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

    Shields Meneley staff

    • 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
    19 Mar

    Shields Meneley Partners Announces Change to Team

    By admin In Career Transition, Client Placement, Leadership /   No Comments

    Gail R. Meneley Joins Advisory Board

    CHICAGO, IL – March 19,2020 – Shields Meneley Partners, the worldwide leader in career transition services designed exclusively for C-Suite executives, announced that Co-Founder, Gail Meneley, has stepped away from the day-to-day operations of the firm to join its esteemed advisory board.

    “It has been an honor to develop deep, trusted relationships with our exceptional clients during times of professional transition, help them regain their confidence, and to find a new sense of purpose and fulfillment in their careers and personal lives,” says Gail. “Today, I am happy to share that I have embarked on my own career and life transition that includes joining the revered advisory board of Shields Meneley Partners.”

    With Gail’s transition to the advisory board, Shields Meneley Partners is now wholly owned by Co-Founder Hugh Shields and Principal Robert (Bob) J. Ryan. Hugh and Bob will manage operations of Shields Meneley Partners and lead the organization into the future with innovative services that respond to demographic and economic trends.

    “It is a natural progression for Gail to now join our advisory board to share her experience and wisdom as she enjoys greater flexibility in other parts of her life and we wish her much joy and happiness as this next chapter unfolds,” says Hugh. “The future remains bright for Shields Meneley Partners and we continue to deliver the same exceptional service to our clients.”

    Gail and Hugh created Shields Meneley Partners nearly 20 years ago when they recognized no other firm provided the appropriate level of peer advice, counsel, and range of services to help top executives navigate highly visible and complex career transitions. Since then, Shields Meneley Partners has grown to guide more than 1,700 C-Suite executives in their career transitions and counts more than 200 companies as leadership development clients.

    About Shields Meneley Partners
    Shields Meneley Partners specializes in helping senior leaders and board members advance their companies and careers. We provide individuals, executive teams and boards with insightful assessments, performance coaching, and guidance for leadership and career transition. Founded in 2003, the firm has served more than 200 companies and more than 1,700 leaders with highly customized transition programs that customized to each client’s experience and circumstance. Please visit our website at www.ShieldsMeneley.com.

    ####

    Media Contact:
    Marc Raybin
    Cardinal Communications Strategies, Inc.
    Marc@CardinalCommunicationsStrategies.com
    646-688-2887 

    Read More
    27 Apr

    Scott George Joins XMS Capital Partners as Managing Director!

    By Shields Meneley In Client Placement /  

    scott_georgeXMS Capital Partners, LLC (“XMS”) has announced the hiring of Scott P. George as Managing Director in its Chicago office. Mr. George possesses a rare combination of investment banking and corporate development skills that will augment XMS’ core mission of delivering objective, value added advice and custom tailored solutions to help clients achieve their strategic goals.

    “Scott brings to XMS a proven track record in investment banking, a long history of building and managing investment banking practices and recent experience as a senior corporate development executive at a NYSE-listed public company. We are thrilled to have Scott join our team,” said Ted Brombach and John “Yogi” Spence, Co-Founding Partners of XMS. “Joining an entrepreneurial, high quality firm like XMS will enable me to resume working with several people who I have known and respected since we worked together at Morgan Stanley. I am excited to help the firm as it continues to serve its clients well and successfully expand its footprint,” added Mr. George.

    Prior to joining XMS, Mr. George was Senior Vice President, Corporate Development for Hillenbrand, Inc., a $1.8 billion in revenue NYSE-listed global company. Previous to helping transform Hillenbrand into a global diversified industrial company, Mr. George built the Chicago office of PMCF, LLC, the investment banking division of Plante Moran.

    About XMS Capital Partners

    XMS Capital Partners, established in 2006, is an independent, financial services firm providing M&A, corporate advisory and asset management services to clients globally. It has offices in Chicago, London and Dublin.

    XMS provides Involvement BankingTM, which goes beyond transaction oriented investment banking and focuses on providing objective, value added advice and custom tailored solutions to help clients achieve their strategic goals. It consistently creates value for its clients by giving them access to comprehensive, independent M&A, strategic advisory, financial restructuring, capital structure advisory and private capital advisory expertise. For more information, please visit www.xmscapital.com.

    Read More
    26 Apr

    John Lewis has joined Madison Dearborn Partners, LCC as Executive Partner!

    By Shields Meneley In Client Placement /  

    john_lewisMadison Dearborn Partners, LLC (“MDP”), a leading private equity firm based in Chicago, announced that it has engaged industry leader John Lewis as an Executive Partner in pursuit of attractive investment opportunities for MDP’s funds across the information services landscape. In particular, Mr. Lewis, who most recently served as Global President of Nielsen Holdings PLC (NYSE:NLSN), will assist MDP in identifying and developing businesses with differentiated capabilities in data and business analytics.

