Daily Inspiration: Meet Sam Wallace

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Wallace.

Hi Sam , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It has been a fairly nomadic journey so far. I was born in Whitehorse, a small town in the frigid north of Canada. My parents moved often, usually tiny towns in Northern Alberta, I rarely spent more than a year in the same school, so learnt to make friends fast and rely on my sister. It might be ancient history but roots are important. 😊 When my parent’s divorced, mum took my sister and I back to the UK. We first moved in with my grandparents, before eventually renting a row house in a council estate (think the projects) in Leicester. Raised by a single mum in the UK, I was taught very early on the power of resilience. She had a poster on her bedroom wall that said, “I am invincible” and I think the daily reminder that she used has in turn helped me as I’ve navigated my own adventure.
I studied in Reading, just West of London and after graduating with a Politics and International relations degree, moved (as we all did) towards the fabulous glow of twenty-something life in London. I was convinced I was going to be a political photojournalist and confidently took my pictures to the Papers (yes, pre internet) but it was not meant to be. Instead I got a job with at an architectural ironmonger and so began a short career as a sales rep in London selling “knobs and knockers”. Mini milestone, first ever female sales rep in the company.
Fast forward a couple years and I wanted a change from London and my search led me to Search. I got a new job as a recruiter with a UK firm and moved to Manchester. Fast forward again after almost five years at the peak of UK recruiting, the entire team all in our 20s, working and playing hard, driving BMWs and making great money, I realized that it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t sure what was missing but I knew change was needed so I rented out my apartment and flew back to North America to see what life would bring. The plan was to stay for six months…… but 23 years later, I’m still here.
I first moved to Vancouver and fell in love with the mountains, hiking, snowboarding, biking, the great White North. So, after a brief foray back into Recruiting, I sold my apartment in the UK and moved to Whistler for a ski season and stayed for three.
In 2007 I joined Korn Ferry, in the mid-market practice and had the opportunity to work with some of the best search leaders in the business and their mentorship still informs my search practice today. My 12 years with Korn Ferry, took me through a variety of roles in Canada, then relocating to San Francisco to launch the mid-market Technology Practice and then to LA to join the team in the corporate head office. Here I was introduced to UPWARD (founded by Lisa Lambert, a senior exec at Intel at the time), a non-profit “old girls club” focused on supporting executive women as they advanced in their careers. It was a perfect dovetail for me, helping women excel in their career as I’m helping organizations search for the right talent. It sparked a passion and commitment that I’ve focused on since, both as the US Chair of SWiTCH (Senior Women in Transformation and Change) and as a Founding member of Chief here in LA.
I then left to join a boutique firm, Wilton & Bain, where I lead the North American Technology executive search practice.
On the way, I married an Australian (who I met in Vancouver) and have 12-year-old identical twin girls, have held several exhibitions of my paintings, been certified as a Coach and referee for Local AYSO soccer (football) and proudly represent women in sports to the young girls who play.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Moving across the world by yourself is a challenge I would definitely recommend. But I had to remind myself when I got to Vancouver to be outgoing, to accept invitations, to try new things, to find my people and my community.
Moving to the US in 2014 was a different challenge, I was launching a new practice area for the firm, trying to build a whole new client base. All while navigating a new city with tiny twins in their terrible twos, while my husband who is a Production designer in film was on location for months on end. It’s amazing what you can do when you have to, and we figured it all out. With hindsight though, I would have asked for more help and accepted more help. Accepting the empathy and generosity of others isn’t a sign of weakness or failure, women don’t have to do it all themselves.
Joining a boutique search firm, also has its challenges, building a market and building a team is difficult to do well. Growing and nurturing a network of colleagues, clients and candidates is the strongest asset you have.
Today is particularly challenging as anything deemed to be DEI is under constant attack. We’ve had to evaluate how we can ensure the progress that has been made over decades supporting diversity isn’t destroyed and that we continue to take strides towards greater representation, greater equality and greater fairness.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an accomplished search consultant focused on executive level strategic hires for technology companies, with specific emphasis on Data, AI, Analytics Executives and C-suite engagements. I am committed to my network; clients and candidates, and I offer objective assessments of talent and opportunities. I am an industry advocate for diversity, and through my connections with UPWARD, CHIEF, Forbes and as the US leader of Wilton and Bain’s SWiTCH network, I help clients discover the strength and agility of variety in Executive teams
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I have been in search a long time, starting in the fast-paced world of IT staffing as Y2K loomed, then moving into contingent recruitment for technology sales leaders before focusing on strategic retained engagements. I love this business. I get to feed my curiosity by talking to smart, creative people who are driving innovation and shaping our future. I can share my knowledge and expertise and think strategically about the impact of talent decisions. I can be the objective voice that determines the best way to identify, attract and retain the talent that can change the course of a company’s future.
Clients often ask search firms “who” they work with, but just as important is “where” the candidates are sourced from. I have been fortunate to build a powerful network and I pride myself on capturing my clients’ narratives and encouraging bold career moves and transformation. It is a huge responsibility – altering the course of someone’s life through career change or placing a transformative new leader in an organization. And, in truth, it is hard. People are unpredictable, unwelcome news is hard to share, markets and priorities change, but the impact we have when we get it right is massive.

Now that we’re in LA, I remind myself of how far I’ve come and what could be next. I frequently go to the beach and just catch my breath. A girl from a tiny town in the Canadian wilderness, through a council estate in Leicester, to LA. working with some of the most brilliant executives, partnering with technology companies who are changing the future, and collaborating with other diverse leaders to create a better future. It’s pretty awesome.

What sets me apart, I think the work I do is really life changing and while there are numbers to meet and business priorities, it’s always about the people, their aspirations, creating opportunities and the future. And being able to find that one person in the whole world with the skills, experience and personality that are a perfect fit for the role.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
1) The power of the legacy big brands will diminish, right now, the big firms (we call them the SHREK firms – Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Russel Reynolds, Egon Zehnder and Korn Ferry) take a large portion of the big searches with the big firms. There’s a perceived “safety” in selecting one of these brands but, access to talent has been democratised, LinkedIn, Social Media and advanced research capabilities mean that finding people the “secret data sauce” those firms used to have is available to everyone. The firms who show agility, a deep understanding how to evaluate talent, culture and fit, who can tell the client’s story will win.
2) Priorities of roles will shift so the senior positions will begin to change. Data is at the core of everything, and layered into that is AI. This changes the skills that an executive team and Board need so the profiles of leaders that were selected five years ago, will look very different five years from now.
3) The working world is changing – the days of 15 years with one firm as a positive sign have already shifted with greater excitement about people making growth moves, bold moves, taking mini retirements in between career choices.
4) Candidates are calling the shots and will do so with increased power. The title & compensation are no longer the top items to to assess. Culture, commitment to critical topics like diversity or the environment will be the deciding factors for candidates at all levels.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wilton-bain.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwallace13/