Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires Four Corners Group

July 19, 2022 – Acquisitions continue to make news in the recruiting industry, with a number of notable purchases in recent months. Today, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., one of the world’s largest consulting and risk management companies, has acquired Toronto-based executive search firm Four Corners Group Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2007, Four Corners Group is a Canadian executive search firm operating throughout Canada and the U.S. It serves clients in diverse industries, with a special focus in business services, technology, fast moving consumer goods, manufacturing, retail, supply chain/logistics, real estate, financial services, healthcare, academic, not-for-profits, associations, marketing services and professional services. Kelly Farrell and her team will remain in their current location under the direction of Melanie Jeannotte, CEO of Gallagher’s benefit and HR consulting division in Canada.

“Four Corners Group is a strong and reputable executive search practice that will further expand and strengthen our global talent and leadership advisory offerings,” said J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman, president and CEO. “I am delighted to welcome Kelly and her associates to Gallagher.”

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, IL. The company has operations in 49 countries and offers client-service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Other Acquisitions

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired other executive search firms in recent years. This past May, it acquired global HR search firm Frederickson Partners. Frederickson Partners has locations in a dozen cities across the U.S., including San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and Nashville, and also serves global tech hubs in London, Berlin, Paris, Mexico City, Bogota, Seoul and São Paulo. Founder Valerie Frederickson and her team will continue to operate under the direction of Scott Hamilton, global managing director, human resources & compensation consulting for Gallagher’s employee benefits consulting and brokerage operations.

Founded in 1995, Frederickson Partners has completed over 2,500 HR executive searches and HR consulting engagements, according to the firm, maintaining relationships with more than 10,000 rising and established HR executives worldwide. The firm specializes in the placement of chief human resources officers, chief people officers, heads of talent acquisition, and their high growth teams.

“Frederickson Partners will expand Gallagher’s executive search capabilities across all industries and offers us significant opportunities for collaboration and growth,” said Mr. Gallagher. “I am very excited to welcome Valerie and her team to our growing, global company.”

In 2020, the organization acquired Montreal-headquartered Optimum Talent. The firm’s Canadian team is composed of more than 260 colleagues in 13 offices nationwide, from Vancouver to Halifax. Internationally, the firm has a strategic partnership with Career Star Group to deliver coaching, career transition and change management solutions.

Optimum Talent is a provider of human resources consulting services with expertise in career management, career transition, coaching, executive search and organizational psychology. It operates in three targeted segments: search solutions, leadership assessment & development, and career transition & outplacement. Ron Dahms, Mike Bacchus and their associates will continue to operate from their current locations under the direction of Melanie Jeannotte, CEO of Gallagher’s benefit and HR consulting division in Canada, and Scott Hamilton, global managing director of Gallagher’s human resources and compensation consulting practice.

Arthur J. Gallagher also acquired The Human Capital Group. “Gallagher’s mission, culture and values align with The Human Capital Group’s – to provide value-based services to clients in an intentional, respectful and high-integrity manner,” the search firm said. Founded in 2000, The Human Capital Group is an executive search and leadership consulting firm assisting clients domestically and internationally as they seek to find and grow transformational leaders. It has completed more than 800 searches for a wide variety of senior roles across multiple industries.

Related: ZRG Acquires Walking the Talk

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

Share This Article