Mike Gardner

 

Mike Gardner has over 20 years of experience in the industry that dates back to his tenure with a leading distributor of flooring products in both the residential and commercial sectors.

He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in sales, sales management, operations and human capital management. In addition, Mike has invested a number of years in the retail environment, having owned and operated a successful national franchise business for over a decade.

Following his tenure in franchise ownership, Mike was appointed Vice President of Sales and Operations for a global manufacturer of playground equipment.  In that role, he gained significant experience through the operational oversight of the company’s key divisions, including sales and marketing management, advertising, HR, and operations management. 

Mike has also gained significant training and invaluable experience in talent identification and sourcing with one of the country's most unique and experienced talent acquisition firms.  The specialized expertise offered to clients by this enterprise includes recruitment research, search team training, performance coaching, and consulting services. Mike specialized in the development and utilization of original research methodologies to source and identify the best possible candidates, meeting the clients' quest for top talent acquisition.

During his tenure with Schaffer Associates, Mike has successfully completed a number of key assignments for clients in the manufacturing, building, industrial and retail sectors by placing senior executive, purchasing, sales, and operations talent. His most notable successes include the placement of a Vice President, Operations position for a nationally known manufacturer, as well as the Managers of Logistics, QC and Purchasing for the same corporation. In addition, he has successfully completed projects for employers in the residential development and construction sectors and has placed a number of Senior Purchasing Managers for the industry’s leading builder-focused chain. Mike has also rebuilt the Executive, Sales and Operations teams in a high profile technology company including the EVP of Sales, VP of Professional Services, Senior Sales Account Executives, Programmers, Business Analysts and Project Managers.

Currently, Mike will develop and manage our new talent ID program.  His responsibilities include the oversight and training of the research and recruiting teams that support our clients in identifying key contributors vital to the success of their organizations. The talent ID program is designed specifically to assist when it is not efficient or practical to conduct an Executive or Management Protocol search.  Mike is singularly equipped to lead this new enterprise through the utilization of a unique blend of cutting edge methodologies for top talent identification and acquisition.

Mike holds an undergraduate degree with honors from Mars Hill College.