Joe Reardon, Versique Search and Consulting
Title: Managing Director, Finance and Accounting Division
Age: 57
September 8, 2013 — Seasoned executive recruiter Joe Reardon helps companies fill finance and accounting positions in his new role as director of Minneapolis-based Versique Search and Consulting’s finance and accounting division.
Reardon has 12 years of experience in executive recruiting in addition to 20 years of finance and accounting leadership, serving in such roles as controller and chief financial officer.
Reardon said he had known Versique president and CEO Tony Sorenson for some time and was eager to join the firm, formerly known as McKinley Group. Reardon had worked at a small boutique retained search firm.
“I missed working collaboratively with others, and Tony and the rest of the leadership team are creating a very team-centric environment,’’ Reardon said. “And their focus on clients was really important.”
Reardon said he made the transition into executive recruiting in 2001, after he and his wife, who are from Minneapolis, moved back after more than 15 years in the Boston area.
“I looked at a CFO opportunity through a search firm in town and offered some constructive criticism,” said Reardon, who has a master’s degree in international management from the University of St. Thomas, where he also is an adjunct instructor. “They called my bluff and said, why don’t you do it? Come and show us how to do it better.”
Versique offers permanent placement and consulting in human resources, sales, information technology (IT), marketing, interactive, engineering/operations, as well as finance and accounting.
Q: How are you building the finance/accounting practice?
A: I’m reaching out to my contacts to let them know that I’m in a position to provide not just finance and accounting engagements but other areas of expertise as well. I’m also practicing with other practice leaders within Versique and leveraging existing relationships. At some point, we will add additional executive search professionals to our group.
Q: What does your own experience add to your recruiting work?
A: I work with clients not just on search-related matters but also in an advisory capacity. That’s a lot of fun, leveraging that experience to provide much more of a consultative service to clients. That’s a big differentiator, and clients are looking for more payback in the executive search function.
Q: Why should a company come to you and Versique to recruit finance and accounting executives?
A: I have been in this industry for 12 years, and as I look at the variety of search firms that have survived the economic downturn … I can’t think of one that is positioned as well as we are to provide a full range of services in all our areas of expertise for clients and prospective clients.
View the Star Tribune’s Movers & Shaker profile of Joe Reardon.
