Ken Schmitt

For nearly 3 decades, Ken Schmitt has been more than a recruiter—he’s a connector, strategist, and advocate for great leadership. After launching TurningPoint Executive Search in 2007, he spent 18 years growing a business that focused on high-touch, relationship-driven recruiting. Along the way, he built a reputation for matching top-tier talent with organizations poised for growth, earning accolades including ‘San Diego’s Most Admired CEO’ and one of the region’s ‘Fastest Growing Private Companies’.

Ken’s journey took an exciting turn when he teamed up with long-time colleague and friend Seann Richardson to launch Ascentria Search Partners in early 2025. After years of collaborating with one another, sharing a passion for authentic, consultative hiring, merging their firms was the natural next step. Together, they bring a powerful blend of expertise, insight, and a shared philosophy: great recruiting isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about building futures.

A thought leader in the industry, Ken publishes the weekly LinkedIn newsletter “Hiring Matters: Recruiting, Retention, and Real HR Strategies from a Leading Expert”, where he shares actionable insights on hiring trends, leadership strategies, and talent retention.

Beyond the search world, Ken is the founder of the Sales & Marketing Leadership Alliance (SMLA), a published author (“The Practical Optimist”), a podcast host, speaker and dedicated mentor. Since 2014, Ken has served as a volunteer with Junior Achievement and Co-Chairs monthly member meetings in San Diego as part of the Private Directors Association, Southern California Chapter. A San Diego native, he lives in Carlsbad, CA, with Juliet, his wife of 33 years, who runs her own Marriage and Family Therapist practice.