Shields Meneley Logo

  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Team
    • Advisory Board
    • Testimonials
  • Organizations
    • Executive Transition
      • Executive Transition Process
      • Exiting a Seasoned Executive
      • Benefit to Organizations
      • Life Planning Package
    • Executive Coaching and Development
      • Improving Individual Performance
      • Improving Team Performance
      • On Boarding
      • Succession Planning
    • Executive Assessment
      • Recruiting and Succession
      • Managing CEO Succession
      • Private Equity Recruiting
  • Individuals
    • Exiting Now
      • Our Process
      • Looking For A New Role
      • Changing Careers
    • Confidential Transition
      • Our Confidential Process
      • Exploring Options
    • Next Chapter
      • Living A Portfolio Life
      • Becoming an Entrepreneur
      • Life Planning
      • Board Development
  • In The Media
  • Contact Us
  • Client Intranet
  • Executive Review
Contact Us

Get in touch with us if you have any queries and we will get back to you as soon as possible.




    HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US?

    Shields Meneley Partners
    • Home
    • About Us
      • The Team
      • Advisory Board
      • Testimonials
    • Organizations
      • Executive Transition
        • Executive Transition Process
        • Exiting a Seasoned Executive
        • Benefit to Organizations
        • Life Planning Package
      • Executive Coaching and Development
        • Improving Individual Performance
        • Improving Team Performance
        • On Boarding
        • Succession Planning
      • Executive Assessment
        • Recruiting and Succession
        • Managing CEO Succession
        • Private Equity Recruiting
    • Individuals
      • Exiting Now
        • Our Process
        • Looking For A New Role
        • Changing Careers
      • Confidential Transition
        • Our Confidential Process
        • Exploring Options
      • Next Chapter
        • Living A Portfolio Life
        • Becoming an Entrepreneur
        • Life Planning
        • Board Development
    • In The Media
    • Contact Us
    • Client Intranet
    • Executive Review

    Other

    • Home
    • >

    Archives

    • February 2022
    • August 2021
    • May 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • January 2017
    • November 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • June 2012
    • April 2012
    • August 2010
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009

    Meta

    • Log in
    feat_img-yearinreview
    06 Jun

    Shields Meneley Partners 2018 Year in Review

    By admin In Career, Career Transition /   No Comments

    Dear Friends,

    One of the best things about Shields Meneley Partners is that we have the good fortune to meet, work with and most importantly, help, wonderful people. That is why we are so excited to share our annual Year In Review with you. Our firm’s success is measured by the many achievements of our clients and we are honored to work with the most talented executives worldwide.

    At Shields Meneley Partners we are passionate about keeping in touch, so please email us, call us or even drop into our offices to say hello. We want to know how you are doing. In the meantime, please feel free to share the 2018 infographic with anyone in your network who you think would be interested, including people and companies looking for C-Suite advisory, coaching and career transition expertise.

    Best,
    Hugh, Gail, Bob & the SMP Team


    View PDF:

    https://shieldsmeneley.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Shields-Meneley-Partners_2018-YEAR-IN-REVIEW.pdf

    Read More
    03 Jan

    Member Buzz: The Latest from Your HRMAC Colleagues

    By admin In Career Transition, HR, Leadership /   No Comments

    When the leader of the Midwest’s most influential HR management association leaves her post after 17 years to head up the marketing and new business efforts of a career transition firm – that tends to grab attention in the marketplace. Not surprisingly, HRMAC ran Shields Meneley Partners’ announcement of hiring M. Bernadette Patton, CAE in its latest issue to members.  Bernadette joined Shields Meneley Partners in August after retiring from her leadership position at HRMAC.

    Here is HRMAC’s article about Bernadette’s own career transition in joining our firm as a partner. We are very excited to include Bernadette as part of our team.

