How This Works

Phase 1: Diagnosis Before Search

Before we discuss candidates, we clarify what success actually looks like.

Not a job description. A strategic mandate:

• What outcomes matter in the next 12 months?
• What does this role need to achieve that only this role can achieve?
• What are the non-negotiables versus nice-to-haves?
• What conditions will this person inherit, and are they set up for success?
• How does this hire set up your next three hires?

This diagnostic phase often reveals that the role you thought you needed isn't the role that would solve your actual problem. Better to discover that now than six months into a failed placement.

Outcome: A clear mandate document that becomes the scorecard for the entire search.

Phase 2: Strategic Sourcing

I don't post jobs and wait for applications. I identify the 15-20 people in the market who have demonstrably succeeded at what you need—then I reach them.

This means:

• Mapping target organizations based on business model, culture, growth stage, and operational challenges similar to yours
• Identifying specific individuals who've navigated what you're about to navigate
• Approaching them directly with a compelling strategic narrative about your opportunity
• Assessing interest and fit before you ever see their name

Most search firms cast wide nets and forward hundreds of resumes. I cast narrow nets for the specific fish you need.

Outcome: A curated shortlist of 3-5 candidates who have proven capability for your specific challenge.

Phase 3: Deep Assessment

I don't interview people. I diagnose them.

The questions I ask aren't "tell me about a time you showed leadership." They're:

• "Walk me through a decision you made that turned out to be wrong. What did you miss?"
• "Describe the conditions where you perform at your best. What breaks that?"
• "When have you been misaligned with a CEO? How did you handle it?"
• "What's something you believe about [your domain] that most people in your field would disagree with?"

I'm screening for self-awareness, learning velocity, how they handle ambiguity, and whether their decision-making style matches your culture.

I also apply my Track Limits Principle™: I assess how executives perform when boundaries are clear versus when they're ambiguous. Some thrive with autonomy. Others need structure. Your company provides one or the other—I make sure we match them correctly.

Outcome: Detailed candidate profiles that go beyond resume credentials to predict actual performance in your environment.

Phase 4: Strategic Presentation

When I present candidates, you don't get a stack of resumes. You get:

• Strategic analysis of why each person matches your mandate
• Pattern-based predictions of how they'll perform in your specific context
• Red flags and trade-offs you need to consider
• Interview guidance on what to probe for and what to ignore

I also prepare candidates thoroughly. They understand your business, your challenges, and what success looks like in this role. The interviews are strategic conversations, not auditions.

Outcome: Informed decision-making based on insight, not gut instinct.

Phase 5: Offer Engineering

This is where most searches fail. The candidate says yes, then gets a counteroffer. Or accepts but with misaligned expectations about comp, role, or authority.

I don't just "extend offers." I engineer them:

• Documenting current compensation comprehensively (not just base salary)
• Understanding what would make them leave their current role (it's rarely just money)
• Aligning expectations before the written offer goes out
• Managing the counteroffer conversation proactively
• Addressing concerns in real-time as they surface

The goal: when someone says yes, they mean it. And they start with clarity about what success looks like.

Outcome: Accepted offers from genuinely committed candidates.

Phase 6: Integration Support

My work doesn't end when they sign. It intensifies.

The first 90 days determine whether this placement succeeds or becomes another statistic in the "40% of executives fail in 18 months" research.

I provide:

• Onboarding design using principles from my Track Limits Principle™ (clear boundaries enable performance)
• Stakeholder alignment to neutralize political threats before they materialize
• Regular check-ins with both you and the executive to surface misalignments early
• Course corrections when either party isn't getting what they expected

This isn't "executive coaching." It's ensuring the conditions we diagnosed in Phase 1 actually exist when the person starts.

Outcome: Successful integration and performance in the first 90-180 days.

What Makes This Different

1. Strategic Advisory, Not Vendor Relationship

I challenge your assumptions. If I think you're hiring for the wrong role, or at the wrong time, or without the conditions for success—I'll tell you. Sometimes the best search is the one we don't run because we solve the underlying problem differently.

2. Cross-Border Expertise (US ↔ Mexico)

I was born and raised in Guadalajara. I've spent 20 years placing executives on both sides of the US-Mexico border. I understand what "family business" means in Guadalajara versus what "startup culture" means in Austin. Cultural fluency isn't about speaking Spanish—it's about reading unspoken dynamics that make or break placements.

3. Proprietary Frameworks

My approach integrates four frameworks I've developed:

• The Founder's Paradox™: Helps you diagnose when to hire externally versus promote internally
• The Tire Compound Strategy™: Ensures the best candidates are hired based on the context of the organization
• The Stewardship Protocol™: Guides succession planning and institutional transitions
• The Track Limits Principle™: Ensures new executives know where boundaries are so they can perform confidently

These aren't marketing. They're diagnostic tools I've refined over hundreds of placements.

4. Partnership with Alder Koten

I'm Managing Partner at Alder Koten, a member firm of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC). This gives you:

• Global reach through partner firms in 25+ countries
• Research resources and market intelligence
• Institutional support for complex, multi-market searches
• Professional standards enforced by AESC's Code of Professional Practice

But you work with me directly. Not a team. Not a junior associate. Me.

Who This Is For

This approach works best for:

• Series A-C founders hiring their first C-suite executives and unsure how to evaluate readiness
• VC/PE investors who need to de-risk portfolio company leadership transitions quickly
• Companies expanding US ↔ Mexico who need executives with genuine cross-border capability
• Family businesses navigating generational transitions or bringing in their first external leadership
• CEOs who've had executive hires fail and need to understand why before trying again

This approach does NOT work for:

• Companies that just want candidates fast without a strategic diagnosis
• Organizations unwilling to examine whether they're creating conditions for executive success
• Founders who want to delegate hiring without staying involved in the critical decisions
• Searches where "cultural fit" means "agrees with everything the founder says"

If you want resume forwarding, there are cheaper options. If you wish to receive strategic leadership advice that actually works—let's talk.

The Industries & Roles Where I Focus

Industries:

• Technology & SaaS (particularly B2B, enterprise)
• Manufacturing & Industrial (nearshoring, operations, supply chain)
• Consumer Products & Retail
• Healthcare & MedTech
• Logistics & Distribution
• Professional Services

Roles:

• C-Suite: CEO, COO, CFO, CTO, CMO, CPO
• VP-Level: Sales, Marketing, Operations, Product, Engineering
• Board Members & Advisors
• Mexico Country Managers / Regional Leaders (US companies expanding south)
• US Market Leaders (Mexican companies expanding north)

I don't do every role in every industry. I focus where my pattern recognition adds the most value: leadership roles where the stakes are high, and the cost of getting it wrong is enormous.

Geographic Focus

Primary Markets:

• Houston, Texas (headquarters)
• Guadalajara, Jalisco (deep local network)
• Mexico City (through Alder Koten office)
• Monterrey (through Alder Koten office)

Extended Reach: Through Alder Koten's IMD network, we access partner firms in 25+ countries for global searches. But my personal expertise is US-Mexico cross-border placements.