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Executive Edge
For 25 years, the team at Davies Park has been
creating success through leadership, helping
clients one executive search at a time

INCE 1989, DAVIES PARK HAS SUCCESSFULLY


completed more than 2,800 executive searches
and assignments for public, private, and not-forprofit clients. Its assignments have included searches for
CEOs, presidents, senior executives, managers and senior
professionals. Davies Park has also found top board of director
appointees in a broad range of industries and sectors.
Celebrating 25 years in the business, Davies Park now

daviespark.com

THE START: Davies Park Executive Search


started in Edmonton. Partners (l-r) Ardyce
Kouri, Elizabeth Hurley and Anurag Shourie
build the best leadership teams.

has offices in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.


Maintaining a close relationship with clients and a boutique
high-touch approach, the firm has the depth of expertise and
the resources to quickly scale up to international searches on
behalf of its many clients.
As national executive search specialists, Davies Park has
helped top-tier organizations develop their leadership talent,
enabling clients to take their businesses to the next level.
Davies Park

Top Partnerships
A client relationship lasts beyond a single
recruitment. Partners at Davies Park dedicate
time to each search and every client

ALBERTA EXPERTS: In Calgary, Allan Nelson


and Mike Kerr (l-r) search for elite talent from the
local community to the international marketplace.

Davies Park

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the confidentiality Davies Park provided candidates. The whole process took
EADERSHIP STARTS AT THE TOP. WHILE THAT MAY
about four months, and we filled the position with CFO Jonathan Chia.
not be ground-breaking news, its still something every firm
Kerr says there are six to eight main points of evaluation that clients look to
should remember when looking to fill its C-suite positions.
when they are filling a C-suite position; Davies Park compiles its short list of canHiring a new executive is one of the most important decisions an
didates based on specific criteria. For example, is the companys priority focused
organization will make and companies should treat it as such. But
on someone with industry experience or with important transferable skills? No
how do you go about choosing someone who will have a positive
two searches are alike for Davies Park, because no two clients are alike. And while
impact on the direction of an organization? Thats where Davies
the team scours the world for candidates, their clients are doing what they do best:
Park comes in.
nurturing their own businesses.
For 25 years, Davies Park has been dedicated to finding the
Dr. Marvin Washington knows first-hand the benefits that a third-party organiperfect fit. When a client comes to us for recruitment purposes,
zation brings to a company in regard to its executive team. Washington teaches at
we immediately start working to understand the culture of the
the Alberta School of Business and, in addition to the MBA program, he instructs
organization, says Mike Kerr, a partner at Davies Parks Calgary office. We spend time with the hiring manager, the board of directors, several executive education training courses for organizations looking to bolster
the C-suite team without disrupting business. He says thats what makes executhe president any stakeholder in the organization to ensure that
tive search firms such as Davies Park beneficial to clients. I always come back to
we understand the expectations. Then we act as an agent for that
a sports analogy, he says. If Im coaching the Edmonton Oilers, my focus is on
organization. We become their partner.
winning the next game. Im not thinking about whos going to be on the team next
The emphasis on partnership has made Davies Park a success in
season; thats what I have scouts for. Search firms
executive recruitment. Kerr says
are like your scouts, theyre going to do all the
Davies Parks typical client relationWe have been building our clients leadership background and groundwork while you focus on
ship lasts well beyond a single
doing what you do best.
recruitment. In fact, the partners
teams for 25 years. We strategically partner
Washington also says that organizations will
at Davies Park prefer to work with
with them to identify leaders who will
find it worthwhile having someone in their corfewer clients in order to dedicate
integrate with and enhance their culture.
ner looking beyond the obvious choices. Hurley
more time to each. Organizations
- Anurag Shourie, Edmonton Partner
agrees, and this is a huge advantage to Davies
come to us because they want to
Parks extensive database and network. Often,
elevate their talent pool, Kerr
the best person for the job isnt actively searching
says. Its our job to search for the
for a new position, Hurley says. Thats where we come in; well find that person.
candidate who aligns precisely with the companys desired skills,
Theres a big difference between the best person for the job and the best person
competencies and experience. We guarantee every search we do.
looking for a job.
Ralph Young is a long-time client who has seen Davies Park in acThis is a driving factor in many of the wrong decisions that organizations
tion many times since its inception in 1989. He is the past president
make when hiring a new executive. Its often that the sample section wasnt as
and CEO of Melcor Developments Ltd., and he called on Davies
Park most recently when it came time for Melcor to search for a new extensive as it could have been. When that happens, the company wastes time and
CFO. After they met with us, they drafted a proposal and we refined resources training the new executive only to be back at the drawing board: still
searching for that perfect fit. Davies Park makes sure this doesnt happen.
it together, Young says.
Weve done the due diligence, Hurley explains. The background check, the
After the initial meetings with the search consultant team, a cliinitial interviews, the references were completely committed to finding the best
ent typically steps back, as was the case with Melcor, while Davies
person. We dont just fill the position and walk away. We truly become an extenParks partners use their extensive database, market knowledge,
sion of our clients, and thats what has set us apart all these years.
and international network to perform a client-tailored search. The
team reviews the organizations strategic and business plans to gain
further insight into the direction of the company and identify the
best person to take it there no stone is left unturned. Davies Park
TOP TIPS TO CHOOSING
considers all aspects. Is it a new position? Was there a termination?
AN EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM
Was it retirement? Is the company in growth mode? What other
positions may need to be filled on the horizon?
1. Find a firm that has experience placing great candidates in your industry,
It was an iterative process that included a committee and a long
at the level you are looking to fill.
list of candidates, Young says. Later, we had debriefs with Davies
2. E
 nsure the firm has a deep understanding of the challenges of your sector.
Park after meeting with each short-listed candidate.
3. Find out if the firm is willing to spend time learning about the specifics of
Part of what sets Davies Park ahead is that partners are involved
your business.
in every search. Elizabeth Hurley, Davies Parks longest standing
4. Ask your executive search consultants if they have completed similar
partner in Edmonton, says partners provide quality assurance and
searches in the past year, 18 months, or three years.
oversight for every search. Other firms may just send a salesperson
5. Find out, through references and word of mouth, if the firm has had
to meet with clients, but Davies Park doesnt do that, she says. The
great success or a string of epic fails.
senior consultant youre meeting becomes your ambassador in the
6. Ensure that you relate, on a personal level, to the partner who is acting
marketplace and will find your next executive.
as your agent.
Young was also impressed with the level of professionalism and
daviespark.com