    Mr. Lewis has a proven track record of achievement over a multi-year career spanning a variety of business situations, including globally scaled businesses, start-ups and turnarounds. Most recently, in his capacity as Global President of Nielsen, he oversaw Nielsen’s global “Buy” business and its ex-North America “Watch” business, which comprised approximately two-thirds of Nielsen’s more than $6 billion of annual revenue during his tenure. In addition, Mr. Lewis completed and successfully integrated more than 10 strategic acquisitions while at Nielsen.

    Mr. Lewis has also joined MDP’s TMT Services Advisory Group, which comprises outside industry executives who assist MDP with identifying new investment opportunities and generating value for MDP’s funds within existing investments. MDP leverages the expertise of this and other industry-specific advisory groups to supplement and enhance its investment strategy across each of its industry areas of focus. These advisory groups have provided MDP with direct introductions to target companies and management teams, unique insights on sector trends, due diligence assistance and post-investment value enhancement support.

    About Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC

    Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC (MDP), based in Chicago, is a leading private equity investment firm in the United States. Since MDP’s formation in 1992, the firm has raised seven funds with aggregate capital of approximately $23 billion and has completed approximately 130 investments. MDP is currently investing out of its most recent fund, $4.4 billion MDCP Fund VII, in businesses across a broad spectrum of industries, including telecom, media and technology (TMT) services; basic industries; business and government services; consumer; financial and transaction services; and health care. For more information, please visit http://www.mdcp.com.

    Read More
    12 Apr

    SMP client, Patty Mishic joins CoorsTek as Chief Commercial Officer!

    By Shields Meneley In Client Placement /  
    Patty brings valuable experience building sustained, organic growth in materials-focused businesses. She most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer, at A. Schulman, leading all commerpatty_mishiccial efforts. Before that Patty worked at Dow Chemical for twelve years where she advanced through a variety of global marketing, commercial, and business development roles.

    AboutCoorsTek: CoorsTek is the international partner of choice for companies requiring the unique, high-performance properties of products manufactured from engineered technical ceramics and advanced materials. CoorsTek delivers outstanding value through unsurpassed expertise in materials engineering; broad research, development, and manufacturing capabilities; collaborative relationships, and operational excellence. For more information about CoorsTek, including product information and company history since 1910, visit https://coorstek.com/

    Read More
    27 Jan

    Gene Jacobs of Seyfarth Shaw Speaks at Client Networking Lunch

    By Shields Meneley In Networking /  

    Lunch PhotoGene Jacobs, Senior Partner at Seyfarth Shaw, presented to Shields Meneley clients and staff at this month’s Client Networking Lunch. Gene is one of the country’s leading executive compensation attorneys. Gene discussed a number of topics relative to current issues/trends in executive employment agreements and executive compensation.

    Gene is a partner in the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Department. His practice covers virtually every area of employee benefits, and he has experience in the negotiation of collectively bargained retirement and welfare plans, representation of employers regarding multiemployer pension plan withdrawal liability, executive compensation, the design and implementation of voluntary and involuntary separation programs, and other welfare plans and the representation of clients in ERISA-related litigation.

    Shields Meneley Partners would like to thank Gene Jacobs, our clients, and our staff for making Tuesday’s luncheon a success.

    Read More
    18 Nov

    Don Delves Discussion On “What You – as an Executive – Need to Know About Executive Compensation”

    By Shields Meneley In Networking /  

    don-delvesDon Delves is one of the most experienced and well known executive compensation consultants in the country. Don spoke at this month’s client networking lunch and covered current trends and hot issues in executive compensation, as well as new regulations on the horizon. He answered questions on compensation, including what affects compensation levels, different compensation vehicles and features, and even tips on negotiation.

    Don  is a Director in the Executive Compensation Line of Business and specializes in advising family and closely held businesses. Don is a leading expert and highly sought-after consultant and speaker on corporate governance and executive pay and performance, with over twenty-five years’ experience consulting with major corporate boards and executive teams across the country. Don leads Willis Towers Watson’s Closely Held Business Practice and is a recognized expert on principles-based corporate governance, incentive design, performance measurement and value creation.

    Shields Meneley Partners would like to thank Don Delves, our clients, and our staff for making the luncheon a success.

