Searchlight Newsletter – Q4 2018

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                        Q4 2018

keith pearson

A Message from Keith Pearson, President & CEO

The North American Free Trade Agreement, better known as NAFTA, could be considered the most consequential trade agreement ever created. But as times change, even the most stalwart international agreements must be re-examined, and NAFTA is no exception.

When NAFTA was signed into law in 1993, the World Wide Web was in its infancy and the power of e-commerce was yet to be tapped. For this and other reasons, the United States, Mexico and Canada have renegotiated the trade pact and given it a new name: the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.

While the trade agreement is not yet finalized—it first has to be ratified by the governing bodies of all three countries—it’s likely to have a significant impact on any U.S. business that does business globally or whose supply chain flows through Mexico or Canada. Many organizational leaders are watching the developments closely and planning ahead for the impact that the new trade agreement could have on their businesses in the coming years.

To explore the possibilities, we invited a very special group of panelists to speak at our Spotlight SeriesSM breakfast and share their thoughts on the potential effects of the USMCA on businesses and the American economy overall. Check out a summary of the discussion in this issue.

Also, for our third quarter Spotlight SeriesSM breakfast we invited Dr. Richard C. Benson, the fifth president of The University of Texas at Dallas, to tell us about recent successes at our fastest-growing hometown research university, and about the institution’s plans to achieve even loftier goals. The summary of that discussion is also included in this newsletter.

In This Issue


Q4 Spotlight SeriesSM Breakfast:
A Look Ahead to 2019—USMCA (the new NAFTA) and Economic Growth

The United States, Mexico and Canada are in the final stages of working out a new trade deal to replace NAFTA, and organizational leaders across North America are eager to learn all they can about how the new agreement is likely to affect their bottom lines. We found the best experts we could on the subject—including two global-business CEOs and the current leader of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce—to share insight at our recent Spotlight SeriesSM breakfast event. If you weren’t able to participate in the live discussion in early December, you won’t want to miss the summary in this issue.

Read More

Q3 Spotlight SeriesSM Breakfast:
UT Dallas: An Economic Engine for the Region

All of the top-producing cities in the United States have a major research university, except one: Dallas-Fort Worth. The University of Texas at Dallas is working hard to change that, and it’s building a strong pipeline of highly educated talent for North Texas at the same time. To find out how, we invited Dr. Richard C. Benson, UTD’s fifth president, to speak at our Q3 Spotlight SeriesSM breakfast event. To learn about all the exciting things happening at the university, as well as its high-potential future as an economic engine for the region, read the summary of the discussion in this issue.

Read More

Case Study:
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)

After DART’s chief financial officer announced his retirement, the transit agency created a new position to oversee the administrative functions that the CFO had taken under his wing. This new role would encompass a wide variety of administrative functions, so the organization engaged Pearson Partners to conduct a nationwide search for candidates with a uniquely diverse set of skills and experience. After Pearson Partners presented many highly qualified candidates from a nationwide pool, DART offered the job to one individual who had gone through the Pearson Partners search process and already had first-hand experience with DART as the agency’s chief information officer.

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Pearson Partners In The Community:
A Holiday Tribute 2018

At Pearson Partners, we embrace the philosophy “it is better to give than to receive” all year long, encouraging our team to give back to causes they care about. In this issue, we recognize the many charitable and civic organizations to which our team members have lent their time, talents or financial support. We’re honored to have a team with a desire and drive to make a difference in our community. See the list of organizations that are close to our hearts.

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Pearson Partners Profile:
Linda Wilkins, Advisor

Our board member Linda Wilkins is a law practice owner with a big heart for supporting women in their own law careers. We love her adventurous spirit and appreciate the insight and wisdom she brings to Pearson Partners International. Get to know Linda by reading her profile Q&A in this issue.

Read More

Featured Search

We are conducting a search for a Vice President of Hospice for New Jersey’s largest not-for-profit provider of home health, visiting physicians, hospice and community-based care. The Vice President will oversee multi-site operations, promote census growth and ensure superior service delivery for its hospice and palliative care programs. The Vice President will report to the Chief Operations Officer and serve as a key member of the senior management team. Candidates must be passionate about end-of-life care with a demonstrated track record of leading successful clinical and business operations.

Learn more or provide a confidential referral.

View more featured searches.

Recent Placements

Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President, Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Services

Chief Financial Officer, Chemical
Manufacturer

Chief Compliance Officer, Commercial Banking Institution

Chief Human Resources Officer, Financial Services Company

Vice President, Information Technology, Trailer Industry Company

Vice President, Sales, Highway Safety Technology Provider

Vice President, Customer, Account
and Offer Management
, Financial Services CompanyRegional Vice President, Financial Services

Director of Engineering, Metropolitan City Government

Director of Transportation & Mobility, Metropolitan City Government

Director, Human Resources, Highway Safety Technology Provider

Other news

Pearson Partners welcomes Linda A. Wilkins to our Advisory Board of thought leaders who contribute their business insight and industry-specific acumen as well as assistance in forging business relationships. Learn about Linda in her profile in this issue.

Pearson Partners is sponsoring the North Texas Chapter of National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) breakfast in Fort Worth on January 15 entitled Directors Need to be Savvy About Digital Transformation, Blockchain, and AI.

Renee Arrington was elected Director, Americas at IIC Partners Executive Search Worldwide (one of the world’s top ten global executive search organizations) for a three-year term. Renee will work directly with the global practice group leaders to ensure smooth operation and support from the Board.

Lisa Thompson was appointed Chair of the Salvation Army Carr P. Collins Advisory Council for a two-year term. The Carr P. Collins Social Service Center is the largest multi-use facility in the world for Salvation Army. It houses up to 600 people per night serving the DFW area and provides emergency support services, shelter, substance abuse programs, veterans programs and meals to people in need.

Renee Arrington continues her national speaking circuit at the HMG Strategy CIO Summits. Most recently, she spoke on Beyond Leadership: What Makes a Technology Executive Successful at the CIO Summit in Philadelphia on November 8 and the Financial Services CIO Summit in New York on December 6. Next up, Renee will speak in Phoenix on February 17 on Accelerating Your Career Ascent: Crafting Your Personal Brand as a Talent Magnet.

Renee Arrington delivered the keynote address for rvatech Women in Technology Conference in Richmond, Virginia on October 18, discussing The Power of Your Brand: How Your Personal Brand can Propel or Derail Your Career Ascent.

Renee Arrington spoke at the IANS Information Security Forum in Philadelphia on October 24 and Atlanta on October 30. CISOs and their teams look to IANS Forums for guidance, peer networking and information-gathering related to their most difficult challenges.

Renee Arrington moderated a panel discussion—Where Oh Where Has Your Data Gone?—discussing data collection and usage at the Dallas FEI/SIM Technology Breakfast on December 7.

IIC Partners updates:

Our global executive search partnership, IIC Partners Executive Search Worldwide, recently held its annual global conference in Stockholm, where over 100 of our global partners discussed trends affecting the executive search industry and how firms are reacting to meet the demands of their clients. Renee Arrington represented Pearson Partners at the conference.

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