AboveBoard Launched to Provide Recruiting Professionals With More Inclusive Pool of Candidates
October 21, 2020 – Haddonfield, NJ-based executive recruitment firm True Search has launched a new executive hiring platform, AboveBoard. True co-founded AboveBoard with the goal of making executive search more accessible, efficient and equitable for its members and the companies who seek them. The diversity-focused startup says it will bring an innovative, transparent solution to the need to bring more women and executives of color to leadership roles.
“For years companies have pledged to increase diversity in their executive ranks and on their boards and have struggled to make any true progress,” said Lucinda Duncalfe, founder and CEO of AboveBoard. “Companies cannot continue to use the same hiring methods and expect a different outcome.”
2020 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Recruiting Report:
Building a Balanced and Diverse Workforce
Hunt Scanlon Media’s latest market intelligence recruiting report – this time focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – will be available later this fall! The nation’s top executive recruiters are resetting expectations and looking for new ways forward to build balanced and diverse workforce teams for their clients.
According to executive recruiters, DE&I should not just be a priority, but an integrated part of every company’s leadership goals. Some companies have even tied DE&I metrics to executive compensation. But it’s more than that.
Part of building strong, diverse hiring teams means asking yourself: “Who is my company culture going to attract – and how will it engage people who are here?” This question can be very difficult to answer if you assume everyone feels welcome already just because you do. Fostering diversity, equity and inclusion within organizations is more than just the right ethical decision. “It is one of the best business decisions a company can make,” said Keri Gavin, a partner with Hanold Associates and leader of the search firm’s Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practice. Hanold Associates is a proud sponsor of this year’s report. This report will help organizations prioritize DE&I as a business imperative that drives greater competitiveness, innovation and business results. Get it now!
“AboveBoard opens up the recruiting process and rebalances the power between candidates and hiring firms, to drive better results for executives and employers,” Ms. Duncalfe said. “Executives should get hired based on what they know, not who they know. AboveBoard makes this possible.”
“In many ways, True Search and AboveBoard are complementary businesses that each offer creative executive talent solutions,” said Joe Riggione, True co-CEO and AboveBoard board director. “AboveBoard co-founder and CEO Lucinda Duncalfe is doing an incredible job leading the business and positioning it to make a significant impact on executives’ careers and companies’ talent strategies, most importantly around diversity.”
“The executive search industry as a whole has failed to consistently deliver diverse executive talent pools to hiring companies,” said Brad Stadler, True co-CEO and AboveBoard board director. “AboveBoard corrects this issue by providing inclusive candidate slates and empowering those executives to see all available opportunities. AboveBoard’s powerful sourcing solutions can complement traditional retained executive search by helping companies hire more under-represented leaders, and ultimately improve business outcomes.”
“I cannot imagine a better launch partner for AboveBoard than True,” said Ms. Duncalfe. “True has enjoyed unparalleled success as the most innovative retained executive search firm in the industry and has been unflinching in facing the unfortunate truth that the industry has not delivered the diversity of leadership needed today. True has been extraordinarily generous in supporting us with access to its search clients, openings, and executives.”
Serving PE and VC Firms
More than 350 openings for senior-level positions are already listed on AboveBoard. Private equity and venture capital firms including Warburg Pincus, Audax Group, Summit Partners and Insight Partners as well as portfolio companies are also hiring through AboveBoard. AboveBoard has assisted ACV Auctions add two key independent board members and has partnered with groups including Seizing Every Opportunity, Commune Angels and Valence to increase opportunities for their executive members. The platform is free for executives, and anyone VP-level and above or with similar career experience can sign up at www.aboveboard.com.
“The importance of diversity, equity and inclusion as core values of leadership teams is undeniable,” said Asheesh Gupta, managing director at Audax Group.” As we work to expand our practices and resources to widen the applicant pool for portfolio executive searches beyond our traditional sources, we are excited to partner with AboveBoard as they launch this new platform focused on helping firms attract diverse talent.”
Related: Recruiters Up Their Game in Diversity
“We are at an inflection point as a country and Summit Partners is encouraged by companies vowing to build more diverse and inclusive leadership teams,” said Dayton Ogden, the firm’s head of talent and recruiting. “We urge our peers and portfolio companies to go beyond verbal commitments and take concrete actions like this to change their recruiting processes.”
Hundreds of live opportunities for full-time and board positions are currently listed on AboveBoard by global companies across industries including technology, finance, consulting, fashion and more. The platform’s early focus is on the growth ecosystem, including venture capital and private equity-backed companies and digital and technology positions at large corporations. Examples of jobs currently listed on the platform include: chief executive officer, chief technology officer, chief financial officer, chief marketing officer, VP of sales, VP of marketing, head of product and head of finance.
AboveBoard has already received seed funding from several strategic angel investors. The company’s board of directors includes Jonathan Mildenhall, CEO of TwentyFirstCenturyBrands, and former CMO of Airbnb. AboveBoard’s board of advisors includes: Frances Frei, professor at the Harvard Business School and former senior vice president of leadership and strategy at Uber; Nick Caldwell, vice president of engineering at Twitter; David Olivencia, co-founder of Hispanic IT Executive Council; and Viola Maxwell-Thompson, president and CEO of the Information Technology Senior Management Forum.
Related: To Improve Diversity, Recruiting Sector Must Set a New Course
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