Davies Park

The Power of People


Davies Park Executive Searchs founding principles
are still going strong 25 years later

WEST COASTERS: Vancouver principal Tony


Kirschner and partner Greg Longster (l-r) are creating
top leadership teams the C-suites of British Columbia.

Finally, in the late 1980s Gerry Davies offered him a job at the
ERRY DAVIES AND DARWIN PARK, PICTURED
firm he worked at the time, but Park said he would only join
opposite, started Davies Park 25 years ago, when the two
efforts on one condition: that they start their own business.
were in their 40s. They seemed to some like an unlikely
In September 1989, Davies Park
pair to be running an executive
Executive Search was born.
search company. We often joked
Great leadership has a profound impact
We had a lot of loyal clients,
that we were a jock and a history
says
Gerry Davies. Darwins and
major starting a business from
on the places where we live and work.
my
relationships
with the different
scratch, says Darwin Park. His
We are proud of making our communities
parts of the industrial world were
post-secondary background was in
stronger through our professional and
really strong. This is a business
physical education, while Davies
philanthropic work.
that really runs on personal conhad a degree in history.
tact, so if youve done good work,
Education aside, the pair brought
- Ardyce Kouri, Edmonton Partner
people tended to follow you. Our
a wealth of experience in managetiming was great.
ment and recruiting, after working
Several years later, in 1997, they would expand into Calgary, and
sometimes at the same firm and sometimes at competing firms, Park
a decade later, Vancouver.
says. We had often said wed rather work together than compete.

