Charles Aris Combines Finance, Accounting and Corporate Development Teams
March 26, 2024 – Greensboro, NC-based executive search firm Charles Aris Executive Search has announced that its finance, accounting and corporate development teams have combined as one practice. The groups will now operate as the finance and corporate development practice. “Senior firm leaders agreed on this development after recognizing the value one unified practice will bring to clients seeking specialized expertise at the intersection of their function and industry,” the firm said. “Our success at Charles Aris stems from our philosophy that great recruiters are an inch wide and a mile deep, meaning that they only recruit in a very narrow band, which allows them to know the market like no other,” said Jim Etling, senior vice president. “This integration allows us to go even deeper in the finance, accounting and corporate development functions across multiple industries.”
The two practices began seeing increased crossover between industries and clientele in recent years, notably within private equity. “The parallels between the two practices – the focus on private equity portfolio companies, the alignment of industry vertical expertise and the relentless commitment to quality, speed and the ‘inch-wide-mile-deep’ philosophy – made this a perfect fit,” said TJ Deal, managing director. “We are already seeing the benefits – increased collaboration, shorter search cycle times and an even more cohesive experience for our clients.”
Led by seven seasoned practice leaders, the finance and corporate development practice offers leadership solutions spanning from C-suite positions to analysts. Each practice leader covers a unique industry focus area, which currently includes industrial products, healthcare, technology, life sciences, business and consumer services, as well as CFOs and fund-level leadership roles.
Related: Charles Aris Executive Search Opens New Office in Washington, D.C.
The Charles Aris finance & corporate development practice works with private equity firms, private equity portfolio companies and corporations to recruit growth-minded financial and M&A leaders. Its team leverages its own experience and industry knowledge to make placements across the leadership spectrum, from C-suite executives to analysts.
Charles Aris Names Leader of Financial Services Practice
Charles Aris Executive Search has appointed Jacob Watkins as head of the financial services practice. “Jacob joined Charles Aris as an associate recruiter shortly after earning a psychology degree from Guilford College, and he knew early in his career that he wanted to pursue a leadership role at the firm,” Charles Aris said in a statement. “What he didn’t know was that this opportunity would be fast-tracked in a unique way to the firm when his mentor entrusted him to lead the financial services practice during her extended nine-month maternity leave.”
Mr. Watkins initially partnered with Ashlee Wagner, a vice president and practice leader at Charles Aris who launched the financial services strategy vertical in 2017. The associate recruiter was soon promoted to associate practice leader, helping Ms. Wagner complete searches as well as developing client relationships to help grow the practice.
This team specializes in the following types of roles: Chief financial officers; controllers; financial planning & analysis; and corporate development. Each practice leader covers a unique industry focus area, including: Industrial products; technology; healthcare & life sciences; and business & consumer services.
Experienced Recruiters
Mr. Etling has a functional focus on finance and accounting. He specializes in recruiting chief financial officers for private equity portfolio companies. Prior to joining Charles Aris, Mr. Etling spent 12 years as the chief financial officer of a global textile machinery manufacturer.
Mr. Deal has a functional focus on finance and corporate development. He specializes in recruiting A-level corporate development and M&A talent for private equity portfolio companies. Mr. Deal is located in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
Established nearly 50 years ago, Charles Aris is a search industry pioneer focused on senior-level assignments within the strategy and business development, private equity, consumer/ retail, finance and accounting, sales and marketing, education, executive leadership, engineering and operations, chemicals, and agribusiness sectors.
Related: Charles Aris Appoints VP Human Capital and Organizational Development
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