    Read More
    07 Dec

    Dearth of Minority CEOs

    By admin In Career Transition, HR, Leadership /   No Comments

    Picking up on the Ken Chenault retirement coverage and expanding it into what this means for minorities in executive leadership roles, The New York Times not only linked to Shields Meneley Partners’ Nick Cianciola’s article from The Wall Street Journal, but featured the following quote on the popular DealBook platform: “Part of the problem is a lack of good succession planning to groom African-Americans to get to the top. The executives aren’t getting the entire picture they need to see to get to the top.”

     

    Shields Meneley Partners’ managers continue to enhance the firm’s global profile as a thought leader in C-Suite trends.

    Read More
    Chicago executive officesq
    09 Oct

    Chicago’s Unstoppable CEOs

    By admin In Future of work, Leadership /   No Comments

    Chicago is a city where dreams come true, goals are audacious, and innovations are born – and we’re grateful to be a part of it all. While Shields Meneley Partners works with CEOs and other top executives around the globe, we’ve found a large percentage right in our own backyard. In tribute, we wanted to honor some of Chicago’s most unstoppable CEOs, and cheer them on. Whether you’re on this list, or drawing inspiration from it, we hope that our roundup is just what you needed to get motivated today.

    Jeff Malehorn, CEO of World Business Chicago

    As CEO of World Business Chicago, Jeff Malehorn has heavy expectations from the business and civic community.  The organization describes themselves as “a public-private, non-profit partnership that drives inclusive economic growth and job creation, supports business, and promotes Chicago as a leading global city.” Malehorn is in charge of leading them towards success. So far? He’s done a phenomenal job.

    Malehorn is a former GE executive who chose to switch to the nonprofit in 2013 to focus on the local economy and job creation.  The city is now listed among the top 10 business cities in the world, and leads in corporate relocations, in part due to Malehorn’s and WBC’s efforts Malehorn credits his ability to “sell” Chicago as an ideal business environment based on his experience working all over the globe.  

    David Nelms, Chairman & CEO of Discover Bank

    You’d think that not much more could be said for being the CEO and Chairman of one of the biggest banks in the world, but David Nelms continues to impress. Not only has he led Discover Bank to significant growth, he hasn’t forgotten to lift up the Chicago community along with his own success.

    Discover Bank has made a point to incorporate philanthropy, volunteer work and social initiatives throughout, from partnering with local organizations to build the community to assisting with financial education in Chicago schools with their Pathway to Financial Success Program.

    Taylor Rhodes, CEO of SMS Assist

    One of the newest appointments, Taylor Rhodes was named CEO of the IPO-likely tech company SMS Assist in May of this year. Rhodes managed cloud services innovator Rackspace through a successful IPO, but craved to lead another small growth company.  After finishing with a strong fourth quarter, Rhodes announced in a public blog post that he was taking on SMS Assist.  It’s rare for a CEO to step down right when they know they’ve made their greatest contribution, which makes us all the more impressed with Rhodes. We’re excited to see what happens with SMS Assist under Rhodes’ leadership, and all of the positive advancements a rapidly growing tech innovator will lead in the Chicago tech scene.

    While there are many more unstoppable CEOs in Chicago, we picked these three to focus on as we find their stories both relatable and inspiring. Each CEO has demonstrated that whether you’re steering one of the biggest enterprise brands in the world, or jumping ship to go with a nonprofit or small startup, stick to your guns and your goals.  Great things await you.

    Read More
    startups can be a great place for executives
    25 Sep

    Tired of Big Company Culture and Pace? Look Smaller and Reignite Your Passion

    By admin In Career Transition, Future of work, Work From Home /   No Comments

    Serving as a top executive in a large company can be an amazing experience. At its best, you’re in charge of dozens, hundreds or even thousands of people doing amazing things. You get to travel internationally with other industry leaders. For many, the best part is knowing that when your company makes a move, the industry feels it and the media takes note.

    On bad days, you feel the pressure of unrealistic performance expectations, the inability to move the organization fast enough to be competitive, and the feeling that your influence over the organization has waned. Rather than being energized by the challenge, you find yourself a little bored, and unable to connect with the passion you once felt for the business.

    Successful people often have big dreams and goals when they launch their careers. If you’re like many Shields Meneley Partners’ clients, you may have “checked those boxes.” It’s not surprising that you may be feeling less motivated and less satisfied with your work.

