Overview

Corporate Profile

Summary
The Howard∙Sloan∙Koller Group is a retained executive search and consulting firm specializing in publishing, digital/interactive media, advertising, marketing and communications, and entertainment.  With more than 30 years recruiting in these industries, the firm is considered by many to be the best-known, most well-respected recruitment and consulting organization serving these industries.  Searches for advertising agencies and client-side advertising are managed by HSK’s advertising industry subsidiary, Jerry Fields Associates.

Strengths and Scope
The Howard∙Sloan∙Koller Group recruits senior-level talent, nationally and internationally, in a broad range of functional areas within its target industries.  Clients range from large, multi-faceted media conglomerates to small, entrepreneurial start-ups, and more than half are based outside the New York area.   As technologies change, markets fluctuate and companies merge or are sold, companies turn to HSK every year as a source of talent, industry intelligence and perspective.  The firm’s role as “information provider” also applies to candidates, who look to HSK not only for career advice and opportunity, but also as a trusted industry leader for insight into trends and practices.

The firm’s core expertise lies in its ability to identify and attract creative and business-side talent for organizations that strive to deliver messages or information to desired audiences.  Whether the medium is print, online/interactive or broadcast; whether the audiences are niche or mass; whether the messages consist of news, data or advertising, HSK knows how to find stellar professionals–both market leaders as well as hidden gems–to create, produce, design, distribute, promote, brand, syndicate and sell against those messages.  While searching for exceptional skills is always HSK’s first priority, recommending candidates who share a client company’s culture, mindset and long-term goals is critical as well.

HSK has dedicated search practices in function areas such as advertising sales and marketing, general management and operations, editorial content and programming, direct marketing and circulation, public relations, agency account management and agency creative.  Most of the firm’s consultants have long-established careers at HSK, along with prior work experience in their respective fields.  As a result, candidates consider them to be not only employment experts, but also trusted peers.  This in-depth knowledge of both the functions and the players in each category also enhances the firm’s ability to assess candidate qualifications, evaluate career options, advise on hierarchy, and to conduct reference checks. 

History
The firm was established in 1957 as Howard-Sloan Associates, recruiters of accounting, legal and publishing professionals.  Edward R. Koller, Jr., joined in 1973 and advanced to acquire the publishing arm in 1989, renaming the company The Howard∙Sloan∙Koller Group.  He subsequently acquired one of the best-known recruiting firms in the advertising industry at the time, Jerry Fields Associates, and ultimately broadened the firm’s focus to handle searches across all forms of media and entertainment.  Today, the firm is listed in Kennedy Information’s 2005 Directory of Executive Recruiters as one of the “Top 40 Largest U.S. Retained Search Firms.” 

Philosophy
The firm’s philosophy is to focus only on searches in which it can provide superb consultative work and add value to the recruiting process.  President Ed Koller would rather decline a search than accept an assignment in which he is not confident of being successful.   The firm’s goal is to approach every search with the highest integrity, diligence and problem-solving aptitude, providing critical assessment of candidates and bringing searches to conclusion with precision and efficiency.

Most of the firm’s searches result from long-term relationships with individuals who feel a connection gained over years of working with HSK as a candidate and/or client.  It is not uncommon for a person to have worked with The Howard∙Sloan∙Koller Group in attaining his or her first job, such that the relationship advances in correlation to the person’s career.  When people move on to become president or CEO of an organization, they often choose to work with the firm that has been most helpful and trusted over the years.  The principals believe that it is this quality that enables a firm to survive market fluctuations and to retain its leadership position over the years.

Principals/Senior Consultants

Edward R. Koller, Jr., Managing Partner– Focuses on business development, general management and merger/acquisition consulting, as well as management of high-level media and entertainment searches.

Karen Danziger, Managing Partner – Oversees searches in the Editorial/Content/Creative Services practice area of the firm, while also supervising the firm’s general operations, recruiting procedures and relationship-building strategies.

Carrie Molay, Partner – Oversees the firm’s high-level searches in the sales & marketing area, while also serving on search teams in editorial, public relations and creative.

Phil Growick, Managing Director – Oversees the firm’s senior creative searches—copy and art—for advertising, sales promotion and interactive agencies.

Dick Schenkel, Managing Director – Leads the firm’s searches in circulation, direct marketing, finance, and general operations, across all media and entertainment entities.

Sharon Spielman, Managing Director – Oversees the firm’s advertising agency, account management, executive management and corporate marketing searches.

Services Offered

In addition to standard search, the firm offers additional services, which can be customized to fit specific needs.  Some of those services include:  reference checking, full background checks (including criminal and credit), salary surveys, screening of resumes, assessment of internal candidates, and formulation and extension of employment/compensation negotiation.  Howard-Sloan-Koller also develops customized tools for assessing candidates based on criteria determined by the client company.  The firm also offers customized seminars in the areas of sales training and coaching, interviewing and hiring, and management of creative professionals, to name a few.