PENN ASSOCIATES

We increase talent density

Executive search for high-performing senior leaders and high‑impact teams

WHAT WE DO

We identify executives who transform organizations.Penn Associates specializes in recruiting strategic HR and business leaders for Fortune 500 corporations, PE-backed companies, and high-growth ventures navigating complexity. Our candidates consistently advance to C-suite roles because we assess for long-term executive potential, not just current role competency.We focus on four core areas:Organizational TransformationPost-merger integration, corporate modernization, and enterprise-wide change requiring business leaders who architect capability at scale. Our candidates have driven meaningful, verified operational savings and successful restructurings across multi-billion dollar operations.Executive Succession
Identifying leaders positioned for C-suite advancement. Multiple clients have promoted our candidates to VP, SVP, and CHRO roles, with several of them positioned early as designated successors to enterprise HR leadership. We recognize future executive talent before the market does.General Management & Operations
Strategic operators for P&L leadership, multi-unit operations, and business transformation roles. We've identified GM talent from top consulting firms and Fortune 100 environments for clients navigating expansion, turnarounds, and operational excellence initiatives.Rapid Deployment
PE and VC environments demand speed without sacrificing quality. We access passive talent through 30+ years of trusted networks, reducing time-to-fill from 7-12 months to 45-90 days while maintaining rigorous assessment standards.

OUR APPROACH

Organizations achieve the greatest results when leaders demonstrate clarity, accountability, and sound judgment. Our approach combines targeted executive search, structured behavioral evaluation, and practical insights gained from years of advising HR and talent leaders. We align leadership capabilities with business objectives to enhance execution, drive performance, and deliver lasting impact.

CASE STUDIES

Proven Excellence Across Fortune 100
Transformations and Growth Environments

CASE 1: STRATEGIC HR TRANSFORMATIONFortune 100 Global Manufacturer | Post-Merger IntegrationThe Challenge:A $4.5 billion integration of two iconic food operations required centralizing fragmented supply chain planning, embedding Lean principles across 12 distribution centers and 6 manufacturing sites, and shifting organizational culture from compliance-driven to capability-led excellence.Our Impact:Placed senior HR leaders from recognized elite proving grounds who architected the transformation. The team centralized long-range planning under a Center of Excellence model, recruited specialized analytical talent to replace traditional planners, and standardized continuous improvement practices across all sites.Measurable Outcomes:• $5.5 million verified first-year savings through talent strategy optimization
• Embedded Lean culture across dispersed manufacturing network
• Leadership praised restructuring and compensation strategies as “superb”
• Both placements advanced to executive roles (one to Disney, one internally to division CPO)Strategic Insight:HR drove operational excellence, not just supported it. This wasn’t traditional business partnering—it was enterprise architecture that directly impacted P&L performance.

CASE 2: EXECUTIVE SUCCESSION PIPELINEFortune 50 Products and Services Distributor | Corporate ModernizationThe Challenge:During COVID-19 recovery, a $52.9 billion global leader divided its U.S. operations, comprising 76 operating companies, into 6 regions. They needed their first Central Market HR VP to lead the $10 billion flagship region with 6,500+ union and non-union associates, serve as the model for peer markets, and eventually succeed the Head of HR for $45 billion U.S. Operations.Our Impact:Identified and placed a strategic HR leader who rapidly aligned the cross-functional Regional Leadership Team, conducted market-wide talent capability assessment, and led complex transformation to support new sales go-to-market strategy.Measurable Outcomes:• Successfully built a high-performing HR structure across Central Market’s 20+ locations
• Established credibility as a strategic advisor and business partner during onboarding
• Promoted to VP HR – Americas (continental scope, $60B+ revenue)
• EVP HR confirmed the candidate is on track as the designated successor for enterprise HR leadership
• Career trajectory: $10B regional → $55B national → $60B+ continental (6× revenue scale expansion)Strategic Insight:Penn Associates identified not just a competent VP, but a future C-suite executive. The placement demonstrates our ability to recognize transformational leaders who scale with organizational complexity.

