Hunt Scanlon Media’sSpeed vs. Certainty: How Leading Search Firms Deliver Fast Shortlists Without Increasing Risk

June 2nd, 2026 - 1pm ET

Clients want candidates faster. But while speed has become the priority, the cost of getting it wrong has never been higher. More information is publicly available, more scrutiny comes after placement, and more decisions are judged not just on who you placed, but how you vetted them.

In this environment, the shortlist carries more weight than ever. It is not just a list of candidates. It is your process, your judgment, and your credibility with the client.

Join Hunt Scanlon Media and Fama for a peer-level panel discussion on how leading search firms are evolving shortlist diligence in a market where client timelines are accelerating but expectations around fit, alignment, and defensibility keep rising. The session will examine where traditional vetting processes fall short, what clients are finding before you do, and how top firms are incorporating AI-driven insights without disrupting their workflow or adding operational burden.

This webinar is ideal for managing partners, search consultants, heads of research, and anyone responsible for shortlist quality and client delivery.

Moderator

Ben Mones

CEO and Founder
Fama

Ben Mones is the CEO and Founder of Fama, a leading provider of AI-powered online screening for executive search and talent acquisition. Ben founded Fama to help organizations make better, faster, and more defensible hiring decisions by surfacing behavioral and reputational signals from public digital sources.

Panelists

Brad Warga

Partner & Co-Head of Global Human Resources Officers Practice
Heidrick & Struggles

Brad Warga is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ San Francisco office and co-head of the global Human Resource Officers Practice. He specializes in senior-level leadership advisory assignments within private equity, venture capital, family offices, financial services, and global technology companies, placing HR officers.

Shawn Banerji

Managing Partner & Co-Head Technology Practice
Caldwell

Shawn Banerji is the managing partner for the Data, Digital & Technology Leaders Practice at Caldwell, co-located in the New York and Stamford offices. He is an expert on change management and specializes in the recruitment and assessment of Catalyst Leaders who are resetting value propositions through the power of technology, data & analytics, accelerated software engineering, IoT, and cloud. As a trusted advisor to organizations seeking cultural and commercial transformation by unlocking the latent value of legacy assets and product portfolios, he advises clients on the convergence of talent and innovation across all facets of the evolving digital enterprise.​​

Kristian Shannon

Principal
JM Search

Kristian Shannon is a Principal with JM Search and a member of the Firm’s Consumer Practice. He brings over 25 years of experience in talent acquisition, executive recruitment and human resource leadership. Kristian specializes in placing executives in the durable goods and food & beverage industries. Having worked with smaller private and private equity-backed companies, to multi-billion-dollar public organizations, he has leveraged his past experience and HR background to place executives and their direct reports.

9 Reasons to Attend

Come virtually network with hundreds of talent leaders and executive recruiters