ZRG Partners Names Practice Leader for Banking
February 12, 2018 – ZRG Partners, the fastest growing search firm in the U.S., has appointed Patrick Prout as managing director and practice leader for banking. The selection was designed to help buttress the firm’s continued rise in the financial services sector.
Mr. Prout has a decade-long record of serving banking clients with senior-level recruiting for boards of directors and C- suite executives. Before accepting his new role, he served as managing director and head of the financial services practice for Diversified Search. Prior to that, he ran his own search firm, the Prout Group. Earlier in his career, he was a partner with Heidrick & Struggles.
Mr. Prout also had a solid career in the banking sector, including a stint as president, chief operating officer and vice chairman of Bank One in Cleveland. His executive career in financial services included positions with Bank of America and Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City. He also serves on a variety of boards, including Ideastream (charter member), National Society of Hispanic MBAs (member), Executive Leadership Council (member) and Women in the Boardroom (advisory board member).
“ZRG has a strong lending and payments practice that has completed hundreds of searches with major banks and institutions over the past decade,” said Larry Hartmann, CEO of ZRG. “Patrick brings a strong history of senior level work with many great names in banking. We look forward to his contributions to expand our overall financial service presence with a highly regarded leader with an amazing reputation in the industry.”
Mr. Prout said he expects that ZRG’s data-driven approach to attracting and selecting top talent will resonate with his contacts in the banking and insurance sectors. “I am looking forward to helping ZRG continue to build out the global banking sector in the coming years and leverage the global footprint of ZRG and their niche expertise in lending with my client base,” he said.
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 ZRG Partners |
Continued Expansion
ZRG has experienced a wave of expansion since the start of the year. Here is an abridged overview of the firm’s growth from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Just recently, ZRG appointed Carren Shi as a managing director and country head of China. She has 20 years of local market business experience, with more than 12 years in executive search. Ms. Shi has built a strong record in the consumer, travel, hospitality, real estate, healthcare, medical device, pharma, chemical, financial investment, IT and industrial sectors.
In January, ZRG named Smooch R. Reynolds as managing director. Ms. Reynolds’ career spans more than 25 years in executive search, specifically focused in the global investor relations officer and chief communications officer functional areas. She moves to ZRG from DHR International, where she was global investor relations and communications practice group leader.
In November, the firm added Melissa Oszustowicz as managing director in Minneapolis. She is a member of the firm’s healthcare services practice, where she supports key clients in the region and partner with projects globally. She also assists in further developing ZRG’s presence in the global agribusiness sector.
In October, ZRG opened an office in Milan and the appointment of a new global practice leader for its non-profit and education sector. Dr. Gabriele Ghini opened the Milan office. He is a member of the firm’s industrial and life sciences practice, where he will continue to support key clients in the region and partner with projects globally.
In June, ZRG Partners opened an office in Hong Kong, adding David Greenfield as head of the global insurance practice. The firm, which is continuing its recent expansion, also named Kevin Jones as leader of its global commercial real estate search platform as well as the Pittsburgh regional office. Mr. Greenfield joins ZRG Partners with a strong history in the C-suite recruiting.
ZRG also recently opened an office in London, continuing on its massive expansion trajectory. By the end of the year, the firm expects to have a team of five managing directors in key market verticals in London to further support its expansion plans. ZRG’s foray into the U.K. supports an expansion strategy that started several years ago but has more recently gained traction.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
