Kensington International Finds CHRO for Black & Veatch

February 22, 2019 – Executive recruiters are in hot pursuit of chief human resources officers and other senior-level HR leaders across the nation. The best HR chiefs are seen as integral strategic advisors to the C-suite, and the ones in demand are those who are sounding boards for CEOs, report recruiters focused on the space. Why is there such pent-up demand for top flight HR experts?

According to search consultants, corporate leaders are hiring more like-minded sophisticated, proactive, and strategic HR individuals with strong business savvy to drive their people capabilities just as they would a P&L.

Recruiting such talent continues to be of vital importance for companies. One search firm, Oak Brook, IL-based-executive search firm Kensington International has placed Stephanie Hasenbos-Case as the new chief human resources officer (CHRO) of Black & Veatch.

The placement of Ms. Hasenbos-Case followed an extensive assessment and selection process that attracted a diverse and talented pool of candidates from within Black & Veatch and both inside and outside of the U.S.

“Kensington International is so pleased to have been in a position to recruit and place Stephanie – her overall experience and style will play a key role in ensuring that the business model, human capital base and culture will continue to flourish,” said Brian Clarke, managing partner and HR practice leader for Kensington International.

Related: An Up-Close Look at the Transformational Role of the CHRO

“Stephanie was selected not only for her impressive international experience, but for her proven track record of leading large-scale growth transformations and helping organizations meet their strategic business goals,” said Steve Edwards, chairman and CEO of Black & Veatch. “I am confident she will foster an environment that supports Black & Veatch’s global strategies while strengthening our ONE B&V culture, which will allow us to continue to deliver safe, timely results to all our customers.”

Veteran HR Leader

Ms. Hasenbos-Case comes to Black & Veatch from Grant Thornton International. There, as partner and global practice leader for people and culture and CHRO she led human resources in a dual role devoted to creating and implementing successful people and client experience strategies. Her professional experience includes consulting and corporate leadership roles with several high-profile companies including Accenture, Bank of America, Deloitte, H&R Block and Sears.


Why the Partnership with Chief Human Resource Officers Matters

Anyone with the ties to the human resources function knows how much it has evolved in recent years – and with it the role of the chief human resources officer. The biggest shift seen is in how the CHRO has progressed from fighting for a seat at the table to playing a key role on the executive team. According to executive recruiters who ply their trade placing some of the best ones in the field, a great CHRO can be one of the most vital strategic human assets a company can have – closely partnering with the CEO and CFO.

In addition, following a record-breaking year of recruiting top HR leadership into some of the best well-known brands across industry, Hanold Associates has just been tapped by the National Football League to lead its search for a new chief human resources officer (CHRO). Jason Hanold, CEO and managing partner of the Chicago-based recruiting outfit that bears his name, is leading the assignment which kicked off just days before Super Bowl LIII. Here’s some further reading from Hunt Scanlon Media.


In her new role with Black & Veatch, Ms. Hasenbos-Case will be responsible for leading all elements of HR, talent and organizational capability for the company. The role will see her wear multiple hats. She will also serve as secretary to the compensation and development committee of the board of directors, which focuses on executive compensation, talent management and succession planning. Ms. Hasenbos-Case will also serve as chairman and secretary of the administrative committee for employee benefits, which has fiduciary responsibility for the company’s retirement plans and employee benefits. She will also serve as executive sponsor of the Black & Veatch Foundation, the company’s charitable arm.

Related: Here’s Why Game Changing CHRO Talent Is In Big Demand

Black & Veatch, a global engineering, consulting and construction company, specializes in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications and government and environmental markets. The company has a global workforce of more than 10,000 employees working in over 100 offices worldwide with projects in upwards of 100 countries and spanning six continents.

Veteran Recruiters

Since 1989, Kensington International’s executive search business has conducted thousands of search engagements for corporate and private equity clients and their portfolio companies. The team has a track record of recruiting board of directors, CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CHROs as well as other top functional leaders in EPC/infrastructure, healthcare, retail, industrial/gas, oil and chemicals, private equity, financial services and consumer products.

And the search firm is quite familiar with this client. Kensington recently placed former Siemens Process Industries CEO Mario Azar as the new president of global power for Black & Veatch.

Mr. Clarke is leader of Kensington’s infrastructure practice. He has conducted numerous senior leadership search assignments across the manufacturing, consumer, financial services, infrastructure and gas, oil and chemical sectors. Mr. Clarke has been recognized on BusinessWeek.com’s list of the World’s Most Influential Headhunters. Prior to founding Kensington, he served as vice president of First National Bank of Chicago’s global industries division.

Related: An Up-Close Look at the Transformational Role of the CHRO

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

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