I’ve been listening to Acquired’s series on Ferrari.
It didn’t change how I think about executive search. It helped me put words to something I’d been circling for a while.
As we build Haskil Partners we keep coming back to one question: How do we truly differentiate?
It isn’t by having the biggest database.
It isn’t by having the most recruiters.
As AI makes research and process faster and more accessible, those differences will matter even less.
I’ve become convinced our greatest opportunity to differentiate has very little to do with executive search.
It has everything to do with hospitality.
Not the industry. The philosophy.
As we shape Haskil, I find myself borrowing less from traditional professional services firms and more from the principles that define the world’s best hospitality and luxury brands.
The Ferrari series was one thread. Elizabeth Mullins’ perspective on service versus hospitality was another, reinforced by conversations with leaders in hospitality.
They all point to the same conclusion: The experience becomes the product.
The best chefs don’t cook differently because they think a critic is in the dining room. Great general managers don’t reserve hospitality for returning guests. Exceptional brands understand that every interaction shapes their reputation.
The same is becoming true in professional services.
At Haskil, we have the privilege of serving two groups.
Our clients deserve thoughtful counsel and confidence that we’re as invested in the outcome as they are.
Every executive we meet deserves honesty, preparation, respect, timely communication, and genuine care, whether they become our client’s next hire or not.
Perhaps the greatest test of hospitality is how you treat someone when the answer is no.
The outcome may differ. The experience shouldn’t.
That means communicating even when there isn’t an update, preparing people for difficult conversations, and helping clients make better decisions.
Leadership decisions are deeply personal. Behind every search are careers, organizations, families, ambitions, and futures. People may forget the details of the process. They rarely forget how they were treated.
Years from now, I don’t want people to remember Haskil simply because we completed a search.
I hope they remember how we made them feel.
And I hope the leaders we helped bring into organizations created lasting impact on the businesses they joined, the teams they led, and the people whose careers they influenced.
Because in the end, our work isn’t measured by placements.
It’s measured by the leaders we help organizations choose, the cultures those leaders shape, and the lasting impact they create.
And if we get all of that right, maybe one day Acquired does an episode on us.
And we get the Ferrari.