    Read More
    29 Jun

    Patrick O’Brien Reveals the Secret to Creating Value in Private Equity at Client Networking Lunch

    By Shields Meneley In Private Equity /  

    patrick_o_brienPatrick O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer of Paris Presents Inc., a global beauty company, joined us this week for our June Client Networking Lunch, sharing his story and successes with a keynote presentation entitled “Creating Value in Private Equity…How Paris Presents Became One of the Fastest Growing Beauty Companies”.

    Forged in the crucible of a 30 year journey at SC Johnson, Patrick applied his business acumen to his own ventures, founding Patina Solutions, a widely successful management consulting firm that he now chairs, and later Paris Presents, a global beauty business that has tripled in size under Patrick’s leadership. In addition to actively nurturing these companies, he regularly shares his strategy and experience with others, as a frequent speaker on Digital Marketing, CEO and Private Equity and Leveraging the Wisdom of Experienced Talent.

    The main emphasis of the conversation was the move to private equity and how Paris Presents became one of the fastest growing beauty companies. YouTube marketing, global expansion, entrepreneurism at the startup level, and building a seasoned team were discussed, with specific strategies and lessons pulled directly from Patrick’s career.

     

    Shields Meneley Partners hosts monthly networking lunches for our clients, where leaders from all corners of the business world share their experiences and disseminate actionable strategies. To learn more about everything we offer our clients, please get in touch.

    Read More
    26 May

    Lessons in Leadership: What Silicon Valley can Learn from the Moxie Awards CEO of the Year Nominees

    By Shields Meneley In Leadership /  

    moxie_awardsZero.

    That’s the number of technology companies that sought an IPO in the first quarter of 2016. It’s a staggering statistic, emblematic of the sea-change that is occurring in the American technology epicenter, Silicon Valley, where unicorns – companies valued at over $1 billion – were once seemingly a dime a dozen. The money is drying up, perks are disappearing, and everyone is waiting with bated breath for the bubble to burst.

    While those in Silicon Valley cower for cover, the Chicago technology industry resolutely turns out companies that embody that humble, Midwestern ethos: that more users at all costs pales in comparison to a sustainable business with actual revenue. In this time of great uncertainty, all organizations can benefit from the wisdom of these businesses.

    The Moxie Awards, brought to you by Built In Chicago, honor Chicago’s tech superstars each year. Here are five important lessons from the five nominees for CEO of the Year:

    Use data transparency to help your customers address their inefficiencies

    Kayne Grau, DRIVIN

    Brought on by serial founders Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky, the former Cars.com CTO has spent the last year helping DRIVIN reach year-over-year transactional value growth of 1,037 percent by “helping used car dealers address inefficiencies in the used car industry.”

    It didn’t take long for Grau to convince the hosts of Bootstrapping in America of the value of a data-driven, transparency-focused business. “This is the fun thing about running a data company. We’re very transparent with the dealer,” he explains, rattling off a variety of metrics DRIVIN gives to their customers for free. “We want to be in this space, and try to make [the dealers] efficient and profitable.”

    Grau is able to illustrate how they achieve that on the show, with an example, with realistic numbers. Recognizing and addressing inefficiencies so tangible they can be pegged to a dollar amount forces you to be realistic about your business, empowering your sales force, and making your value clear to all existing and future stakeholders.

    Think of every expense as an investment

    Tim Handorf, G2 Crowd

    Not everyone would be able to connect the dots between farming and IT software, but not everyone is Tim Handorf. The leader of G2 Crowd, a community-driven reviews and rankings site for business software, recognized an opportunity when he noticed that the online world offered user reviews of pretty much everything, except costly enterprise software solutions. When you’re trying to grow a business, you need all the information you can get your hands on, because you often can’t afford to make a wrong decision.

    It was one of many lessons Handorf learned living on his father’s farm in Iowa, citing a number of early experiences that explain why farmers such as him are natural entrepreneurs. He argues “if you don’t spend your money wisely in agriculture, you’re probably bankrupt,” and that making sure you get a good return on every investment – not just the ones designed to make you money – is critical to success.

    Make sure your hiring process actually reflects your business objectives

    Jon Morris, Rise Interactive

    Over the past decade, Morris has transformed the $10,000 he won in a University of Chicago Booth School of Business student entrepreneurship contest into a multi-million dollar Internet marketing company.

    As with most businesses, Rise’s path to the summit wasn’t a constant…rise. In an interview for Forbes, Morris noted that, in the early years, they let go of 50% of new hires, noting that candidates from traditional advertising backgrounds didn’t have the data analytics understanding his company required.

    The solution? An hour-long test – “GMAT meets digital marketing” – that challenged candidates to look at data, understand it, and draw meaningful conclusions. By making the application process more closely represent the work Rise was doing, they increased employee retention to 90%.

