CEO of the Month 1602AC54
Careers On The Move is a NYC boutique executive search firm founded in 2000 that caters to Wall Street clientele. Their clients range from Fortune 500 companies to niche service providers and rapidly expanding new businesses globally. Among these are top-tier investment banks, accounting firms, top rated valuation firms, hedge funds, professional services organizations, and technology providers. Many are industry leaders in financial services, business valuation, risk management, software development, market data, and the energy sector.
Their services include the full recruitment lifecycle from the front to back office.
Name: Richelle Konian E-Mail: Konian@ CareersOnTheMove.com Web Address: www.CareersOnTheMove.com Address: Careers On The Move The Hippodrome Center 1120 Ave of the Americas, 4th Fl. New York, NY 10036 Telephone: 212-582-2530 LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest
Like most entrepreneurs who also serve as CEO, Richelle Konian is a jack-of-all-trades and her main responsibilities include client development, marketing initiatives, managing staff and overseeing operations. While spearheading and managing all these functions, she remains hands-on sourcing the best Wall Street talent out there. It’s a team effort that relies on cohesiveness in their recruitment and marketing efforts. She explains in an interview on her life as a CEO the major challenges facing her firm and what attributes she looks for in new staff. How does it feel to have won the CEO of the Month award? As a young entrepreneur, it is an honour to have been chosen, as the company is my personal creation. The business model at Careers On The Move depends on our best in class hires driving client businesses to even higher levels of excellence. It is with great pride, especially during such a challenging economic climate, to launch so many careers. Some of our most trusted client firms where we have significantly increased staff have gone public, and others are winning accolades as best in their industry. The past fifteen years have been a healthy mix of passion, drive, innovation, and reinvention, and endless determination to get our mandates filled. It is a wonderful compliment to be recognized as a small business owner and receive this prestigious award. As CEO, can you share any recent significant achievements, such as noteworthy news, other accolades won, or your company’s track record for the services you provide? As a noted career advisor, I am often interviewed for television, radio, and editorials on the job economy and recruiting, and have interviewed on the CBS Evening News, “Women’s Radio Network” WRNW1, Reuters, CNBC’s Squawk Box, Dice.com, Wall Street & Technology, Information Week, New York Sun, CollegeGrad.com, and eFinancialCareers. I was fortunate to be awarded “Most Outstanding Young Alumni of 2008” by the University at Albany, and currently serve on the University at Albany Dean’s Advisory Council to the School of Business, as well as on the Board of the University at Albany Alumni Association.
How long have you served as CEO at this firm and how has the company performed since you took the helm? Since the inception of the firm, I have served as CEO. In a very short time, Careers On The Move became a major player in the recruitment industry. What are some of the daily challenges and opportunities you face as CEO of your company in delivering the services you provide? The biggest challenge is dealing with the urgency of multiple hiring mandates all at once. Our clients are the best of the best, and that is exactly what Careers On The Move sources for their new hires. One of our company’s greatest opportunities going forward is the niche we carved out in Valuation & M&A Advisory recruitment. Our savvy Social Media team is enhancing our brand daily. We have a strong presence on LinkedIn and Facebook, and have made headway on Twitter, while recently launching Google+ and Pinterest. What feedback do you get from clients on the work you and your organisation does? The ultimate compliment to me are the exclusive hiring mandates that originate directly from the CEOs of our client firms. We have fostered many long-term business relationships which are also our greatest source of new business referrals. As CEO, what do you see as the major challenges facing your organisation in 2016? I am quite optimistic for 2016 as we already have numerous exclusive hiring mandates with several clients looking to significantly increase staff. When hiring new staff to work in your organisation, what qualities and attributes are you looking for? When hiring staff, we choose go-getters with high energy and commitment; people who bring new ideas to the table. We have a very loyal team and a working atmosphere second to none. Is there anything else relevant you would like to add? I am most proud of having successfully managed the firm through some difficult and challenging times during the collapse of the twin bubbles in 2001 and 2008/2009, both of which were devastating to the Technology and Financial Services sectors, and the recruiting firms that feed on this business. Outstanding Young Alumni Award 2008 – Awarded by University at Albany Alumni Association
Can you tell us a bit about your career and how you reached your current position as CEO? I spent several years at a Wall Street software development and management consulting firm. But my entrepreneurial side got the best of me, so I launched Careers On The Move in 2000. Acquisition International - February 2016 23