Stanton Chase Names Leader of Industrial Practice Group

June 1, 2017 – Bernard Layton, managing director of the Chicago office of Stanton Chase International, has been named practice leader for the firm’s global industrial practice group. Mr. Layton will oversee activity related to Stanton Chase’s global presence in the industrial sector.

“Bernard is an outstanding leader and has distinguished himself as an exemplary search consultant with a strong global presence,” said Mickey Matthews, Stanton Chase chairman and managing director of the firm’s Baltimore office. “Under his leadership, the industrial practice group will continue its growth in the U.S. and throughout the world.”

Mr. Layton has more than 28 years of experience in executive search. He began his career at recruitment firm S.R. Clarke. As partner and division president, he started the firm’s Chicago operation. In 1992, Mr. Layton founded Morgan International, Inc., and subsequently Nicholas Partners, which rebranded as Peoplenext in 2004. In 2008, Peoplenext became part of Stanton Chase Chicago.

“I’m excited about working with my worldwide colleagues on building this important practice group,” said Mr. Layton. “This is an important global initiative and through our network of offices we are able to identify and recruit the finest industrial leaders for our clients.”

Mr. Layton has executed more than 750 searches across a wide range of senior and mid-management positions, including presidents, chief executive officers, partners and senior vice presidents, across a number of industries. He has deep experience in engineering, construction, management consulting, consumer products, industrial and financial services.

Industrial Sector

Companies across the industrial sector have historically concentrated on making their physical assets their basis of competitive advantage. But leading industrial companies have increasingly come to recognize that the quality of their leadership talent is what ultimately makes the greatest competitive difference in a world of globalization, rapidly emerging markets, off-shoring, outsourcing and far-flung supply chains.

These companies, according to recruiters, want innovative global leaders who have the strategic, operating and financial skills required in this complex environment. They also want commercially-focused managers who can develop distinctive value-added solutions. Above all, many seek leaders who have the ability to make an immediate impact as well as a long-term contribution.

So it is that top senior leaders in the sector are in high demand and executive search firms have grown their industrial practices in recent months. Here is a look at a sampling of firms who have expanded in this sector from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Heidrick & Struggles appointed Bo Herbst to lead its industrial practice worldwide as global practice managing partner. Mr. Herbst’s new position is an extension of his role as regional practice managing partner for the firm’s industrial practice in the Americas, which he continues to hold while leading the practice globally.

Russell Reynolds Associates added Lloyd Semple and Dan Hawksworth to its industrial, and energy & natural resources practices. Mr. Semple advises and recruits C-suite level executives for clients across a breadth of industrial segments, including diversified industrial products, automotive, oil/gas and chemicals. He previously spent more than 25 years at Accenture.

Korn Ferry added Patrick Walsh to its global industrial search practice. He joins the firm from Spencer Stuart, where he was a leader to the firm’s growth in Minneapolis and the industrial market worldwide. Mr. Walsh focuses on recruiting board directors, general management leaders and financial executives for public and private equity-backed companies.

Industrial Search Partners (ISP) has opened a new office in Pittsburgh with the addition of Sarah Stewart. Most recently, she served as a partner with Boyden in Pittsburgh. “Ms. Stewart’s addition to the ISP team is in keeping with the firm’s founding commitment to exclusively serve clients in the industrial segments,” said Jason Ward, an ISP managing partner.

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