    Understand, communicate, and fight the existential threat to your business

    Rishi Shah, ContextMedia

    ContextMedia didn’t become the largest and fastest-growing company in health technology, consistently driving triple-digit growth in revenue, headcount, and distribution, without shrewd leadership and a strong organizational ideology.

    Thankfully for us, Rishi Shah gave a Technori keynote speech in which he explained the rise of his company, detailing the lessons he learned that, in retrospect, were fundamental to their success. First among them? “Hold the existential threat in your hands.”

    “In our business, we saw early on that the existential threat – the thing that would kill us – was that we could not sell advertising to monetize the footprint,” he clarifies, “I wanted to own it, not because I could necessarily solve it, but if we were going to go down, as a founder, you want to go down owning what killed you.”

    As the leader of your organization, it is your responsibility to have the focus to understand and wrangle the very specific problem that threatens your business. Having your vision informed by very clearly defined constraints allows you to communicate that vision down the chain more effectively, and make it easier for every employee to commit to tackling that threat.

    Provide empowerment through empathy

    Jason Weingarten, Yello

    When your business is talent acquisition software – and your business is one of the fastest growing Chicago tech companies, with 70-plus Fortune 500 clients – you’re bound to have thoughts on how leaders can attract talent and transform them into empowered evangelists.

    The “you” in question is Jason Weingarten, who shared some of those thoughts in an interview for Chicago Creative Space’s FIVEinSIXTY video series. Two tips stick out in particular:  “Lead by Example” and “Trust your Team”. To trust your team, you need to understand them – and to understand your team, you need to empathize with them. While effective executives foster an environment where they don’t (and don’t have to) micromanage, it’s still important for those at the top to understand the experience, joys, and pain points of every aspect of their organization.

    Weingarten often talks about how, even in a company with around 100 employees, he still is willing to roll up his sleeves and QA the product, or perform any other task that needs doing. “Leading by Example” means understanding and valuing the work every person in your organization does, and Weingarten sets a great example for other leaders to follow.

     

    Regardless of who wins this year’s Moxie CEO of the Year award, every nominee has something to offer in the way of leadership advice. Transparency, honesty, empathy, and understanding are principles that Chicago industry leaders consistently embody, and leaders inside and outside the Chicago technology space can benefit from.

    Read More
    26 May

    Kevin Sheridan Teaches Leaders How to Build a Magnetic Culture at Client Networking Lunch

    By Shields Meneley In Networking /  

    kevin_sheridanKevin Sheridan, an internationally recognized keynote speaker, New York Times best-selling author, and one of the most sought-after voices in the world on the topic of employee engagement, took the floor at this month’s client networking lunch to share what he’s learned about how to attract and retain top talent.

    “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” —Bill Gates

    It is easy for business leaders to feel that their most important responsibility is to acquire new customers, lower costs, increase revenue, or build new products and services. What can be more difficult to accept is that to succeed in those tasks a leader must answer a single, more important question: How do employers build a staff that is capable and empowered to take an organization to its next level?

    Drawing on years of research, real-world examples, and the key points from his first book, Building a Magnetic Culture, Sheridan led a discussion and shared strategies and tactics for addressing the dual issues of attracting and retaining the best employees in your industry. By addressing hot topics such as shared ownership, diversity and inclusion, and the importance of “fun” at work, Sheridan provided attendees with actionable takeaways and new ways of thinking.

    Shields Meneley Partners would like to thank Kevin Sheridan, our clients, and our staff for making the luncheon a success.

     

    Building a Magnetic Culture made six of the bestseller lists including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. In addition to various speaking engagements around the world, Sheridan helps brands and high-profile executives develop leadership skills, reach their full potential, and increase productivity through his consultancy firm, Kevin Sheridan LLC.

    Read More
    23 May

    Frederic Jung becomes Chief Financial Officer at Northwest Hardwoods

    By Shields Meneley In Client Placement /  

    Frederic_JungCongrats to SMP client, Frederic Jung, on his new role as Chief Financial Officer at Northwest Hardwoods!

    A leading North American hardwood lumber brand, Northwest Hardwoods is recognized by the furniture, cabinet and millwork industries for its high quality and custom grades.

    Frederic brings 29 years of finance expertise and global business experience in both public and privately-held companies. His latest role was Chief Financial Officer at Arizona Chemical, the world leading supplier of pine based specialty chemicals, for the last seven years, until the successful sale of the company. Before that, he was the Corporate Controller for Chicago-based Nalco Company, the world’s leading producer of specialty chemicals and services for water and waste treatment and industrial processes.

    Read More

    Posts navigation

    1 2 3 4 5 6 7

    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