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We found we were getting shut down because we didnt have a


presence in Calgary, Davies explains. We decided to open up in
Calgary because we had clients that wanted cross-Alberta representation. Vancouver was more of the same; we had clients with offices
on the West Coast.
The partners eventually left with a solid succession plan in place.
Three partners Elizabeth Hurley, Anurag Shourie and Ardyce
Kouri head the Edmonton office, while partners Allan Nelson
and Mike Kerr helm the team in Calgary. Greg Longster, partner in
Vancouver, was joined by principal Tony Kirschner (both pictured
opposite). They have held key roles in that market since its inception in 2007. The newest addition, a Toronto office, opened in 2012
and is headed by principals Kartik Kumar and Rob OBrien.
Darwin and I hired the initial team. I guess when youre in
the executive search business, youd better know how to hire good
people, Davies says. We did.
Park compares the companys approach to running. I liken starting and building a business to training for a marathon, he says. You
focus on an end result, but really the event is successful one step at a
time. If you concentrate on how hard or far it is, youre going to have
a tough time. I think thats how we built the business one successful step at a time.
The national firm has taken many successful steps, now counting
more than 30 employees, which Edmonton partner Ardyce Kouri
notes is no small feat. Darwin and Gerry founded this firm 25
years ago. Weve grown to over 30 staff and four office locations
doing work nationally, Kouri says. All we do is executive search, so
thats a sizable team.
Though the company has now conducted close to 2,800 executive searches in 25 years, Edmonton partner Anurag Shourie
highlights the diversity of clients Davies Park has worked with over
this time including entire executive teams and boards.
After recruiting Alberta Pension Services Corporations former
CEO five years ago, the corporation engaged Davies Park to search
for its entire executive, including members of its board. And when
their CEO left after five years, the corporation asked Davies Park
to search for a new CEO. Its that kind of partnership that keeps
Davies Park and its clients at top form.
Part of the companys success placing executives stems from its
own employee retention, says Shourie, who started with the company
17 years ago as a researcher, and became a partner 10 years ago. We
used to pride ourselves on the fact that we had no turnover. We used
to have reverse turnover, Shourie says, explaining that in addition to
many employees staying with the company for a number of years, a
couple of staffers left for other pursuits, but later returned.
Davies Park matches executives to coveted posts in every field
from oil and gas and post-secondary education, to private and
public companies, not-for-profit, Crown corporations, municipal
governments, and health services. A key is not losing sight of where
the firm started, Shourie says.
We started in Edmonton and provide a boutique approach to
our clients. It allows us to be nimble and flexible, and make decisions quickly.
Today, with more than 30 people on the team and a national
presence in place, Davies Park can create a robust national campaign with proven international reach.
daviespark.com

OIL EXECS KNOW


Andy Brooks, President and CEO at FT Services, knows that Davies
Park has a depth of experience in Albertas oil sands. As head of the
maintenance and turnaround provider for tier-one oil sands players,
thats important to him. He first met Calgary partner Allan Nelson
when Nelson placed him with an oil services company that was
undertaking an executive search several years ago.
Since then, weve had an ongoing professional relationship, Brooks
says of Nelson and Davies Park. Allan has led executive searches for us
quite regularly over the past seven or eight years to find members of
our executive team and other top positions.
Davies Parks understanding of the skill requirements, personality,
and corporate culture at FT Services make the candidates the firm
finds top-line, Brooks says. They know who will fit, he says. They
guarantee their searches, but its that element of the personal touch
that really matters.

MILESTONE MOMENTS
1989

Davies Park Executive Search is founded in Edmonton, with


two partners and a secretary.

1991

After a flat year, Gerry Davies considers becoming a truck


driver. A fleeting thought, and things turn around.

1997

They open a second office in Calgary to provide cross-Alberta


executive recruitment services.

2003

Davies Park completes its 1,000th executive search


assignment.

2004

F ounding partner Darwin Park


retires, selling his interest in
the business.

2007

Davies Park opens its third office,


in Vancouver.