    It might be that you are too far away from the action. The answer might be to move to a small or mid-size company whose ambition is to revolutionize the industry altogether. What’s better about a smaller company? Here’s what our clients tell us…

    Less Risk

    You may think of smaller firms as more risky, but the truth is actually the opposite when it comes to a specific role. A smaller company is able to pivot when they spot a market opportunity. There is a willingness to experiment and innovate, or as one client said, “We have a culture where there are two outcomes: success or learning.” The key is to learn fast, and make adjustments.

    Think about it. You bring your big company smarts into a small company that needs your expertise and ability to commercialize innovative ideas. The small company gives you renewed energy, excitement, and passion for doing something great.

    More Agility

    It’s a known fact that the bigger the company, the more regulations and paperwork you have to go through every time you want to make a change. If you’ve felt bogged down and held back by bureaucracy at your current job, you may find you’re much happier at a smaller firm where the only approval you need to do something is to talk to the person next to you.

    Better Culture

    Big companies are highly political environments. No company is without politics — it is part of the definition. But some companies acknowledge it, and encourage people to play fair. But others are filled with passive aggressive behavior and turf battles over even the smallest things. If you’re sick of playing that game and are looking for a workplace where you can ask for what you want and talk about how you feel, a smaller company will be a breath of fresh air to you.

    You might also have a bit more fun – and we don’t mean just playing around with ideas. The smaller the company, the more likely they are to be more casual in terms of policies and practices: working from home, other forms of flex time, comfortable dress code, culture-building events like happy hours and day trips, and actual play (those stereotypical ping pong tables didn’t come out of nowhere). If your current environment is rigid and internally focused, it might be time to look elsewhere.  

    Big companies can be be great for your resume and for making a name in your industry. But, you don’t have to stay forever. If you find that being around hundreds of people isn’t for you, or want to have a more direct impact, reduce stress, or experiment more, consider moving to a smaller company. Not sure? Get in touch with your Shields Meneley Partners advisor – or reach out today to start a conversation with us.

     

    Read More
    11 Apr

    Congrats to SMP client, Mark Sefcik, on this new role as President of Sundyne!

    By Shields Meneley In Client Placement, Leadership /  

    mark_sefcik

    Mark brings a broad diversified industrial operating background spanning 25 years and multiple markets/geographies. Mark’s most recent role was with Actuant where he was the Industrial Segment Leader. Prior to assuming the segment leader role, Mark was the Global President of Enerpac, the largest division within the Actuant group. Mark was responsible for transforming the culture and focus from a product led mentality to a services and solutions focus by rebuilding and energizing the channel partner network.

    About Sundyne (parent organization Accudyne Industries, LLC): Sundyne engineers and manufactures centrifugal pumps and compressors for oil and gas processing companies, chemical and petro-chemical industries, power generation, general industry and engineered water.

    Read More
    08 Feb

    Why Does a “Dark” Period Happen During a Job Search?

    By Shields Meneley In Career Transition, Future of work, HR, Talent Development /  

    Sometimes a client tells us that a job search had been proceeding well — the recruiter liked them, maybe they even were interviewed by the company — then, for no apparent reason, communication with the recruiter or potential company has stopped. The search seems to have gone from great to bad! Understandably, the executive is perplexed, frustrated, and unsure what to do. This is what we term as a “dark” period in a job search: when you are getting regular communication from the recruiter or potential company, then hear nothing for more than two weeks, or it has been more than two days past a confirmed date for communication. There are many reasons for this situation, and they are not all bad.

    photo_bob_ryanShields Meneley Partners Executive Coach Bob Ryan has been a top HR executive for over 25 years and believes there are a variety of reasons for this “dark” period of silence during an otherwise good job search:

    1. Scheduling has become difficult — sometimes it’s like aligning the planets to get all the decision-makers together to discuss the candidates.
    2. You are #2 in the search list and the recruiter or their client wants to keep you “warm” in case #1 does not take the job. If it does not work out with the #1 candidate the recruiter often will call you first as he resets the deck of candidates.
    3. The recruiter does not contact you because he does not like giving bad news; the potential company assumes you have been told by the recruiter.
    4. An internal candidate has entered the process and they want to give that person time to be considered.
    5. Candidate vetting and the hiring process can progress very slowly for many other reasons: they have a business to run, their needs may be refined as they interview candidates, and they are in the process of getting decision-makers to agree on one person.

