Ventura Partners Adds New Partner in Beverly Hills
June 6, 2018 – Executive search firm Ventura Partners has expanded with the addition of Justin Menkes as a partner in Beverly Hills.
“When we started Ventura eight years ago, we knew we wanted to be very selective when we considered whether to expand our partnership,” said Julie Ford, founder and partner of the firm. “We set the bar high for appointments and wanted friends as colleagues who are passionate about the work we do and committed to providing quality solutions. It’s who we are and it’s what we see in Justin.”
Mr. Menkes is an expert in executive assessment and an acclaimed author of top selling business books, including the Wall Street Journal best-selling ‘Executive Intelligence: What All Great Leaders Have.’ During a 15-year career with Spencer Stuart, he was the architect of the firm’s board advisory and CEO succession and assessment practice. In addition, Mr. Menkes executed multiple CEO and C-level search assignments for private equity groups including Blackstone, Clayton Dubilier & Rice and New Mountain Capital.
Industry Media Center
Every organization needs its own newsroom to broadcast and manage its online image; a place to share news, post press releases, and upload articles and videos.
| Check out our latest upload from Ventura Partners |
Familiar Face
“When I recruited Justin to Spencer Stuart in 2001, I knew he was special,” said Ventura partner Bob Damon. “We wanted to set a new standard in talent advisory and he was the architect of what we achieved – CEO succession, board advisory, and assessment became central to Spencer Stuart’s relationships with clients.” Mr. Menkes left the firm in 2015 to build a next generation technology platform to help clients demarcate and nurture leadership excellence in their senior teams. “It’s a phenomenal tool,” said Mr. Damon. “I always knew he’d change the way we viewed assessment and development, and he has.”
Mr. Damon was referring to PositionMatch, an automated tool that Mr. Menkes created that allows individuals to witness themselves becoming better leaders. It uses best-in-class assessment techniques combined with video tools to help individuals and their organizations identify opportunities for professional development.
“Integrating Justin’s PositionMatch technology platform into our search process is game-changing,” said Ms. Ford. “Nothing like it exists in our industry. The integration of PositionMatch with Ventura’s total access search methodology brings us that much closer to our goal of being the quality leader in our industry.”
Veteran Recruiters
Ventura Partners, with offices in Beverly Hills, Chicago and Atlanta, serves an array of clients, including top performing private equity funds, well-known and industry-disrupting brands, leading industrials and some of the country’s premiere college athletic departments. With 15 employees, the firm’s practice groups include: consumer products & services, industrial, private equity, CFO services, board services, sports & entertainment and senior leadership assessment.
Ventura Partners was recently named among Hunt Scanlon Media’s Top 40 sports, media & entertainment search firms. Here is a look at some of the firm’s recent work from the Hunt Scanlon archives:
Ventura Partners placed Courtney Gruber as the new chief retail officer for drybar, a blowout hair salon chain. Ms. Ford led the search. The search took three to four months to complete. “The process was straightforward,” she said. “We focused on candidates in high-touch, customer service in specialty retail, nationally.”
The firm also recruited Dave Larson to become the chief marketing officer of 5.11 Tactical Inc. in Irvine, CA. Bob Damon, a partner at Ventura, led the assignment. Encompassing top-tier athletic brands, Mr. Larson’s career includes executive marketing roles with Nike, Reebok, Brooks Running and Under Armour.
Ventura Partners was also recently selected to lead the University of Utah’s search for a new athletic director. AD Chris Hill recently announced that he plans to retire this spring after 31 years on the job. Chad Chatlos, sports practice leader at Ventura Partners, is handling the assignment, which is expected to be completed by the end of June.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
