Recognized as a global business strategist and technologist, Michael Whitehead serves as the Managing Partner at Carpe Diem Global Partners. He brings to his position a history of success in operational leadership and technology consulting within healthcare, life sciences, consumer products, and diverse global manufacturing industries. Before joining Carpe Diem Global Partners, Michael held several executive leadership positions in some of the world’s most recognized firms, like Siemens, Cap Gemini, McCormick and Company, and Johnson & Johnson, for over 25 years.
A strategic, operational, and fiscal pragmatist by description, Michael is, first and foremost, a business leader with a proven record of excellence in transforming technology functions into businesses, driving partnerships, and delivering on defined strategic outcomes and goals. “My entire career has been one dedicated and committed to operational excellence aligned to strategic outcomes with the highest level of integrity, and that hasn’t changed,” shares Michael Whitehead. “My goal within Carpe Diem remains one focused on those same principals in everything we do for our clients, while partnering and advising them, on leadership imperatives, within a highly volatile global labour market.” Being a trusted advisor in this critical space is not position we as a firm take lightly. Our deep operational acumen in all our partners, and extensive global experience in this industry, combined make us a powerful force in partnering with our clients to help them solve their unique business challenges through the application of innovative and aligned talent strategies.
Early Lessons that Helped Shape into a Successful Business Leader
Reminiscing his childhood days, Michael recalls his dad often asking him, “How are you better today than yesterday?” This simple, yet powerful mindset, continues to be a strong focus for him. He further adds, “Treat people with dignity and respect, be honest, tell it like it is, think and listen first before speaking, are all elements that have served me well over the years, along with always improving and moving forward, not worrying about what you can’t control but seeking to control and improve what you can.”
Carpe Diem: On a Mission to Disrupt the Talent Industry
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Carpe Diem Global Partners is where leadership advisory drives personal aspiration and excellence. We are a bespoke consultancy focused on Talent Advisory Services across Talent Management, Leadership Development and Organizational Advisory Services. The firm works closely with Boards, Chief Executives and Senior-Level Executives, advising Public, Private and Investor-backed companies on leadership imperatives. We champion personalization to achieve the remarkable. Our mission is to reimagine how Leadership Advisory is experienced for Clients, Leaders/Candidates, and our Colleagues. We will deliver greater value by bringing to each client engagement; partners with deep operating experience, the intellectual curiosity and wisdom to solve complex leadership initiatives, a low ego, agile, client facing, collaborative culture, and a ‘skin in the game’ set of accountabilities.
Furthermore, Carpe Diem Global Partners is a firm comprised exclusively of leaders with decades of successful operating experience; CEO’s, CMO’s, CHRO’s, CRO’s and CTO’s. Integrating deep operating experience across Leadership Advisory Services ensures a powerful combination of wisdom, pedigree, and practicality, showing up every day at a client’s doorstep. The deep insight this enables allows our team to understand what the client needs which at times differs from that what they say they want! Our ability to advise, and counsel clients on their most complex challenges while delivering on human capital strategies in a transparent, efficient process designed around our clients’ specific needs is why clients return to and retain us.
What Sets Carpe Diem Global Partners Apart from Other Market Competitors?
“Solving for complexity, remaining accountable, with transparency and genuine collaboration, combined with speed through the process, while retaining the quality and values of what differentiates us in the market remain a daily focus for us as a global firm,” reveals Michael.
Likewise, Carpe Diem Global Partners’ commitment to excellence is evident right from the first interaction with their clients and candidates. Every aspect of the team’s work is focused on gaining deep insights in understanding what the clients need to solve their issues and challenges or deliver on the opportunities they are facing. Having a committed team, none with a recruiting background, allows for peer discussions and debate with our clients leading to a far richer articulation of the job the client needs solved while facilitating greater insight into the relevant candidate profiles and or specific development areas.
Onwards & Upwards
Carpe Diem Global Partners continues to exceed the market, with strong demand across a broad spectrum of firms from Fortune 10’s to start-ups. Time and again, clients approach the firm and, more importantly, return to its services because they value the speed, quality, and excellence of delivery, matched by a partnership and realism that our team brings to each engagement. “Our strong, unique personalization approach ensures that each search is unique and tailored to the necessities of the client,” mentions Michael. Expansion of our services with a suite of solutions designed around the development of talent in areas such as market mapping, executive acquisition, assessments and benchmarking, psychometric testing, accelerated onboarding, retention programs, succession planning, team development, executive coaching, 360 feedback, high potential planning and development, 9-box talent review, board development, DE&I, culture building, change management, transformation, strategic planning, and advisory for strategic initiatives all leverage the strengths of our operational partners Our clients know this, which is why we are generally their first call. Developing leadership to excel in all aspects is smart business, and smart businesses know that!
Leading Smart Business with Smarter Technology
Instead of using legacy technology along with its costly overhead structures, Carpe Diem Global Partners has invested in a smarter technology stack designed to optimize time and drive value throughout all aspects of the work while enabling transparency and real-time visibility. One of our founding principles is transparency, and as such all clients have direct access to the firm’s technology whenever they want, can check the team’s progress, and engage with them in real-time.
Fostering a Positive Work Culture
Transparency, trust, accountability, collaboration, empowerment, open and frank communications, and fostering a culture where all members are expected to have the ability and safety to challenge the process are evident in everything we do. Moreover, Michael considers recognizing others, celebrating success, and acknowledging the effort and dedication of others are all important while continuously raising the bar. As an established, global firm, Carpe Diem’s internal processes are well defined, structured, and mature but are always open for optimization and rationalization.
Marching Ahead Despite Challenges
As a leadership advisory firm, Carpe Diem Global Partners has to navigate through several market fluctuations and a constantly shifting industry landscape from time to time. Irrespective of these challenges, the firm’s core principles of accountability, transparency, and genuine collaboration act as a guiding light and keeps the team deeply grounded, focused, and centred toward its mission.
Rejoicing the Milestones
For Michael, having had the privilege to work alongside exceptionally talented individuals worldwide is a significant milestone in his career as a business leader. Being able to help shape their journey, see them realize their aspirations, and help them succeed in what’s essential to them remains a highlight for him.
On the personal front, Michael considers seeing his children grow and become exceptional individuals in all they do as one of the most significant accomplishments he is extremely proud of.
Fuel for Thought
From a seasoned leader’s perspective, Michael shares that hiring talent without developing them has always seemed intuitively strange to him. When companies invest upfront in their new hires, their productivity is accelerated, perceptions and barriers are broken down, and clarity of engagement and purpose is achieved. If talent is a firm’s greatest resource or asset, then nurturing that resource from the beginning of its time with the firm would seem to make perfect sense!
Future Plans
Moving forward, Carpe Diem Global Partners will remain open to new opportunities, challenge the status quo, and ensure to execute and deliver above its clients’ and candidates’ expectations.
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