     

    Bob believes that there are three methods that you should consider to avoid this “dark” period:

    1. Develop a good relationship with the recruiter early in the process. Make it personal, not just a business transaction. Use your best relationship selling skills to develop a strong connection with the recruiter.
    2. If you believe that your interview with your potential future boss and/or the ultimate decision maker has gone well, in your own words ask at the end of the interview; “I feel very good about our conversation and frankly I am very interested in this position and working for you. Sometimes these processes get bogged down for various reasons…would you mind if I followed-up with you in a couple weeks?”
    3. Make sure the recruiter and maybe even their client knows that you are in demand.

     

    During a career transition it is all too common to experience a “dark” period, but it does not mean that your transition is going poorly. By following these ideas, you can lessen the chance of it occurring in the first place.

     

    Read More
    17 Jul

    LinkedIn Maximum Character Reference List

    By Dr. Dan DeWitt In Networking /  

    No doubt like me you have struggled at times to edit that perfect phrase to fit the Twitter 140linkedin characters limit. You may have had the same experience with LinkedIn. The following is a reference list of how many characters, i.e. letters, numbers, spaces and punctuation) that LinkedIn allows for each field as of 2015.

    1. First Name: 20 characters, Last Name: 40 characters.
    2. Professional Headline: 120 character limit.
    3. Summary: 2,000 character limit.
    4. LinkedIn Publisher Post Headline: 100 maximum characters (recommendation is 71)
    5. LinkedIn Publisher Post Body Text: 40,000 characters
    6. Website Anchor Text: 30 maximum characters.
    7. Website URL: 256 maximum characters.
    8. Vanity URL: 29 characters after www.linkedin.com/in/
    9. Position Title: 100 character limit.
    10. Position Description: 200 minimum and 2000 maximum characters.
    11. Interests: 1,000 character limit.
    12. Additional Info / Advice for Contacting: 2,000 character limit.
    13. Phone number: 25 character limit *
    14. IM (Instant message): 25 character limit *
    15. Address: 1000 character limit *
    16. Skills: 61 characters per Skill.
    17. Company Name: 100 maximum characters.
    18. Company Page: 2000 maximum characters
    19. Company Update: 600 characters or 250 if including a link.
    20. LinkedIn Status Update: 600 maximum characters.
    21. Group Discussion Subject Title: 200 maximum characters.
    22. Group Discussion Subject ‘Add More Details’: 4,000 characters.

    * Only your 1st degree connections, can see this info.

    Also, this is a web tool which will count your characters for you.

    Read More
    01 Jun

    LinkedIn Updates Versus Posts

    By Dr. Dan DeWitt In Networking /  

    When you want to update your connections regarding your activities it can be confusing whether you should use the update or post feature. At the top of your LinkedIn newsfeed you will see “Share an Update” and “Publish a Post” just under your Headline like on my home page.

    updatepost

    What is the difference between these two ways of adding your content to others’ newsfeed and when do you use one versus the other?

    Simply put, a LinkedIn Update is best for a quick thought or when you would like to share an article to start a discussion among your connections. If you need more than 600 characters to share your content, you will need to use the Post feature. But these character limits are not the only difference between them.

    What is a LinkedIn Update?

    Similar to Facebook’s “status update” or Twitter’s “tweet” the LinkedIn Update feature has a limitation on characters (maximum of 600 characters) and are best for short remarks that keep your connections up to date about something that you did or is of interest to you. When used in conjunction with links to online content, i.e. blog, article or website, you increase the usefulness to your followers, plus it can encourage discussion. For example, if you post an article via an update, you can include a remark to go along with it which may trigger comment from others.

