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Charlie Solorzano Pattern Recognition for High-Stakes Executive Search
Most executive searches fail not because of talent—but because no one diagnosed the conditions first.
U.S.–Mexico executive placement for owners, founders, investors, and boards who understand that leadership success is determined by conditions, not credentials.
Before I place any leader, I diagnose six conditions—
five that read the track, one that reads the driver.
The Race Conditions Model™—a diagnostic framework that
prevents the failures most searches never see coming.
With two decades specializing in U.S.–Mexico cross-border executive search, I place transformative C-suite leaders—COOs, CFOs, CTOs, CPOs, CHROs, and CEOs—for companies navigating founder transitions, nearshoring, fintech innovation, and high-growth scaling. But my differentiation isn't the search. It's the diagnosis that precedes it.
The Race Conditions Model™
In Formula 1, championship teams don't select strategy based on talent alone. They diagnose track conditions—temperature, grip, weather, tire degradation—before making decisions. The right strategy for one set of conditions is catastrophically wrong for another.
Leadership works the same way.
I've spent twenty years watching brilliant executives fail in roles they should have owned. The pattern became unmistakable: organizations diagnose talent when they should be diagnosing conditions. They evaluate credentials, track record, cultural fit—while treating the organizational environment as background noise.
Conditions are not background. They are the primary variable.
Before any leadership placement, I assess six conditions that predict whether your hire will succeed or fail—five that diagnose the track, one that diagnoses the driver:
1. Founder Phase
Where is the founder in their evolution—asset or bottleneck?
2. Track Surface
What kind of race is this organization running—sprint, endurance, or turnaround?
3. Boundary Architecture
Are the rules of engagement clear enough for leaders to perform at the edge?
4. Transition Readiness
Is this organization prepared to evolve beyond its current leadership?
5. Governance Reality
What's actually happening at board level beneath the credentials?
6. Executive Calibration
Is this executive's operating configuration aligned with what these conditions demand?
About Charlie Solorzano
Born in Guadalajara, based between Guadalajara and Houston, I've spent two decades navigating the complexity most cross-border executives never see.
I don't just place bilingual leaders. I identify executives who understand what "family business" means in Guadalajara versus what "startup culture" means in Austin—who can navigate USMCA compliance, nearshoring logistics, and dual-market board expectations simultaneously.
As Managing Partner at Alder Koten and member of the AESC, I co-lead our Technology, AI, Data, and Product Management practices. But my differentiation isn't firm credentials—it's pattern recognition across two markets that most recruiters treat as one. I've seen this movie hundreds of times. I see what others miss.
"Most executive searches fail not because of talent—but because no one diagnosed the conditions first."
— The Race Conditions Model™
How The Race Conditions Model™ Works
Six diagnostic frameworks. Five diagnose the track—the organizational conditions that determine whether any executive can succeed. One diagnoses the driver—the invisible operating parameters that credentials can't show. Together, they answer the question most searches never ask: not just who should we hire, but can anyone succeed here yet?
Diagnose the Track
I assess five organizational conditions before candidate identification—founder phase, track surface, boundary architecture, transition readiness, and governance reality. This diagnosis shapes the entire search strategy.
Calibrate the Driver
Using The Driver Calibration™, I assess executive operating configuration—not just credentials. Then match calibration to conditions using The Tire Compound Strategy™.
De-Risk the Transition
Through The Stewardship Protocol™, I de-risk the transition emotionally, culturally, and operationally—so leadership changes stick.
The Complete Race Conditions Framework
I've codified two decades of pattern recognition into a comprehensive diagnostic system: five conditions that diagnose the track, one that diagnoses the driver, six frameworks, one methodology for the highest-stakes leadership decisions you'll make. This isn't generic hiring advice. It's a field-tested protocol for reading organizational conditions and executive calibration before making moves that can't be undone.
Strategic Services for Complex Leadership Challenges
Specialized executive search for founders, investors, and companies navigating cross-border expansion, high-growth scaling, or institutional transitions—all informed by The Race Conditions Model™.
U.S.-Mexico Cross-Border Executive Search
C-suite leaders who navigate USMCA compliance, nearshoring logistics, dual-market operations, and cultural nuances that bilingual executives miss. 20+ years in both markets.
When to engage: Opening first Mexico operations, relocating manufacturing under nearshoring mandates, or scaling teams across both markets.
Learn More →Startup Executive Search
Stage-specific C-suite placement from seed to Series C. CTOs who scale infrastructure, CFOs who manage investor expectations, CPOs who build roadmaps, CROs who construct repeatable sales engines.
When to engage: Scaling 20→200 employees, raising Series B/C, or hiring your first CFO/CRO and don't know what "good" looks like at your stage.
Learn More →Product Management Leadership
Product leaders from Associate Product Manager to Chief Product Officer who balance user needs, technical constraints, and business strategy across B2B SaaS, fintech, consumer tech, and marketplaces.
When to engage: Transitioning founder-led product to professional PM organization, or hiring your first VP/CPO who can build roadmaps and teams simultaneously.
Learn More →Executive Search & C-Suite
C-suite placements for companies navigating energy transition, nearshoring expansion, or venture-backed growth. 20+ years of pattern recognition across technology, manufacturing, and high-growth sectors.
When to engage: Facing generational transition, institutionalizing founder-led companies, or building executive teams for cross-border operations.
Learn More →Board Member Search
Independent Directors, Advisory Board Members, and Non-Executive Directors who bring sector expertise, governance experience, and strategic networks—not just resume credentials.
When to engage: Preparing for institutional funding, building fiduciary governance for family businesses, or adding strategic advisors with operating credibility.
Learn More →Alder Koten - IMD
Access worldwide executive search capabilities through Alder Koten - IMD's global network. Partner firms across 25+ countries for multi-market placements, digital transformation, and international expansion.
When to engage: Expanding beyond U.S.-Mexico into Europe, Asia-Pacific, or LATAM, or requiring simultaneous placements across multiple geographies.
Learn More →See What You're Missing
Facing a founder transition, cross-border expansion, or C-suite hire where the stakes are too high for trial and error? Let's diagnose the race conditions before making moves that can't be undone.
Schedule Your Confidential Consultation✓ 30-minute strategic assessment • ✓ No obligation • ✓ 20+ years U.S.-Mexico expertise
📊 Free Resource: The Executive Hiring Timeline
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