CIO Bulletin

An executive search and recruitment firm with a distinct process that allows organizations to succeed: Keynote Search

In a market saturated by placement agencies that are focused on completing a hiring transaction, Keynote Search answers the question organizations are really asking: How do we find, fit, retain and achieve the peak performance of exceptional talent? Executive Search and Recruitment alone solves one problem – finding people. It doesn’t solve the bigger challenges of productivity, engagement and performance. That is why Keynote not only finds the best candidates but it also helps them succeed and reach their peak performance through its post-placement integration program to increase productivity and performance through 9 structured sessions in the first 90 days. Keynote Search was built to address the weaknesses in traditional executive search and recruitment. Co-Founders James and Donna Baker relocated to Ottawa from London, England as part of a team to launch a global recruitment business in Ottawa. After achieving incredible success and spending more than a decade in the industry, they viewed the industry as broken. They were often at odds with the metric driven, non-human approach to the business. Recruitment and the people involved had become commoditized. This simply did not work for the Bakers, and thus Keynote Search was born!

They believe the emphasis should be on the people and this shared ideology is central to how Keynote Search came to be. Keynote is dedicated to humanizing recruitment while enhancing its productivity and effectiveness with technology in order to focus on helping organizations succeed.

Focus on Your Business

Managing a team is no easy task. When it comes to operating within the construction industry, a whole new layer of complications can amplify the need for effective hiring. Unique challenges such as securing permits, coordinating building teams and procuring the right equipment and materials are just a few tasks faced by executives in this field. Let Keynote Search help you achieve the optimal performance, and retain the best possible workers and maintain a smooth standard of operations. With its full-service, all-inclusive executive search and recruitment solution, Keynote Search makes it easier to find those who deserve and are capable of leading your latest endeavors. The key? Retention and support. Not only does it strive to successfully place recommended candidates, but also work closely with you to ensure their integration is streamlined, addressing any concerns along the way. With a meticulous focus on background, marketable skills and personality during its vetting process, Keynote Search prides itself on sourcing the finest figureheads for your construction operations. Not only that, but it also delivers comprehensive executive coaching to ensure everyone gets along and works well together, helping you put hammer to nail and make real progress

Aerospace, Defence & ISR

Keynote Search has successfully completed searches for key-hire and executive level leadership for Aerospace, Defence, and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) related organizations, and the industries that serve them including public and private corporations from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

Keynote’s Aerospace, Defence, and ISR practice group focuses in two distinct areas, helping domestic and foreign clients recruit executive leadership to manage their Government Relations presence in Canada’s Nation’s Capital, and their manufacturing centers of excellence in key jurisdictions across the country.

“Our process leverages our expert Toronto and Ottawa headhunters’ experience combined with cutting-edge technology to find and attract exceptional talent.

Sector Excellence

Keynote’s executive recruiters are experienced at delivering quality executive level candidates for its clients through in-depth knowledge of how to market, attract and identify executive candidates. Staying abreast of industry trends, and defence procurement programs as outlined in Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, and continuously driving to achieve the top performance of the executives Keynote places, has given it a reputation of excellence in this sector.

Keynote’s defence executive recruitment team is not only accomplished in the industry but also have deep knowledge and personal experience working with retired Canadian Armed Forces veterans. As these professionals leave the service and begin to build civilian careers, they bring with them a powerful combination of purpose, work ethic, senior leadership, and an unmistakable drive to succeed.

Non-Profit Clients

At Keynote Search, they believe in simplifying the high-level recruitment search process so you can focus on your bottom line. Fewer environments are more dependent on such a precise, carefully orchestrated focus than non-profit organizations. Getting the very most out of available resources requires the right executive for the role and Keynote’s team has worked closely to realize this for several such organizations. Ironically, Keynote’s own focus is simple: empower your workforce with ideal figurehead candidates, driving your available workforce towards a more seamless, collaborative, supportive operating environment. This is conducive to more opportunities to engage audiences, encourage compelling new partnerships, and inch further along towards your collective achievements. A combination of thorough vetting and post-hire support ensures that your new executives aren’t just a great fit; they’ll also help your existing team achieve great things.

That’s the Keynote Search way. So, what does it take to perform an effective executive search for non-profit applications? First, Keynote makes sure they have an appropriate skill set, risk-free background, and demonstrated suitability for the role in question – after all, you can’t just put anyone at the helm to weather any storms ahead! To narrow Keynote’s searches for you further, the company also pays close attention to personality traits; motives, values, preferences, how receptive candidates are to different management styles, and work ethic are just a few examples of the many criteria Keynote evaluates for each executive candidate. Nothing is left to chance, much like every opportunity your organization has to spotlight causes critical to your mission. Keynote is your non-profit executive search firm.

Meet the Leader behind the Success of Keynote Search

James Baker is the CEO and Co-Founder of Keynote Search. With 20 years of experience in the industry, James has successfully completed hundreds of executive searches on behalf of clients looking to upgrade or build out their executive leadership teams .As the leader and figure head of the executive search team at Keynote Search, James has bolstered the company’s growth to most recently being named as one of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies by the Globe & Mail Report on Business in 2021. Previously under James’ leadership Keynote Search was named Best New Business in 2016 from the Ottawa Board of Trade, #1 on Ottawa’s Fastest Growing Companies List by the Ottawa Business Journal in 2018 and #4 in 2019. James has also been recognized for his innovative approach to executive search and industry leadership. He has earned his Forty Under 40 award, Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year award from the City of Ottawa in 2018, and was named Executive Search CEO of the Year in the 2021 Canadian Business Awards. James prides himself on building the Keynote Search team with the best professionals in the industry and plays a key role in their success. From a community perspective James leads a number of philanthropic initiatives for Keynote Search as well as personally sits as the Co-Chair of the Talent Committee and Board Member for the Ottawa Board of Trade and is an active fundraiser for a number of organizations including 24h Tremblant and the CHEO Foundation. James is also an active speaker, moderator and host for a number of industry conferences, webinars, and panels and presents the latest trends in executive search and talent landscape in North America.”