2009

Founding partner Gerry Davies


retires at the companys 20th
anniversary client party.

2010

Davies Park completes its 2,500th


executive search assignment.

2012

The once boutique firm becomes


national, opening an office in Toronto.

2014

Davies Park celebrates 25 years


in the executive search business,
with a staff of more than 30.

DARWIN PARK,
Founding Partner

GERRY DAVIES,
Founding Partner

Davies Park

Words of Support

LOOK EAST: Toronto principals (l-r) Rob OBrien


and Kartik Kumar help clients build leadership teams
that steward organizations to a bright future.

HE STAFF AND PARTNERS AT DAVIES PARK


have been lucky enough to work with terrific
clients, many of them for years and across different
organizations. Some clients have seen the benefits of executive
search from both sides of the desk, and one-time candidates have
become clients, seeking out the expertise of Davies Park in their
roles as they search for C-suite talent in their own organizations.
As client Richard Masson, CEO of the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, puts it, At Davies Park, they help with the
things that are important to us, they know what the market looks
like, what compensation should look like, and they find the right
candidates in the variable timeframe that works for our organization. And hes not the only one saying good things.

Davies Park

MEETING WITH SUCCESS


In addition to Lorne Babiuks position as vice-president of
research at the University of Alberta, he is also chair of the board
at TEC Edmonton, a partnership between the City of Edmonton
and the University of Alberta. In that role, he and the board were
tasked with hiring a new CEO for the organization.
TEC Edmonton helps individuals and nascent businesses make
the shift to market, commercializing their science solutions into businesses. It demands a set of crossover skills and expertise of its CEO
that exceeds the average resum. TEC Edmonton needed the person
at the helm to have experience that fell into a specific tech commercialization niche, but also had crossover to other areas, considering
the stakeholders in the organization. It was a tricky position to fill.
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experience in obstetrics or anesthesiology. Or a skilled candidate might be


