Ivy Group Retained by W.J. Stelmaschuk & Associates for CEO Search
June 13, 2023 – Toronto-based executive search firm Ivy Group was recently selected by W.J. Stelmaschuk & Associates Ltd. (WJS) to lead in its search for a new CEO. The search firm notes that with the retirement of WJS’ CEO, a shifting market landscape and a healthy team and culture in place, there is an opportunity for a new leader to step in and guide the organization. Potential responsibilities for this new leader include a business transformation, designing new services, defining new audiences, cultivating new relationships, and expanding the service offerings developed over the past 40 years.
Reporting to the externally appointed chair of the WJS board of directors, the CEO provides strategic and operational leadership, leads the senior management team, inspires staff, and is responsible for achieving growth, financial, and operating objectives as defined in the board approved strategic plan. The CEO serves as the public face of WJS.
The new CEO will be expected to build upon a strong foundation and propel the company to new levels of growth, achievement, and accomplishment, said Ivy Group. The right candidate will bring the requisite business and operational skills, be highly entrepreneurial, and lead with heart. The search firm is looking for individuals with exceptional relationship skills and strategic vision skills will be essential for success. Candidates must bring a track record of success with demonstrated capability to direct and guide organizational strategic planning and implementation to achieve goals and objectives. They should have prior experience creating and leading implementation of growth strategies, organic and/or inorganic, to drive increased revenue, and diversify revenue streams ideally within a services model that is highly dependent on managing service delivery dynamics.
Business acumen and skills relative to leading a significant, multi-dimensional enterprise with a high level understanding of essential business processes including:
- Strategic positioning (including market awareness, trend analysis, etc.).
- Planning, monitoring and reporting.
- Financial management, controls and reporting.
- Broader enterprise risk management.
- Selection and management of Information technology.
- Marketing, external/public relations.
- Human resources.
- Governance and board relationships, reporting and communications.
W.J. Stelmaschuk & Associates is an employee-owned, for-profit, certified B Corp, with a 40-year track record of delivering social services programming in Canada. From its initial program targeting justice-involved youth and adults transitioning back into the community, launched in the Lower Mainland in 1983, WJS is now a $50 million organization, with 700 employees, delivering services across BC, Alberta and Ontario.
Experienced Recruiters
Ivy Group is a boutique recruitment firm offering executive search for senior positions. The firm was founded by Tracy Posner, Emily Murgatroyd, and Catherine Graham. They have a track record of placing board directors as well as chief and senior executives across multiple sectors.
Ms. Posner has spent almost two decades building a track record in attracting and hiring top talent for senior roles while working at Deloitte Canada, Caldwell Partners, Odgers Berndtson, Robert Half International, and TWC International Executive Search. Ms. Murgatroyd has built a career working with innovative and pioneering companies in technology, digital marketing, consumer goods and cannabis. Ms. Graham brings over 20 years of experience from Caldwell Partners, Odgers Berndtson, Spencer Stuart, and McKinsey & Company. She holds an undergraduate degree from Dalhousie University and a master’s degree in library and information science from Western University.
Ongoing Search
Ivy Group has been enlisted to find an executive director for Altruvest Charitable Services, which matches and trains qualified leaders for critical board positions within local charities. Working closely with the board, the executive director is responsible for realizing the overall strategic vision and direction of the organization, said Ivy Group. Accountable to the board, the executive director meets regularly with the chair and vice chair, participates in the strategic planning process, and provides leadership and guidance to the organization’s staff and volunteers.
Candidates for the executive director role should be purpose driven, inspired, and motivated by building and implementing with a strong desire to magnify impact and generate results, said the search firm. The right prospect will be a natural networker, with an innate ability to drive alignment and coalesce achievement around a common goal. Creating a sustainable revenue stream drawing on donors and sponsors should be energizing for the ideal candidate.
Related: Growing Canadian Search Market Continues to Help Reshape Business
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