CASE 3: HIGH-POTENTIAL TALENT PIPELINEFortune 500 Consumer Packaged Goods | Multi-Brand IntegrationThe Challenge:A $22 billion CPG leader with 370,000 employees across decentralized business units needed senior HR directors who could function as strategic business partners, drive large-scale organizational change, and demonstrate C-suite potential. The company valued polished but scrappy leaders with pedigree who still operate with an underdog’s hunger—solid leaders from notable schools and companies with dynamic resumes, extreme motivation, and cultural agility to thrive in a hypercompetitive, fast-paced environment.Our Impact:Placed multiple HR executives across four operating companies who drove transformation during periods of rapid expansion, operational improvements, and strategic acquisitions. Candidates came from progressive HR organizations where the function continuously improved as true business partners, proving increasingly greater impact.Measurable Outcomes:• Multiple placements advanced through VP and EVP roles to division CHRO positions
• One placement led company spin-off, became long-tenured EVP HR & Corporate Affairs, now recognized as top Future-of-Work and HR Tech Influencer
• Another became Chief People Officer within our client company after contributing across various HR roles
• Over 50% of our early-career placements advanced to CHRO roles at Fortune 500 companies
• Candidates brought Six Sigma expertise, Lean methodologies, and proven change leadershipStrategic Insight:Penn Associates doesn’t just fill positions—we identify leaders who shape organizational success over decades. Our rigorous assessment process predicts long-term executive potential, not just current role competency.

CASE 4: RAPID DEPLOYMENT IN GROWTH ENVIRONMENTFortune 10 Technology Leader | Internal Venture LaunchThe Challenge:A flash-sale fashion startup operating as an independent business unit within a leading e-commerce company needed an HR Head to build infrastructure from scratch, align with the parent company’s leadership principles, and operate with PE-style agility despite corporate oversight.Our Impact:
Identified and recruited a seasoned HRLP alum from a Global Fortune 200 company within 48 hours of search kickoff. Candidate relocated cross-country and onboarded within 60 days.Measurable Outcomes:• Reduced time-to-fill from 7 months (previous attempts) to 2 months total (48 hours to candidate identification)
• Built a lean HR function aligned with our client’s renowned Leadership Principles
• Orchestrated change management during leadership transitions (outgoing and incoming presidents)
• Provided career coaching and relocation support during the eventual business wind-down
• Candidate promoted to lead HR for a larger business group and relocated to Southern CaliforniaStrategic Insight:Speed and precision aren’t mutually exclusive. Our network and assessment methodology enable rapid identification of passive, high-caliber talent even for ambiguous, evolving roles in high-growth environments.

CASE 5: PE-BACKED TRANSFORMATION$20B Media Company | Digital TransformationThe Challenge:A leveraged legacy media business, backed by prominent private equity firms, needed a seasoned strategic operator to streamline executive cadence and support the CEO amid a pivotal model shift: from a core traditional linear operation to a scalable, diversified digital-first multi-platform enterprise.Our Impact:Recruited a PhD-level executive from a leading technology company to serve as Chief of Staff to the CEO / VP of Organization Effectiveness. Candidate embedded executive rhythm, facilitated coordination across 600 regional operations, and supported cultural transformation.Measurable Outcomes:• Filled role within 45 days, candidate delivering impact within 60 days of onboarding
• Managed CEO office operations during a 9-month rotation, optimizing daily schedule and national initiative delivery
• Promoted to SVP Strategic Planning & Communications within one year
• Played a key role in the enterprise’s transformation into a leading multi‑platform company, shaping strategy and execution across functions
• Organization navigated Chapter 11 restructuring, eliminated $10B+ debt, and emerged as industry digital leaderStrategic Insight:PE-backed transformations require executives who combine strategic thinking with operational execution. Penn Associates identifies leaders who can navigate complexity, influence C-suite stakeholders, and deliver measurable impact under intense investor scrutiny.