We told them about the job, about our expectations, and the
overall phenotype of the person we were looking for, Babiuk says. interested in communities near the Rocky Mountains. But five years later, no
one had left the communities we placed them in.
They cast the net wider than we ever could.
Davies Park developed a long list of potential candidates, then
met with TEC Edmonton to discuss findings, narrow the field and BOTH SIDES NOW
Eric Sawyer has experience with Davies Park from both sides of the desk, and
develop a shortlist. Next, Davies Park checked their references
he has found it positive no matter how hes approached it.
thoroughly and met with potential candidates to vet them and
In 2004, Mike Kerr at Davies Park in Calgary was the main representative
pre-screen them. When it came time for the small handful of
as the City of Calgarys executive search consultant in its search for a city treacandidates to meet Babiuk and the board, representatives from
surer. From Toronto, Sawyer didnt know much about the job or the city.
Davies Park were there.
Mike and the others at Davies Park did a good job of representing both
It made for a very relaxed interview, recalls Babiuk. The
to me, he says. The interpreted the scope and extent of the job clearly and
candidates had already met with Davies Park partners, so they
were positive and fair to work with. They were
knew what to expect. From the
very helpful, but the definitely represented
field, Babiuk and TEC Edmonton
Our roots are in Albertas entrepreneurial
their client.
wound up offering the position
It was a great fit and Sawyer made the move
to Chris Lumb, who has now
spirit and we continue to espouse those
and excelled at the job, becoming CFO for
held the post for a year. Its
values. Today we have offices across
the City of Calgary in 2009. Since he moved
working out really well, and
Canada and we recruit talent from all over
west, he has also been a City of Calgary client
Chris has proved very valuable to
of Davies Park. Each time it was because we
TEC Edmonton, he says. They
the world, but our legacy is grounded in
put out an RFP and Davies Park was awarded
asked the right questions and
that Alberta entrepreneurial attitude.
the contract, Sawyer says. Recently, the firm
acted as supporting cast during
- Mike Kerr, Calgary Partner
helped us fill a position in the finance group.
the interview. They really got to
We connected with them, identified our needs
know all the candidates, and that
and then I went back to work and didnt have to
deepened their knowledge of the
think about it. They brought me in at the crititalent pool.
Weve built a reputation for quality
cal times in the process.
ON CALL
service and established long-term
SCALING UP
Now CEO of Ohlhauser and
relationships. Weve had an impact helping
Tom Hodson is the President of Skyline
Associates, in the mid-1990s, Dr.
organizations grow and prosper. We take
Group, a mid-sized construction company in
Larry Ohlhauser was the registrar
pride in that; their success is our success.
Calgary that specializes in building envelopes
of the College of Physicians and
for big commercial sites. But Hodson has
Surgeons of Alberta. He was the
- Elizabeth Hurley, Edmonton Partner
not always been in construction. At one time
person who said yes or no to
he held an executive position at Proctor &
professionals seeking to become
Gamble. He left that company to join SMART
certified in Alberta. At the time
Technologies, provider of technology solutions
there were muttered complaints
Davies Park has an ownership structure
to enable interactivity and collaboration in
about the quality and retention of
that encourages collaboration within
schools and workplaces. (SMARTboards have
doctors in rural Alberta, he says.
and between our four national offices.
largely replaced black boards and whiteboards
While the task of recruitment
in the classroom.)
and retention fell outside his
We attract the highest calibre of people
When Hodson started at SMART almost
purview, he stepped up to help
and in the service business and deliver
seven years ago (he left to join Skyline in
find a solution.
the best results for our clients.
March), SMART was a successful Canadian
I told the Minister of Health
- Greg Longster, Vancouver Partner
company that wanted to launch a global busithat I would need a recruiter,
ness. At that time they did not have a bunch
Ohlhauser explains. I was reof strength to scale up, says Hodson. They
ferred to Gerry Davies, and I said,
had a board of directors, and it needed to formalize its hiring practices. WordHeres my problem, I need 111 qualified family docs with various
of-mouth wasnt going to work anymore. Hodson convinced the board to try
other special skills, he says. Davies Park was mandated to search
an executive search firm to find top talent. Mike Kerr from Davies Park did
first in Alberta, then Canada, then internationally.
a great job. He was approachable almost folksy and very professional.
The search culminated with a flight to South Africa, where DaSMART successfully recruited vice-presidents for human resources, operavies Park and Ohlhauser met with interested candidates. Within
tions and IT. The three successful candidates stayed with Hodson for the
a year, Davies Park had helped fill more than 100 positions. And
these people fit very well in terms of skills and personal interests, remainder of his six years at SMART and together the team helped launch
SMART into a truly international company, grossing $160 million. Hodson
he says. It was no small feat, making these matches. For example,
is currently working with Davies Park to fill an executive role at Skyline.
a hospital in one community might need a family doctor with
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TEAM LEADERS: Davies Park has the breadth and


depth of expertise to find executive talent for
Canadian boardrooms.

Im proud our partners developed the


motto creating success through leadership.
It defines our commitment to our clients,
our candidates and our team. We focus on
leadership excellence in each of our offices.
- Allan Nelson, Calgary Partner

EDMONTON
Elizabeth Hurley | Anurag Shourie | Ardyce Kouri
1505 Scotia 2, 10060 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton T5J 3R8
TEL: 780.420.9900
E-MAIL: careers@daviespark.com
CALGARY
Allan Nelson | Mike Kerr
1810, 300 - 5th Avenue SW
Calgary T2P 3C4
TEL: 403.263.0600
E-MAIL: consult@daviespark.com
VANCOUVER
Greg Longster | Tony Kirschner
880-609 Granville Street, PO Box 10358
Vancouver V7Y 1G5
TEL: 604.688.8422
E-MAIL: executive@daviespark.com

To create success, an organization


needs to hire the best. Davies Park
helps its clients identify the leaders
they need, and then focuses the search
to find the best candidates possible.
8

Davies Park

TORONTO
Rob O Brien | Kartik Kumar
3670, 130 King Street West
Toronto M5X 1E2
TEL: 416.238.5622
E-MAIL: toronto@daviespark.com

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