The Christopher Group Recruits Chief People Officer for Clayton Homes Building Group

In one of the firm’s toughest but most rewarding searches, this HR recruiting specialist placed Case McGee with the largest builder of manufactured housing and modular homes in the U.S. The company’s new chief people officer worked more than 23 years for ADM, most recently as vice president of human resources. Let’s kick off the new year and go inside the search!

January 3, 2022 – The Christopher Group (TCG), a boutique HR executive search and business solutions recruiting firm, has placed Case McGee as chief people officer of Clayton Homes Building Group (CHGB), the largest builder of manufactured housing and modular homes in the U.S. The search was led by founder and CEO Tom Christopher and managing directors Nat Schiffer and Tobin Anselmi.

“This was one of the more difficult and rewarding searches that we have completed in recent memory,” said Mr. Schiffer. “Clayton Homes has such an incredibly successful and defined culture. They are a legendary employment brand in the region and beyond. They do not often recruit from the outside, especially for C-suite roles, and therefore finding the right fit was 80 percent-plus of the challenge in executing the search. Dr. Anselmi and I interviewed scores of candidates that were technically capable of doing the job – but finding the right chemical profile to successfully assimilate into the Clayton professional family was the real trick. This is another example of our ability to meet the needs of the most discerning clients where the stakes of a failed hire could not be greater,” he added.

Mr. McGee worked for more than 23 years at multinational food processing and commodities trading corporation ADM, where he held a variety of roles such as the vice president of talent and organizational effectiveness, head of organizational change management and most recently vice president of HR.

“It is a privilege to join Clayton Homes with its distinguished history of success. I am excited to put my experiences to work in support of the company’s growth plans,” said Mr. McGee. “The Christopher Group is highly effective in the executive HR search space. They understand the importance of being a great partner to both the client and prospective candidates. From having worked with them as a candidate, it’s no surprise that they are continually recognized for their performance.”

In his new role, Mr. McGee will be responsible for providing human capital leadership to align CHBG’s strategic priorities with the necessary people capabilities to deliver on the business objectives and desired culture. As a member of the executive leadership team, Mr. McGee will develop strategies and tactics across areas including DE&I, talent acquisition and management, succession planning, organizational development, training, performance management, and total rewards and benefits.

Headquartered in Maryville, TN, Clayton Homes describes itself as committed to “opening doors to a better life and building happiness through homeownership.” It is the largest builder of manufactured and modular homes in the U.S. and owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway company.

Veteran Recruiters

Founded in 1998 by Tom and Paula Christopher (former HR executives with GE, Pepsi, Progressive Insurance, and Citigroup), The Christopher Group is a leading boutique HR executive search and staffing solutions firms. The firm staffed by former HR professionals and trained search practitioners who use proprietary, scientific, and industry-leading systems, tools, and processes. The firm has offices in Willoughby, OH; Sarasota; and Kansas City, MO.

Mr. Christopher has a personal practice focused primarily at the VP, SVP and CHRO levels. He has completed executive HR searches, with a diverse set of clients, across multiple industry verticals including but not limited to Pepsi, Honeywell, Capital One, BP, Kraft, US Foods, Raytheon, Ingersoll-Rand, Vanderbilt University, Delaware North, CDW, Medco, Citigroup, Johns Hopkins University, Eastman Chemical, Comcast, and many others. With over 30 years of experience in human resources and executive search, his deep understanding of business strategy, organizational structures, and talent acquisition/ assessment/ development have allowed him to become an invaluable search and business partner to senior executives at a list of Fortune 500 organizations.

Related: Allen Institute Taps Christopher Group for Top HR Search

Mr. Schiffer has over 30 years of experience in human resources, corporate executive services and executive search. He has a keen understanding of business strategy and operations, organizational structure and talent acquisition/ assessment/ development. This combination of experiences enables him to play a pivotal role in partnering with senior executives at Fortune 500 firms, start-ups, PE-backed as well as private and closely held companies.

Mr. Schiffer specializes in all levels of HR search but frequently leads the firm’s most senior-level searches including CHRO, VP and other levels. He has recently completed searches across multiple industries and HR verticals for organizations including Phillips 66, Lamb Weston, Parker Hannifin, Air Products, Altria, SC Johnson, Cal State Fullerton and Acorn start-ups such as OYO Rooms.

For more than 30 years, Dr. Anselmi has served as a consultant to organizational leadership on human capital management issues such as talent selection, performance management, development, and movement, organizational effectiveness, change management, and leadership development. Dr. Anselmi has held a variety of leadership roles with companies such as Aon Consulting, Frito-Lay, Dell, Microsoft and Materion. Most recently he was vice president, global talent management at Diebold Nixdorf, where he led the talent acquisition, learning and development, and talent management teams.

Chief People Officer Recruiting

Executive search firms have been stepping up their efforts to assist companies across the nation to find new chief people officers. Here are a look at few recent searches from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

San Diego, CA-headquartered executive search firm Bespoke Partners recently placed Kerry Unflat as chief people officer of Zipari, a modern consumer experience solution. Alex Bossetta led the assignment. “In this moment of continued growth and expansion, it’s more important than ever that we ensure our employees have what they need to succeed, inside and outside the office,” said Mark Nathan, CEO of Zipari. “With over 20 years of human resources and talent management experience – much of it with a fast-growing software company – Kerry is the perfect person for the job. We’re delighted to welcome her to the team.”

Diversified Search Group | Koya Partners has been retained by the Museum of Science in Boston to lead its search for a chief people officer. Spearheading the assignment are managing director Beth Schaefer and senior search associate Josyanne Roche. “At this critical time in its history, the Museum of Science is seeking a dynamic, mission-driven leader to serve as the next chief people officer,” said Koya Partners. “The CPO comes to the Museum of Science at an exciting time under new leadership and a renewed commitment to the great opportunity for impact that institutions like the Museum of Science can have in their community and in the world.”

WGNinHR Consulting was recently retained by venture-backed Arena to fills its chief people officer role. Reporting to the CEO, the chief people officer will play a critical partnership role in the company’s growth stages and beyond. The successful candidate will be able to quickly link the business strategy to a newly developed people strategy. She or he will lead major initiatives while ensuring that the company values remain as touchstones that continuously reinforce the desired culture.

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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