Rory Verrett is the founder and managing partner of Protégé Search, a boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm focused on diverse talent. Over two decades, he has placed C-suite leaders at organizations including Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's, Twilio, Pinterest, and The New York Times.
Before founding Protégé Search, Rory served as the first-ever Head of Talent Management at the National Football League, where he managed succession planning, leadership development, and executive search functions. He also led diversity practices at Spencer Stuart and Russell Reynolds Associates, two of the world's most prestigious executive search firms.
Rory is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Howard University. He has testified before Congress on best practices in inclusive recruiting, advised the Biden administration on leadership strategy, and authored The Pomegranate Principle: Best Practices in Diversity Recruiting (Wiley). He is a former president of the Harvard Law Black Alumni Association and former trustee of Howard University. He now operates Protégé Search from Lisbon, Portugal, serving clients globally.
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Chapters
- (00:00:00) - Skills, Networking, Reputation: The Career Progression Rule
- (00:00:29) - Meet Rory Verrett: Executive Search Insider
- (00:01:46) - Rory's Path: From Howard & Harvard Law to Headhunting
- (00:05:34) - How Retained Executive Search Really Works
- (00:07:11) - Getting 'On the Radar': What Recruiter Relationships Are For
- (00:15:50) - What Companies Really Hire For: Steward, Reformer, or Disruptor
- (00:16:06) - Purpose-Driven Leadership: Profit, Performance & Purpose
- (00:18:00) - The 1% Trait: Followership
- (00:20:50) - Biggest Red Flag: Weak Interviewing at the Senior Level
- (00:24:59) - How to Win the Executive Interview
- (00:26:58) - Setting Up the Compensation Conversation
- (00:27:04) - Breaking the $250K→$500K Ceiling
- (00:27:49) - Stop Job-Hopping: Stay Through the Seasons
- (00:29:33) - Strategic Networking & Thought Leadership
- (00:31:45) - 2026 Market Reality: AI Disruption & the War for Jobs
- (00:33:16) - Surviving a Dysfunctional Market
- (00:35:55) - The Mental Toll of Senior Leadership
- (00:39:33) - How Executive References Get Scrutinized
- (00:41:21) - Hiring as Risk Mitigation: Fit, Timing & Team Chemistry
- (00:42:55) - Culture Fit & Building the Place You Belong
- (00:44:54) - Advisory Boards, Reputation & Avoiding Elegant Mediocrity
- (00:50:14) - Final Words: Faith, Ethics & Hard Work
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