Strengthening U.S. Leadership for Horn Technologies
The Company
Horn Technologies designs and supplies equipment for phosphine application, fumigation process control, and gas monitoring technology that helps agricultural, mining, and chemical operations become safer, more traceable, and more efficient.
Headquartered near Santiago, Chile, the family-founded company has built a strong reputation across Latin America. As its presence in the United States continued to grow, Horn recognized the importance of adding trusted, experienced leadership with deep knowledge of the U.S. market.
The Challenge
Horn’s U.S. business was well positioned for continued growth. To build on that momentum, the company wanted to expand its leadership capacity with someone who could take ownership of key responsibilities, operate independently, and develop strong relationships with customers and other stakeholders.
The right candidate would need more than an impressive résumé. Horn was looking for a leader with sound judgment, an ownership mindset, and the ability to work effectively within a close-knit, family-founded organization. That person also needed to understand the U.S. business environment while remaining closely aligned with Horn’s leadership, culture, and global vision.
Finding that combination presented a distinct challenge. With its headquarters thousands of miles away, Horn did not have an established network within the U.S. executive talent market. The company needed a search partner that could provide local market intelligence, identify qualified candidates in relevant and adjacent industries, and represent Horn’s values effectively throughout the process.
Horn did not simply need access to candidates. It needed a trusted advisor that understood both the U.S. market and the company behind the search.
The Solution
Horn Technologies had already developed a strong relationship with Cornerstone’s Chile office. When the need for additional U.S. leadership arose, the Chile team connected Horn with Cornerstone’s Kansas City office, extending an established relationship of trust across borders.
The collaboration between the two offices became one of the most valuable elements of the search. The Kansas City team worked directly with Horn’s leadership to navigate the U.S. talent market, while the Chile office contributed its understanding of the company’s culture, priorities, and preferred leadership style.
That shared perspective allowed the search team to evaluate candidates beyond their qualifications on paper. Together, the teams considered who could succeed in the role, contribute to Horn’s continued growth, and become a trusted part of the organization.
Cornerstone developed a targeted search strategy focused on companies in the chemical sector and adjacent industries where strong candidates were most likely to be found. This approach gave Horn visibility into a talent market it had not previously needed to navigate on its own.
Throughout the engagement, Cornerstone maintained a consistent weekly cadence with Horn’s team. These focused check-ins kept the search moving, provided clear visibility into its progress, and allowed the teams to address questions and refine priorities along the way. The disciplined process helped keep the engagement on schedule and within budget while giving Horn confidence that the search was being managed with care.
Through the partnership between Cornerstone’s Chile and Kansas City offices, Horn gained the advantages of a global network combined with firsthand knowledge of the U.S. executive talent landscape.
The Impact
The search resulted in an outstanding hire: a Kansas City-based leader from an adjacent industry who brought the experience, judgment, and ownership mindset Horn needed to support its growing U.S. business.
Nearly two years later, that leader remains in the role.
The successful hire added stability, capacity, and valuable local expertise to Horn’s U.S. operation. It also gave the company’s leadership confidence that its business in the United States was supported by someone who understood the market, cared about its future, and shared Horn’s commitment to long-term success.
The outcome was one everyone involved could be proud of. Horn gained a strong addition to its U.S. leadership team, while Cornerstone’s Chile and Kansas City offices demonstrated how trusted relationships and local expertise can work together across borders.
At its core, this is a story about a global company investing in its continued growth and about how international collaboration, thoughtful search strategy, and a deep understanding of organizational culture helped Horn Technologies find the right leader for its U.S. business.
