Saenger Associates and GrowthPhases Form Partnership
March 18, 2024 – Saenger Associates and GrowthPhases AG have formed an alliance to expand each firm’s client offering to include retained executive search, interim management and business consulting. “Our mission is to provide executive placements for the long-term success of our clients, and the win-win result for candidates and clients alike,” said Gary Saenger, founder and president of Saenger Associates. “We offer seasoned talent on an interim basis to support leadership gaps, strategic alternatives, turnaround support, company integration leadership, lean Six Sigma, global supply chain management, international expansion, company culture transformation, and board services including mirror boards,” said Terry O’Neal, managing director, GrowthPhases.
The two firms were founded in 1999 and 2000 respectively. Saenger Associates is a retained executive search firm based in the Santa Clarita, CA, Valley. The firm’s practice areas include industrial products, aerospace & defense, and consumer products. Its clients include private, public, Fortune 500, and non-profit companies that are both established and emerging.
GrowthPhases is an international interim management and M&A consultancy firm, which consists of former C-suite executives from multinational corporations and private equity-backed companies. GrowthSpaces, the consulting platform, is focused on interim management and consulting assignments. GrowthPhases’ focus is on working with private equity and investment banks on acquisitions and investment platforms and on investment strategies and opportunities.
“We look forward to working with Terry O’Neal and the GrowthPhases team,” said Mr. Saenger. “Terry and I have known each other for 20-plus years. We performed searches for Terry while he was an executive at Schneider Electric and tried unsuccessfully to land him with one of our clients.”
“We are excited to support Gary and his team, to provide their clients with a world-class, interim management solution and to provide our clients that same level of retained search,” said Mr. O’Neal.
Recent Partnerships
Alliances and partnerships continue to gain traction in the executive search industry. Here is a sampling from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Direct Recruiters Inc. (DRI) and INNOVA People, Starfish Partners companies, have launched INNOVA Healthcare and INNOVA Tech staffing practice areas. “We have diligently been searching for the right firm to merge our existing staffing business with since the inception of Starfish Partners,” said Dan Charney, president and CEO of Direct Recruiters, Inc. “Joel Slenning and INNOVA People are the ideal partner based on their existing footprint in the hospital IT space. Additionally, their expertise in several other areas of hospital staffing will allow us to become a complete solution for our clients. Frank Myeroff, practice leader and managing partner of the Direct Recruiters existing staffing group will work closely with Joel to continue to grow this division for Starfish across leading medical centers and several other strategic markets that we have identified.” Leveraging decades of experience in healthcare and technology recruiting and merging the staffing divisions of INNOVA People and Direct Recruiters Inc., this newly formed staffing company offers solutions, including contract, contract-to-hire, and temporary placements. In addition, they will offer customized staffing services encompassing consulting, sourcing, identifying, acquiring, onboarding, and retaining senior executives to organizations. Moving forward, the combined staffing companies will be operating under the INNOVA People brand.
Global leadership advisory and executive search firm Sheffield Haworth has formed an alliance with Progress Together, an initiative focused on addressing the socio-economic disparity within the financial services sector. This strategic alliance comes in response to the recent study commissioned by Progress Together and conducted by Bridge Group called Shaping Our Economy, which highlighted socioeconomic background is more likely to impact a person’s route to success in financial services than gender or ethnicity. “At Sheffield Haworth, we firmly believe in the power of diversity and inclusion,” said Frances Denny, managing director and head of the socio-economic diversity group at Sheffield Haworth. “Our partnership with Progress Together underscores our dedication to creating a level playing field for everyone, regardless of their socio-economic background. Together, we are working towards fostering an industry that embraces and celebrates differences, leading to a more vibrant and innovative workforce.” The collaboration between Progress Together and Sheffield Haworth will include a series of initiatives, including webinars, workshops, and training sessions designed to educate businesses about the significance of socio-economic diversity.
Egon Zehnder has formed an alliance with The 350 Club, an online community that connects the FTSE 350 global board community. This partnership combines Egon Zehnder’s boardroom expertise with The 350 Club’s shared vision to fostering an online platform for board members to exchange insights and learnings. “We are incredibly honored to be chosen as The 350 Club’s exclusive search firm partner,” said Karoline Vinsrygg, who leads Egon Zehnder’s U.K. board practice. “This collaboration reflects our mutual commitment to supporting boards and exceptional board leaders, all while championing diversity and innovation. We look forward to leveraging our extensive network and experience to support the growth and success of The 350 Club’s members.” With representation from chairs, group CEOs, board members, and executive committee members across 89 percent of the FTSE 100, as well as board members from 75 percent of the FTSE 250, The 350 Club has a depth of influence across FTSE boardrooms. Both Egon Zehnder and The 350 Club share a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Egon Zehnder has been tracking boardroom diversity globally for nearly 20 years and has developed practices to promote inclusive boardroom cultures. The 350 Club helps to foster a variety of perspectives by curating a group of FTSE 350 board-ready members, with a particular focus on diversity and digital.
Related: Coulter Partners Forms Alliance with the Institute of Neurodiversity
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
