Preserving the human edge

In a world reshaped by AI, digital acceleration and algorithmic decision-making, an executive search firm doubles down on human judgement, trust and discretion

Photo (from left): Brent Verriez, Paul Verriez, Tara Forster Sowa and Troy Verriez

PAUL VERRIEZ DIDN’T set out to become a headhunter. He didn’t even really enjoy the job a headhunter had placed him in. But when he told the recruiter to find him something else, the reply was blunt: “What I can do is hire you, and you can find your replacement.” So, he did, and 40 years later, the firm built from that accidental apprenticeship, Verriez Executive Search, has been flourishing in the Forest City ever since.

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In the four decades that followed, the business has excelled in placing CFOs, presidents and other execs across the region. Today, Paul’s sons, Brent and Troy Verriez, run the day-to-day operation. Brent, the company president, came to the firm with a background in finance and ­accounting, having joined Verriez after a stint as ­corporate controller at Movati Athletic; Troy, who spent over a decade in higher education publishing, joined the company in 2021 and now serves as executive vice-president.

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The company was founded on the notion that it would be better to build a niche based on function — senior finance roles — rather than organizing executive headhunting around any one sector — something it holds firm to today. “If banking is up and automotive’s down, you’re not stuck riding the waves of the industry,” explains Brent. Someone is always looking for a finance exec, and Verriez is happy to play ball with whatever sector needs their help.

When Brent joined in 2016, the firm had 30 years of ­reputation waiting for him. He admits that made the ­transition easier. People knew his dad, and that opened doors. “There’s not a lot of barriers to entry to our business, but reputation is a big thing. Having a reputation built up over 35 to 40 years, it’s certainly helped,” he says.

Troy followed his brother into the company in 2021, ­pivoting out of a travel-heavy corporate publishing career, and put his skills to work immediately to overhaul the firm’s marketing and back-end systems. The brothers’ skillsets, notes Brent, “complement each other, and we have a little bit more bandwidth because there’s two of us.” (The firm now has five staff members, including the two brothers.)

The game of senior leadership recruiting isn’t what it was 40 years ago, though. But then, it’s barely the same as it was two years ago. What the brothers say changed over that arc, particularly in recent years, is what firms are looking for in executives. “Gone are the days of just having a technically really good CFO, but one who can’t help improve the culture or be more forward thinking,” Troy stresses.

“Having a more strategic skillset beyond finance and being very cross-functional is where we’ve seen a big changed compared to ten years ago,” adds Brent. Overall, companies are seeking executives who are more versatile across the entire business spectrum, and someone who can keep up with the rapid pace of change.

Of course, rarely have we encountered a moment where change feels as all-consuming as it does now. What companies are looking for is changing as fast as how they want to look for it. Not surprisingly, the impact of AI is a question every firm in the talent space is fielding right now, but according to the Verriez brothers, while AI remains a growingly powerful tool for modern recruiting, the human touch continues to prove indispensable to hiring success.

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“There are so many tools out there that serve recruiters; we get emails every day about a new tool,” Brent says. “But there’s only so many that you can use while maintaining your credibility.”

“There’s still a big human element to our business,” adds Troy. “In evaluating people, you can’t do it on paper, and that’s all AI can do. Having an understanding and appreciation of people below that level goes a long way. It’s really about getting to know a candidate on a personal level — even if the role we’re talking to them about isn’t the role for them.” Kieran Delamont