Cornerstone Preps for Next 30 Years

Cornerstone International Group, a global executive search and coaching firm, wound up its 30th annual conference here on the weekend, ready to face the next three decades of rapid change.

“New challenges are facing business leaders every day,” says Simon Wan, Chairman and CEO of Cornerstone International Group (Cornerstone). “Our role is to understand tomorrow’s game-changers, know where to find them and be able to engage with them. So, our capabilities and methods must also evolve.”

Cornerstone has over 225 senior consultants at 56 locations in 34 countries. Every year, Cornerstone offices meet regionally and globally on new best practices and knowledge sharing.

Future challenges discussed in three days of the annual conference here include the streamlining of the today’s business organizations, the instant shareability of information, the specialization of leadership skills, and today’s drive for high learning agility in candidates aspiring to leadership roles.

“Progressive organizations are seeking new employees with the ability to adapt to changing demands of leadership,” says President Larry Shoemaker. “They see a clear advantage in having a resource who can learn and re-learn to meet each challenge compared to continually seeking new talent in the market place.

Cornerstone is a leader in Retained Search, so called because customers engage the firm exclusively to fill one or more specific positions, in return for a percentage of the new executive’s first year compensation.

“That’s just a pricing mechanism,” adds Shoemaker. “What the customer is paying for is many years of experience and commitment. This includes knowing where to find the top people who are usually already working somewhere else.”

Cornerstone also welcomed six recently joined members at this year’s conference and anticipates a similar rate of growth in 2020.