ZRG Appoints Leader of Global Education Practice
June 26, 2024 – ZRG, a global talent advisory firm and portfolio company of RFE Investment Partners, has named Rosa-Lyn Morris as the new leader of its global education practice. “We are excited to have Rosa Morris join our team,” said Larry Hartmann, CEO of ZRG. “Her expertise and leadership will be instrumental as we pursue our vision to build education into a $100 million global sector. By leveraging our executive search, interim, on-demand recruiting solutions, and advisory services under Rosa’s leadership, we are well-positioned to achieve this goal.”
Ms. Morris has nearly 20 years of extensive experience in the education sector, having recently led the education practice at Korn Ferry. While there, she served as a senior client partner with Korn Ferry’s global education and non-profit practice in the firm’s Washington D.C. office. Ms. Morris specializes in senior-level and executive searches for education-related organizations including institutions of higher education, educational foundations, and non-profit organizations with an educational mission. In recent years, her assignments have included a diversified portfolio of placements at major AAU research institutions, liberal arts colleges, non-profit organizations, and a variety of leading professional colleges.
In addition, Ms. Morris has a professional and personal interest in the national dialogue surrounding educational equity, student access and diversity. Regarding these issues, she has spent time partnering with the National Council for Teacher Quality, Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, and the American Political Science Association.
Ms. Morris’s arrival strengthens ZRG’s higher education practice, which includes the sector’s largest higher education interim solution provider, the Registry, and sports recruiting practice, TurnkeyZRG. With the addition of construction and facilities search specialists Helbling in 2023, ZRG has expanded its capabilities in real estate and facilities work in universities, supplementing its existing work in academic health care and leadership. Ms. Morris will oversee a combined practice whose current annual revenue exceeds $50 million.
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“I am thrilled to join ZRG at such an exciting point of growth and intentional focus in the education sector,” said Ms. Morris. “The combination of ZRG’s innovative solutions and commitment to excellence presents a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in higher education globally.”
Interim Education-Focused Search Provider
In 2023, ZRG acquired The Registry, a Peabody, MA-based interim executive solutions firm specializing in higher education. “The Registry is the nation’s top firm providing the best-matched interim solutions to institutions of higher learning, especially colleges and universities that are going through challenging transitions,” said Mr. Hartmann. “Adding The Registry to the family of ZRG companies puts us in a leadership position in providing talent solutions in higher education.”
ZRG Secures $120 Million in Funding
ZRG has secured $120 million in debt financing from Main Street Capital Corporation and its affiliates. “This significant funding will bolster ZRG’s growth initiatives and enhance its ability to deliver innovative talent solutions to clients worldwide,” the firm said. “It is a great time to acquire niche talent advisory and management businesses and build out our capabilities across executive search, interim, RPO, and consulting,” said Larry Hartmann, CEO of ZRG. “This additional financing from Main Street Capital, combined with our recent equity raise with a consortium of investors, positions us strongly to achieve our strategic objectives.” This latest round of financing will play a crucial role in supporting ZRG’s ongoing growth strategy. The firm plans to use the capital to continue acquiring high-quality businesses that complement its existing capabilities and continue to hire senior talent to drive further growth
“This latest round of financing will play a crucial role in supporting ZRG’s ongoing growth strategy,” said Scott A. Scanlon, CEO of Hunt Scanlon Ventures. He said the company plans to leverage the capital to continue acquiring high-quality businesses that complement its existing capabilities and continue to hire top talent to drive further growth. “Given the difficult environment we are in, this is an impressive achievement and a testament to the strength of ZRG’s platform,” said Mr. Scanlon.
Since 1992, The Registry has helped colleges and universities across the U.S. and abroad during times of transition with experienced and diverse interim leaders. The firm has recorded 1,200 placements at over 500 institutions of all types. “The Registry has placed more senior interim leaders on campuses across the nation than any other organization during the past three decades,” Mr. Hartmann said. “The firm initiated and accelerated a new trend in American higher education: the utilization of outside interim presidents.”
ZRG, founded in 1999, is a mid-sized global executive search firm and one of the fastest growing in the search industry. It provides a full suite of executive, middle management, and customized search solutions through its offices in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. The firm finds leaders across a broad spectrum of business markets, including aerospace, consumer, education, healthcare services, and solutions, industrial, life sciences, non-profit, private equity and venture capital, and technology. ZRG is based in Rochelle Park, NJ.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media