Stanton Chase Celebrates Its 35th Anniversary

A Historical Perspective from a Former Chairman & Co- Founder

Origins and Foundation (1990-1992)

Stanton Chase’s story begins with transformation born from challenge. In October 1990, a group of working partners convened in Amsterdam to address the restructuring of their organization, Marlar International, a London-based executive search firm (formerly a Spencer Stuart spin-off) that was experiencing financial difficulties and consultant turnover.

From this pivotal meeting emerged four core offices that would form the foundation of our new venture: Amsterdam (led by Koert Jansen), Baltimore/Annapolis (led by Ted Muendel), Los Angeles (led by Ed Savage), and London (led by Robert Watsham). Rather than simply reorganizing, these partners made a unanimous commitment to create something entirely different; a company built on a new business philosophy, clear performance objectives, and a structure focused exclusively on global executive search.

Koert Jansen and I assumed the early leadership roles in this formation. Koert authored the original articles of association and corporate shareholder documentation, establishing our legal headquarters in the Netherlands Antilles. In short, Koert served as the architect of our new venture, and following endorsement of our formation strategy, he was elected as our first Chairman.

Building the Global Foundation

The partnership between Koert and myself proved instrumental in expanding our global footprint. While I concentrated on building our presence in North and South America, Koert focused on developing our European and Asian markets. This complementary approach reflected our commitment to truly global coverage from the outset.

Through subsequent meetings held in Baltimore, we refined our company structure, expanded our global reach, and addressed the fundamental question of our identity. The name “Stanton Chase” emerged from this collaborative process, combining family names from our original group: “Stanton” from the Baltimore office and “Chase” from the London office. Following trademark confirmation and registration, all partners agreed to adopt this new brand identity.

Core Principles and Cultural Foundation

Two fundamental principles emerged as the cornerstone of our organization: equal ownership and equality of status among all partners. This “federation of shareholders” concept took hold as our organization gained momentum in 1992, with Stanton Chase serving as a holding company owned equally by all shareholders across offices and countries.

As our culture evolved, “friendship and trust” became the driving forces that kept our organization cohesive and unified. This cultural foundation produced tangible business results through increased inter office referrals, confirming our original strategic concept. Today, these cultural dynamics remain valid and continue to represent both our system of values and the foundation of our successful global organization, now encompassing 74 offices across 46 countries.

Strategic Development and Growth

Our belief that strong trust relationships between partners serve as prerequisites for successful business development shaped our operational approach. We established a framework of two shareholder meetings per year, committee structures for consultant collaboration, social activities, and a “significant others” program that strengthened personal bonds within our professional network. Industry specialization and business development sharing evolved naturally from this foundation.

My expansion efforts in the Americas began in late 1992, adding offices in Brazil (Eline Kullock), Chicago (Jim Piper), Argentina (Claudia Fernaud), Chile (Bernardo Bravo), New York (Charlie Buck), and earlier, Dallas (Ed Moerbe). This growth continued as we developed our global strategic plan aimed at building an effective top-ten global executive search firm.

Innovation and Adaptation

One particularly memorable venture was establishing our Silicon Valley office in San Mateo, California, in partnership with K. Izumi, then Managing Director of our Tokyo office and former EVP of National Semiconductor. This true joint venture exemplified our collaborative approach to market development. When K. returned to focus on our Japanese practice, I continued building our high-tech search capabilities until the dot-com adjustment period led us to diversify and relocate to San Francisco under Paul Herrerias’s leadership.

Legal and Procedural Framework

As our organization matured, we developed comprehensive Bylaws and General Operating Procedures through committee recommendations, board guidance, and formal shareholder approval. These documents now provide the legal and procedural framework that standardizes our interactions and business conduct across all offices, ensuring consistency while respecting local market needs.

Achievements and Recognition

During my tenure as Chairman—a role I was honored to serve for two terms—Stanton Chase nearly doubled from 12 offices. This growth positioned us among the top 1% of our profession and earned recognition as one of the fifteen largest executive search firms worldwide. More importantly, this expansion validated our original vision of creating a truly global partnership based on mutual trust and shared success.

Reflection and Legacy

The opportunity to help build Stanton Chase has been both a unique responsibility and a profound learning experience. It has provided insights into how global economies, industries, and businesses interact to form “one market and one economy.” The collaborative work with Board and Committee members to develop and refine our operations while expanding our global structure has been deeply rewarding.

Looking back on our history and formation, I am struck by how our founding principles of equality, trust, friendship, and collaboration have not only endured but have become our greatest competitive advantage. The inter-office business development and referrals that flourish today are direct evidence that we developed the correct organizational emphasis.

As we look toward the future, our culture based on global friendships remains our most important asset. It is this foundation, built by visionary leaders like Koert Jansen and sustained by colleagues worldwide, that will continue to drive Stanton Chase’s success in the decades ahead.

Acknowledgment

It has been an honor to serve Stanton Chase and to work alongside exceptional colleagues in building what has become a truly global partnership. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and confident in the robust future that awaits our great organization and team of excellent consultants worldwide.

Congratulations to all on our 35th anniversary!

TED MUENDEL