Wray Executive Search Opens New Office in Miami
March 22, 2022 – Wray Executive Search, a provider of executive search and advisory services in the restaurant, foodservice, retail, and franchise industries, has opened a new office in Miami. Rebecca Patt, who brings 18 years of executive search experience with Wray as senior vice president, will lead the Miami office. “Rebecca has and continues to be a major part of the fabric of our firm as well as that of the restaurant, food service and hospitality industry,” said Bob Gershberg, managing partner and CEO of Wray Executive Search. “She has come to be known as the best recruiter in the business, a well-deserved accolade. We are thrilled to have Rebecca lead the charge at our newest national office in Miami.”
Ms. Patt has completed searches for clients across every discipline within the restaurant, foodservice, and hospitality industries and she will continue to support clients nationwide. Her network of contacts and expertise in executive recruiting enables her to generate fast and effective results for Wray Executive Search clients, the firm said.
Veteran Search Consultants
For 50 years Wray Executive Search has provided executive search and advisory services, recruiting leadership teams for many of the nation’s top restaurant, foodservice, hospitality, franchise, and retail companies. Wray is a purpose-driven executive search firm and human capital advisory, specializing in C-level, senior executive and functional leadership search. The firm is headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL.
Mr. Gershberg has been a driving force behind the brand for over a decade. He specializes in searches for C-level positions, functional leadership roles and M&A integration. Mr. Gershberg has extensive knowledge and experience in restaurant, food service, retail, and consumer industries, and has successfully completed assignments in finance, human resources, IT, supply chain, real estate, franchising, operations, and marketing.
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In a recent interview with Hunt Scanlon Media, Mr. Gershberg shared his views of what he is seeing in the search market. “The talent pool has become as tight as we’ve ever seen it,” he said. “Recruiting for functional leadership positions in the demand disciplines such as supply chain, operations, financial, and marketing has been particularly challenging. During uncertain times, the most decisive leaders we know become less decisive, even in the segments that weathered the pandemic storm well. Hiring new executives is a major decision, hence we saw many needs postponed. As the economy looks brighter we are seeing substantive increase in demand for our service.”
“Not only are we facing a tight talent pool across disciplines, but executive compensation is trending up due to the competitive market,” Mr. Gershberg said. “Demand for executive talent is very brisk with no letup in sight. Top candidates are often being recruited by multiple companies and firms, helping to drive up compensation and benefits. The good news – companies are hiring in big numbers. The bad news – recruiting is more challenging than ever.”
The future has clearly arrived ahead of schedule, Mr. Gershberg said. “We must adapt and have done so,” he said. “Diversity and inclusion have become mission critical. We have had to become more consultative in all aspects of human capital and its recruitment. These are not new ideas, but the confluence of increased awareness, the availability of talent and geographic flexibility will continue to amplify the importance of investing in the right tools to build more diverse effective teams.”
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
