Parker: Richardson Executive Search adds experienced talent to leadership group

The company is poised for further growth and has hired Marco De Iaco to be its strong connector with the business community

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Fifty years ago, entrepreneur Richard Stoppler founded a company in Edmonton called Executrade that became one of Canada’s leading professional recruitment firms. Today, it is run by his son, Scott — a proud member of YPO Alberta — as president and CEO of ECL Group of Companies, now with five specialized divisions dedicated to specific management needs.

Ten years ago he launched Richardson Executive Search in both Edmonton and Calgary, in the offices of ECL Group in the Vintage Towers on 11th Avenue S.W. It has grown steadily to offer a global reach, along with local relationships and expedient search processes.

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Scott says baby boomers are affecting North America by starting to retire, creating a critical demand for senior talent able to provide strong leadership. In Calgary, Richardson has built up the business on effective, results-oriented customer service and strong relationships.

The company is poised for further growth and has hired Marco De Iaco to be its strong connector with the business community. Scott met De Iaco in an interview for a position he was hoping to get. The fit didn’t work out, but Scott was so impressed that he hired De Iaco for his own company as the new director of corporate development — an ambassador to establish and build relationships.

Executive search is not a meet-today-sign-up-tomorrow business, but rather a connection that can be called on any time a company does have needs. Simply put, Richardson’s goal is to provide the professional, expert support that enables a client to achieve its vision. And De Iaco is excited to be given the opportunity to be the connector across many industries in the public and private sectors.

He will serve both the Calgary and Edmonton offices to scale up, further raising the profile of a well-run operation.

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Much of his pursuits will be in the energy sector, but agriculture, not-for-profits and C-suite executives will be added to the many relationships he has built up over the years in many sectors and through the business of sports. Scott refers to his staff as a team, and there is a powerful mix of people who have been involved in different sports on a competitive and management level, understanding the need for excellence in whatever they do.

Sandy Jacobson, vice-president in the Edmonton office, has a proven track record in the human resources and staffing industry since 2006, and was a high-performance triathlete. She is currently chair of Edmonton Paralympic Sports as well as being a board member of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.

Calgary vice-president Daryl Henry has 15 years in leadership recruitment and staffing following 19 years of progressive leadership with a leading Canadian telecommunications company. His athletic mindset comes from his time as a player in the WHL, management consultant to the Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey Club, on the executive board of the WHL Alumni Association, and as a volunteer with the Calgary JR A Mountaineers Lacrosse Team.

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De Iaco is in good company as the architect of Tourism Calgary’s sporting events strategy — after 14 years he left to become director of exploration for the Calgary Olympic bid that was approved by council yet quashed by public referendum. He is a former vice-president of development for the WHL and currently serves as a member of the host committee of the Centennial Cup, to be hosted by the Calgary Canucks.

De Iaco has also been a member of the Calgary police commission, the Canadian Association of Police Governance, board member of the Parkinson’s Association of Alberta and the YMCA, and was executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association.

Add his current involvement as the first public director of the Calgary Real Estate Board, and Di Iaco certainly has a wide swath of connections that will help him be successful in his new position with Richardson Executive Search.

Notes:

Sad to report that Vecova Centre for Disabilities and Research will close its main facility and head office on 33rd Street N.W. later in 2025. It has pursued plans to construct a new centre over the past 10 years but has not secured sufficient funding, and needed repairs to the aging building are too costly. Calgary’s only warm water swimming pool will be a loss for seniors.

David Parker appears regularly in the Herald. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be reached at 403-830-4622.

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