What Makes A Network Matter?

Trading Zoom Screens For Real Life

January 28, 2025

From the Desk of Hillary Mager

This month we attended JPM in San Francisco, and on one of the evenings that we were there, I went to a Flatiron Alumni event that made me think about what we mean when we talk about "networks."

Seeing some of the shining stars of the "Flatiron Mafia"–Amy Abernethy, Ben Birnbaum, Josh Haimson, Robin Shah, Vineeta Agarwala, Hylton Kalvaria, Nick Brown, Ann Jaskiw, and so many others–reminded me of an important distinction…

I'm always preaching that the network doesn't matter when it comes to search, and I stand by that. But the network of people who saw you "grow up" at work? Who witnessed your struggles, celebrated your wins, and knew you before you became who you are? That's different. These are the people who will never stop cheering you on, opening doors, and believing in your vision even when others don't see it yet.

It was also amazing to run into former clients like Eddy Ben Ami (Neuralight) and Nate Maslak (Ribbon Health), as well as current clients like Sam Perkins (Nourish). So much of our work happens on Zoom these days, and it's an entirely different experience to see people outside of a little box on our computer screens and hug it out after all we've been through together.

Here's to building more of those relationships in 2025.

Hillary Mager

Welcome to Our Newest Hires

We're thrilled to welcome three exceptional new team members who bring diverse perspectives and deep industry expertise to Sterling Strand.

Eric Guajardo, Executive Recruiter

Eric comes to Sterling Strand from RevelOne, where he focused on full-funnel executive searches in sales and marketing for high-growth technology companies backed by leading PE/VC firms. His Harvard economics background and strategic approach to talent placement reinforces our commitment to understanding and solving complex business challenges through executive search.

Julia Reagan, Executive Recruiter

Julia hails from Daversa Partners, where she placed VP and C-level executives across multiple industries, including but not limited to SaaS, Consumer, and Frontier Technology. Her background in Industrial and Organizational Psychology adds valuable perspective to our structured search approach.

Matt Kurteson, Partner

Matt joins us from Arcesium, where he managed Flagship Client relationships, including D.E. Shaw, Blackstone, and J.P. Morgan. His deep expertise in complex client service and solving intricate business challenges reinforces our commitment to understanding and addressing our clients' fundamental business problems.