    Who sees your updates?

    When sharing an update, you can control who sees it by using the Share with dropdown menu below the share box. If visibility is set to Public, your update may appear:
    • On the homepages of your 1st-degree connections
    • On the homepages of your 2nd or 3rd degree connections if re-shared, commented upon, or liked by your 1st-degree connections
    • On your Recent Activity page
    • On LinkedIn Pulse

    Remember, you can select who can see your activity from the Profile section of your Privacy & Settings page.

    What is a LinkedIn Post?

    The word “post” is often used interchangeably with “update” when users are referring to LinkedIn features, but these two features serve different purposes. A Post should be considered as a Blog post. A LinkedIn Post is used when you are putting up a lengthier message (greater than 600 characters) to your connections. Examples of this are your thinking about a topic, your research or a summary of a presentation that you made. Like Updates, Posts can be customized by including hyperlinks, but you can include images too which makes them more like a Blog. So, for some LinkedIn users they are using Posts, rather than setting up a Blog to make it easier for them and their followers. For instance, they do not have to deal with setting up and managing a Blog site and their readers do not have to go to two places to read their content.

    Posts can also be searched from within LinkedIn, as well as from outside, such as a Google search. Your traffic can be driven straight to LinkedIn posts because they each have their own unique URLs; this will improve your SEO also.

    Who sees your Posts?

    Posts will show up in your connections newsfeed, but LinkedIn could choose to display your Post on the newsfeeds of a broader audience if the content is popular among your audience.

    Summary
    Update = < 600 characters + you choose your audience
    Posts = >600 characters + displayed within the author’s network of LinkedIn connections, but if popular could be distributed by LinkedIn to a broader audience

    Read More
    06 Dec

    Senior Executive Churn Continues to Increase

    By Dr. Dan DeWitt In Boards, Career Transition, Leadership /  

    According to Government statistics, Liberum Research and ADP’s November Employment Report there are positive signs for increasing hiring and executive turnover. In particular, we have noticed an increase in executive turnover for a few months in a row which makes us bullish for executives in a career transition. Liberum reports executive turnover totals were positive in the year to year November 2014 to the month of November 2014. For November 2014 increases in turnover occured in all four key categories. CEO changes increased 5% from November a year earlier, CFO changes increased 23%, C-level changes increased 5%, and board of director changes increased 2%. Liberum anticipates executive turnover will continue to grow as we move into the winter and the early spring which, if true, will bode well for the overall North American economies.

    For more information contact:

    • Liberum Research – The largest database of C-level executive change at public companies. Frequently quoted in the financial press, Liberum helps investors monitor this important, continuous stream of investment events.
    • ADP – provides comprehensive payroll services, employee benefits administration and human capital management solutions for businesses of all sizes.

     

     

    Read More

    Posts navigation

    1 2

    Our Advisors are your peers. All have held top executive roles with significant operational and P&L responsibility.

    Like you, they know the challenges, opportunities, and rewards unique to serving in the C-suite or the Boardroom. Our administrative support staff have considerable experience to help our clients during their career transition, coaching experience or assessment process.

    Quick Links

    • Home
    • About Us
    • Organizations
    • Our Blog
    • Contact Us
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy

    Services

    • Organizations
      • Executive Transition
      • Executive Coaching and Development
      • Executive Assessment
    • Individuals
      • Exiting Now
      • Confidential Transition
      • Next Chapter

    Latest Post

    • linkedin_post
      It is Never Too Early to Get a Coach February 11, 2022
    • linkedin_post
      Gratitude Has No Statute of Limitations August 11, 2021
    • linkedin_post
      Company Identity May 14, 2021
    • 3 Steps to Build a More Inclusive Team While Working Remotely March 11, 2021
    • corporate-board-member
      Corporate Board Member Magazine Features Guest Article by Gail Meneley February 27, 2021
    © 2021 Shields Meneley Partners. All rights reserved.

    Are you sure you want to logout from Shields Meneley?

    Lost your password?

    X
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • LinkedIn
    • Whatsapp