Morisey-Dart Group Names Search Practice Leader
April 28, 2017 – Southwest Florida-based executive search firm The Morisey-Dart Group has expanded with the addition of Mickey Kampsen as director of recruitment services for global sourcing & merchandising. In her new role, she will lead the firm’s recently established global sourcing and merchandising search team that will focus on hardlines, softlines, and food retail companies.
She previously served as president and founder of two MRINetwork franchise offices — Management Recruiters of Charlottesville and MRI of Thousand Oaks California (the first office she opened in 1998) — and has over 30 years of experience in executive search and 20 years in the retail global sourcing and merchandising sector. She is recognized nationally for placing retail professionals and served in other roles within the MRINetwork before becoming a franchise owner that included account executive and field operations where she helped set up new offices on the West Coast.
“We’re excited to be growing again —the affiliation with Mickey makes retail a natural fit for that growth. She is a well-known and respected thought leader in the retail space throughout the executive search industry,” said managing partner Dave Dart.
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The Morisey-Dart Group is a specialist firm focused in a number of areas, including residential, commercial & heavy highway/civil construction, medical device manufacturing, banking & finance, health information systems, managed services, retail global sourcing & merchandising, 3D printing, and precision machining & manufacturing industries.
Retail Sector Challenges for 2017
Recruiters say retailers are facing major shifts in their businesses that call for ‘unprecedented responses’ by CEOs who can effectively lead through change, intuitively and analytically understand the evolving consumer, and respond to ambiguity. According to Korn Ferry, developed markets, excess retail capacity, rising prices, the shift to omni-channel retail, and the unpredictable pace of change in consumer shopping habits all affect the type of leader retailers need.
Global retail is challenging, and rapidly evolving and changing, said Sonia Prais, a partner in the retail, beauty & lifestyle practice group at executive search firm Ward Howell International. “Millennials and their older peers are all seeking faster and more immediate gratification due to the swift rise in social media in recent years,” she said. “As consumers, that has led them to expect an optimum user experience and outstanding customer service, all of which heaps pressure onto the sector.”
According to recruiters, demand for proven retail executives remains high and change agents are some of the most highly sought after C-suite leaders in the space. Winning retailers, said Ms. Prais, will continue to look broader and further outside the traditional retail targets to introduce dynamic, innovative strategic thinkers into their businesses.
In response, search firms have been bulking up their retail recruiting practices since the start of the year. Here are a few examples taken from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
- Ward Howell International named Sonia Prais as a partner in the firm’s retail, beauty & lifestyle practice group.She has 20 years of experience in executive search, having worked in the U.S. and across Europe and Asia with clients including Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren, Vera Bradley, Topshop and Madura Garments. Ms. Prais previously served as president of Claridge Search & Consulting, building it to a global scale and working with a diverse group of retailers, department stores, luxury and mass brands, pure-play and start-up ecommerce fashion websites.
- Boyden appointed Cornelia Tänzler as leader of its global consumer and retail practice. Ms. Tänzler, who is managing partner of Boyden Switzerland, has extensive experience in the sector across Europe. She has built a prestigious client portfolio with many C-level and board searches having now been completed. She has specialized expertise in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), global luxury brands, fashion and leading department stores.
- Herbert Mines Associates expanded its retail expertise with the addition of recruiting veteran Russell Boyle as managing director. Mr. Boyle has over 27 years of experience leading senior management and board of director searches as well as recruiting C-suite leaders and, in particular, chief financial officers. He previously spent 22 years at Egon Zehnder where he helped launch and lead the firm’s global financial officers practice as a senior partner.
- Retail focused executive search firm Kirk Palmer Associates added Caroline Pill as vice president in London and Alex Montefalco as head of creative in New York. Ms. Pill most recently served as vice president of executive recruitment at Karen Harvey Consulting where she was responsible for leading senior executive search assignments in Europe, Asia and the U.S. Previously, Ms. Montefalco was director for executive and creative recruitment for LVMH.
Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media
