Mercuri Urval Expands in the U.S.

May 26, 2023 – Stockholm, Sweden-based executive search firm Mercuri Urval (MU) has expanded with the addition of Belinda Burson as vice president of the professional services practice for the Americas. She will be based in Houston, TX. “We are pleased and excited to welcome Belinda into our MU team,” said Darcie Murray, SVP and head of the Americas for MU. “After some time cultivating our relationship, it became clear that Belinda possessed the values and attributes we believe in at MU: trust, strong relationships, accountability, expertise, and a deep commitment to providing quality, excellent work for our clients.”

“She has built an impressive and expansive career in the search industry and has worked with marquis clients all over the world, including Europe and APAC, and we look forward to being able to provide that experience she has garnered over her career to our current and future clients,” Ms. Murray said. “As we continue to build MU in the U.S., I look forward to Belinda being a valuable contributor to that growth and development.”

With 25 years of executive search experience, Ms. Burson will help to build a high quality, profitable business for MU USA with a focus on sales, account management, and delivery work. Through collaboration with European colleagues, she will operate as a member of the Americas team with concentration on the global professional services practice.

Ms. Burson’s executive search career started when she became a director in 1998 at Magellan International, where she led the development and management of retained executive searches in the strategy consulting industry. With a specialization in principal and partner positions, she worked closely with client teams to yield effective screening and selection.

“From these early days, Belinda was able to grow into an accomplished executive search professional who has built search companies from the ground up, supported clientele across a myriad of industries, and designed innovative sourcing solutions to find global talent,” MU said. In 2006, Ms. Burson founded the retained search firm BraxtonCooper Inc, and played an integral role in overseeing all firm operations in both the United States and Europe across multiple practices. She provided client service by developing client specific reporting that incorporates potential candidate data to address marketplace perceptions and novel tools such as the talent landscape maps to help clients be aware of their competitors leadership and capabilities.

“I am thrilled to be a part of MU,” said Ms. Burson. “I have met with many of the global leaders and truly feel MU is a special place with a culture and values unlike any firm I’ve interacted with. Their capabilities in leadership selection are unparalleled. Under Darcie’s leadership, the U.S. will grow quickly, yet strategically. I am looking forward to working with Geir Lislerud, global head for MU, to expand the professional services practice in the Americas.”

Mercuri Urval is a global executive search and talent advisory firm. The firm was founded in 1967. Today, Mercuri Urval works with more than 3,000 clients – across all sectors – in over 70 countries every year. It is the only global executive search and leadership advisory firm based in the Nordics.

U.S. Growth

Mercuri Urval has been in the U.S. since 1981, and in more recent years, the business was predominantly focused on the East Coast and in servicing its European clients doing business in the U.S. The firm has recommitted itself to establishing a strong presence in the market, and is fully dedicated to investing in, and reinvigorating, its business across the entirety of the U.S.

Mercuri Urval Names Leader of Frankfurt Office
Mercuri Urval has named Thorsten Kocherscheidt as group director and leader of the Frankfurt office. “I am confident that Thorsten will support our growth plans in Europe and help us to become even stronger in financial services, and I am convinced that he will bring further success for our clients particularly in the insurance sector worldwide,” said Richard Moore, CEO. “The strength of our company – to provide clients with reliable leadership advice – is further enhanced by Thorsten joining our team. A very warm welcome to Thorsten.”

Last fall, Mercuri Urval strengthened its U.S. team with the addition of Lisa Brantley as head of client consulting and executive search in Houston, TX. “I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa almost three years ago, and was as impressed then, as now, with her high-level of integrity and strong principles, with which she conducts every aspect of her life, along with her commitment to delivering best-in-class service to her clients,” said Darcie Murray, SVP and head of the Americas for MU. “We continued to cultivate our relationship, and after myself joining MU, began the discussions with Lisa about joining us. She brings the right attitude and values to the team, and will now have a global platform to service her clients, and help us grow our business here in the U.S.” Ms. Brantley has spent her career in executive search, client relationship management, and business leadership. She has executed over 500 searches and consulting engagements. In 2012, she launched AlexCharles Search Partners, focusing on leadership and executive searches in the financial services, professional services, and oil and gas sectors.

Last year, Mercuri Urval also added Stephen Spagnuolo to build and lead its cybersecurity Americas practice. “Information and cybersecurity is a priority for CEOs and boards, and it’s fair to say will remain so for many years to come. We are delighted to welcome Stephen to further strengthen our advisory expertise in this essential area,” said CEO Richard Moore. Mr. Spagnuolo will split his time between the firm’s newly launched metro New York and heritage Washington, D.C. offices. He will contribute to the firm’s science-based solutions—executive search, assessment, and advisory—to corporates, PE/VC backed domain cyber, and fintech companies, as well as professional services firms and consultancies, across the U.S. and Canada and in collaboration with Mercuri Urval partners across Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.

Related: Mercuri Urval Names CEO

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

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