This month I celebrate twenty years in executive search and I have so much to be grateful for! It’s been an exciting year for us at Cornerstone. Companies continue to trust us with new and larger executive search engagements, and we are on pace for another record year of growth. I’m humbled by that confidence […]
Executive Recruiting
Are You Confident in Your Next Leader? | Executive Succession Planning
How many of us remember a time when our favorite leader announced his or her retirement? It can be a lot to process among peers, your team and even the voice inside your head. Where does the organization go from here? Will we hire from within or outside the organization? What does this mean for […]
Why Executive Searches Go Wrong – Four Warning Signs
The warning signs an experienced search partner catches early, and what hiring organizations can do about them. This article draws on a Cornerstone International Group roundtable on earning the right to advise, featuring Antonio Cassano (Cornerstone International Italia), Samuel Dergel (Cornerstone Montreal), Dan Heiman (Global President, Cornerstone International Group), and Göran Jansson (Cornerstone Nordics), moderated […]
Executive Search Across Borders
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 […]
Executive Recruiting Explained: 12 Questions Business Leaders Ask Before Starting A Retained Search
Retained executive search and executive recruiting can feel unfamiliar if you have never worked with an executive search firm, or if you are deciding whether outside support is the right approach for an important leadership hire. To help demystify the executive recruitment process, we asked Dan Heiman, owner of Cornerstone Executive Search and a retained […]
Halfway Through the Year: What Is Your Why?
We are officially halfway through the year, which makes this a natural time to pause, reflect, and ask a question that has the power to shape how we approach the months ahead: What is your why? Why do you show up every day? Why do you keep pushing when things feel challenging? Why do you […]
AI in Executive Recruiting: 3 Trends We’re Seeing in the 2026 Market
AI at Work Part II: What We’re Seeing in the Market Right Now How is AI impacting your executive recruiting business? We are often asked this question by clients, candidates and business roundtables. AI is changing executive recruiting by helping firms identify, analyze and engage talent faster. But it has not replaced human judgment in […]
What Happens When Great People Come Together
After returning home from Cornerstone International Group’s Global Conference in Warsaw, Poland, I find myself reflecting on what made this week so meaningful. Of course, there were outstanding presentations, thoughtful discussions about AI, leadership development, succession planning, global account growth, and the future of executive search. There were new ideas, practical insights, and strategies that […]
Trusting Your Gut in Executive Hiring
She’s the one. Just when I thought I’ve talked to every HR leader in this city … and you found her? Unbelievable job. She’s the one. You watch. Those were my exact words when I walked into the office of my Director of Executive Recruiting after I interviewed an HR executive for one of our […]
Shooting 3s in March: A Lesson from March Madness & Executive Search
Three-point shooting changes games in March Madness. Recently, we came close to hitting three of our own in a single executive search, and it was a powerful reminder of why the strength of a candidate slate matters so much. Every March, like millions of people across the country, I find myself drawn into the chaos […]
The Offer Is the First Act of Leadership
In executive search, most of the attention goes to sourcing the right candidate and guiding organizations through the interview process. Those steps matter, of course. But in many leadership searches, the most sensitive moment comes at the very end. The offer stage. After weeks or months of conversations, alignment, and evaluation, the organization and the […]
Succession Planning Reimagined for 2026
A CEO retires. A VP gives three weeks’ notice. A critical role sits open while the business keeps moving anyway. Most organizations don’t realize they have a succession problem until it is already painful. As we begin a new year with fresh budgets and strategic priorities, succession planning can no longer live on the “we’ll […]