ABOUT PENN ASSOCIATES

Penn Associates is a boutique executive search firm specializing in strategic HR and business leadership placements for Fortune 500 corporations, PE-backed transformations, and high-growth ventures.We've built a reputation for identifying executives who don't just fill roles—they transform organizations. Our candidates consistently advance to VP, SVP, CHRO, and EVP positions at Fortune 500 companies. That's rigorous talent identification, not luck.Our ApproachWe work at the intersection of organizational transformation and executive capability. Whether navigating post-merger integration, corporate modernization, or PE-backed restructuring, we connect you with leaders whose track records guarantee delivery.Our candidates emerge from elite proving grounds where HR evolved from compliance functions to strategic business partnerships. They bring operational literacy, analytical rigor, and executive presence required to influence at the highest levels.We don't post jobs and wait for applications. We identify passive talent—successful executives consistently recruited for expanded roles. Through trusted networks and Chronological In-Depth Structured (CIDS) interviews, we surface professionals known for getting results.We've delivered executive search services for Amazon, Disney, iHeartMedia, Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Sysco—organizations that demand excellence and understand the strategic value of getting leadership right.

ABOUT JOSEPH DICKERSON

Joseph Dickerson is Principal of Penn Associates, bringing over three decades of experience identifying and placing transformational leaders for Fortune 100 corporations and growth-stage companies.Career FoundationJoe built his practice supporting some of America's most demanding corporate environments—PepsiCo during the heyday of Coke vs. Pepsi and its hypercompetitive restaurant expansion, Disney during major organizational transformations, and Nestlé through complex post-merger integrations. These weren't transactional searches. They were strategic partnerships where getting leadership right determined whether billion-dollar initiatives succeeded or failed.His placements have consistently demonstrated staying power and advancement. Multiple candidates have ascended to Chief People Officer roles. Others lead enterprise-wide initiatives at Fortune 100 companies. Several are recognized as industry thought leaders, influencers, and board advisors. This track record reflects Joe's ability to identify not only competent professionals but also leaders who shape organizational success over the long term.ExpertiseJoe specializes in HR and general management searches where strategic thinking, operational literacy, and change management expertise intersect. His clients value his understanding of what differentiates good HR professionals from transformational executives—the ability to architect organizational capability, not just manage programs.He's placed executives who've driven measurable business outcomes: $5.5 million in verified operational savings, $10 billion to $60 billion in revenue scope expansions, successful PE-backed transformations that eliminated billions in debt, and HR infrastructure builds that supported companies through IPOs.ApproachJoe operates with a straightforward philosophy: past performance predicts future results. He invests significant time understanding clients' business challenges, organizational culture, and strategic priorities before surfacing candidates. His assessment methodology, developed over 30+ years, evaluates not just technical competency but leadership trajectory, cultural agility, and executive potential.He maintains relationships with top tier leaders across Fortune 500 companies, understanding their career aspirations, organizational contexts, and readiness for new challenges. This network enables rapid identification of passive talent who rarely surface through traditional channels.BackgroundDrawing on psychological principles and decades of practice, Joe has refined assessment protocols that predict long-term executive success. He continues to study leadership theory and evolve his methodology, evaluating not just technical competency but leadership trajectory, cultural agility, and executive potential. He maintains trusted relationships with executives across Fortune 100 corporations, PE-backed enterprises, high-growth ventures, and cultural institutions. He's known for honest counsel, practical insights, and delivering on commitments.His client relationships often span decades, a testament to the quality of placements and the strategic value he provides beyond individual searches. When executives need to build leadership teams that can navigate transformation, drive operational excellence, or scale with organizational growth, they call Joe.

CONTACT

Joe is based in Philadelphia and works with clients nationally. He welcomes conversations with executives building strategic business capability or senior leaders exploring their next leadership opportunity.

Joseph Dickerson
Penn Associates
1515 Market Street, Suite 1200
Philadelphia, PA 19102Email: [email protected]
Phone: 215-854-6336