs of top US, Canadian and Middle Eastern universities and colleges to the CIOs of top pharmaceutical companies to the IT Directors of Medical Centers in the Middle East. After reviewing the backgrounds and our recommendations on the candidates, our clients narrowed their choices to 6 potential candidates. The President, Provost, and the VP for Finance flew into New York to meet with the candidates, and at the conclusion of first round interviews narrowed the field to 3 finalists whom they felt confident possessed the desired experience, talent, and cultural fit to be successful in the role. These finalists were then invited to the campus for final round interviews and to immerse themselves in the local culture to determine if they would in actuality be able to relocate themselves and their families to the Middle East in order to accept the position.
At the end of the final round of interviews the client selected a candidate who was a CIO out of industry and healthcare instead of out of the university environment because of the candidate’s strong track record of success with delivering IT transformation and ERP solutions. The candidate of choice also shared a Middle Eastern heritage, was multi-lingual, and would adapt quickly into the local culture.
The clients told us that this was a challenging decision for them to make because they considered all three finalists for the position to be so outstanding. Each of them were highly successful and well regarded IT leaders with global experience, outstanding credentials, strong references, and the personal fit they were looking for.
It is a tribute to the leadership of the University and Medical Center and offers a positive role model for other distinguished institutions in the region as well as their own co-ed faculty and staff that when they determined the best candidate for the position that they selected a woman candidate for this key role on their leadership team.
Our client, a leading global media company with worldwide billings of over $10 billion, was looking for a Chief Information Officer, reporting directly to the Chairman, to lead the development and delivery of the most competitive technology available.
An outstanding track record in successfully implementing systems development projects and experience in the media or entertainment industries were required.
But solid communication skills were also a must: The new CIO would need to effectively partner with the Chairman's two direct reports, the Chief Strategic Officer and the Chief Negotiating Officer, to jointly develop business strategies and select the appropriate technologies for implementation.
The client turned to JB Homer because of a search we had just completed for the SVP, CIO for its parent global advertising agency. We drew on our proprietary data bases, network of contacts and extensive internal research to identify potential candidates from media, consumer products and e-commerce companies.
We presented a short list of five top executives within five weeks of beginning the search. The winning candidate, a woman out of a global entertainment company, had in-depth technology experience and was a strong communicator, with the ability to effectively deal with a loosely matrixed group of senior business executives.
Over the next four years, she worked on all aspects of competitive technology for the company, including major acquisition integration and an expanded external consulting capability so clients could take full advantage of the new systems offered.
Our client, a Fortune 500 global diversified financial services provider, needed a Program Delivery Executive to revamp the infrastructure supporting its core business. This was a multi-year, $100MM+ initiative - requiring a proven executive who could break the project down into manageable components, lead the internal and external resources, effectively sell the complex concepts to senior management and key internal user groups and deliver the initiative on time and within budget.
In the past, the client had gone outside only for very strategic hires, but now they needed an agent of change - someone who was tactical and an experienced implementer, who could mentor other key executives and who had the vision to change the company's future delivery model for all large IT initiatives.
Through our past work for the company, the client was confident that we had a thorough understanding not only of the urgency of the search, but the value of this executive to the future success of the firm.
In identifying candidates with the right skills and experience, we focused not just on the financial services industry but broadened the search to other industries known for large-scale implementations.
The winning candidate, who had just completed a similar initiative for a major telecommunications company ahead of schedule and significantly under budget, had in the process created and institutionalized a methodology for large-scale project implementation that could be adapted to any industry. Although faced with several other offers and a promotion at his present company, he was intrigued by the prospect of being directly involved in transforming the delivery model for all future significant projects for our client.
One year into the initiative, the company has indicated that it has never had a better-run project - and has subsequently recommended JB Homer to other potential clients.
This relatively new technology company had been providing turnkey online affinity reward and enhancements services to e-commerce and destination websites operating with a very small staff and a few outside consultants.
Now they needed to expand - and were looking for an experienced CTO who could build and manage a staff of a dozen technologists; design and maintain both the company and client websites; help clients analyze website data for billing, servicing and cross-selling to customers; and develop and manage key vendor relationships.
The client knew of our reputation in the marketplace - and needed to move fast. We quickly tapped a diverse set of candidates from large companies with extensive web capabilities, smaller media and web-based firms, and entertainment companies with strong online capabilities.
The company's new CTO came out of a major food and beverage company, with a very solid Internet, applications development and data management and analysis background.
Six years later, he is still in the role and has substantially contributed to the company's growth from a fledging startup to a firm currently generating revenue of over $120 million. He has dramatically reduced consulting costs, developed and mentored an effective technology team, delivered a stable infrastructure and technology framework for the firm, and provided management and analysis services to many of the company's web-based clients.
The company President recently told JB Homer that he couldn't be happier with the CTO, his ability to work effectively with his peers and his overall contributions to the business.
Our client, one of the largest electronic stock markets in the US, needed to hire a CTO and a new Head of Applications Development, two positions critical to the future growth of the company. Both these key executives were being asked to join the client company just as the market was becoming increasingly competitive due to the rise of multiple ECNs.
We contacted candidates from other major electronic stock markets, prominent brokerage firms and diversified financial services institutions. The goal was to build a very cohesive team - so the two key executives had to have the right skills and experience and be able to form an effective partnership. The client didn't want to extend an offer for either position unless the finalists for each role interviewed each other and felt they could work well together.
Two strong finalists were identified - and both candidates agreed they would enjoy working together. But after offers were extended, each received strong counter offers from their respective companies. We emphasized that the roles presented the opportunity to impact the future state of all electronic trading and that, if they were able to successfully grow the company, an IPO would be viable, giving them a real stake in the firm.
Within a year, the CIO left the firm, and the CTO became the new CIO. Five years later, he left to become the CIO of the investment banking arm of one of the top global financial services firms - and the Head of Applications Development became the first woman CIO the company had ever had.
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