Gaines International

08/04/2021

A message from our founder, Donna Gaines:

This year, Gaines International celebrates 40 years of serving our clients! It’s been a long road to get here, and I’m proud to say I’ve been there since the beginning. As part of our celebration, we’ve put together a short video, which I encourage you to watch below.

Founding Gaines was like preparing for a marathon: you set your goal, train like hell, run your race, and don’t ever give up. When you’re finally finished, you celebrate – and then you go back for more! Thanks to the grit and perseverance of our wonderful team, we’ve made the impossible possible over and over again for our clients. We’ve built a reputation as trusted advisors within the AEC space, helping organizations find their perfect fit.

The story of Gaines International would be incomplete without the mention of our parent company, Allen Austin, which celebrated 25 years earlier this week. Gaines was acquired by Allen Austin in 2014, when I temporarily left Gaines to (briefly) attempt retirement. I knew that Allen Austin aligned with Gaines’ values, management style, and philosophy, and felt certain that I was leaving my “baby” in good hands. When I came out of retirement, I was welcomed back as Managing Partner with open arms. As partners, Gaines International and Allen Austin have developed an amazing culture that fosters growth and creativity, strengthening both our teams.

I look forward to celebrating more anniversaries with Gaines. Thank you for playing a part in our story.

08/13/2020

We resonated with this quote from Rob Andrews:

"Time and again, we see talented people join companies whose values and attitudes are misaligned with their own. When we ignore culture and settle for matching a resume to a woefully inadequate job description, our hires are destined to fail."

Hiring the right people involves more than reading resumes. What are you doing to attract leaders who truly fit your culture?

Whitney Johnson, CEO and Founder of boutique consultancy firm WLJ Advisors, is one of the leading management thinkers in the world and author of the award-winning Disrupt Yourself (Harvard Business Review Press). When I read Whitney’s article in this month’s HBR, I immediately wanted to sign up ...

07/30/2020

Wanted to share some insights from Rob Andrews, CEO of Allen Austin, on how B2B businesses can adapt to the new normal!

Covid-19 has changed the world of B2B sales. Even if you started the year with a packed pipeline, few businesses have escaped the economic turmoil. Heidrick & Struggles posted revenues of $145.6 million during the second quarter of 2020, vs. $173.1 million the same quarter in 2019, a 16% drop in rev...

07/28/2020

Pandemic challenges have spurred massive change in AEC and design. We want to share a great article that The Atlantic posted yesterday, discussing how the once-chic open-plan philosophy has suddenly become a thing of the past.

To quote the author, “Personal space is finally back in style, but re-creating it after two decades of its destruction is hardly a straightforward task. We have to decide what we want from walls in the first place.”

Personal space is finally back in style, but re-creating it after two decades of its destruction is hardly a straightforward task.

07/16/2020

If you follow us on Facebook, you’re probably already aware of Gaines International and the retained search services we provide for our AEC clients. You may not be so familiar with our parent company, Allen Austin, and its CEO, Rob Andrews. But we just happened on a great way to introduce you!

Hunter-Scanlon recently featured leadership insights from Rob in the article below. We'd like to share one of our favorite excerpts here:

"Your job then is to provide ... credible hope that collectively you and your people have the resources needed to meet the threats you face each day: determination, solidarity, strength, shared purpose, humanity, kindness, and resilience."

We've learned a lot from our partnership with Rob, and we are glad to see his advice is reaching a wider audience!

We at Gaines International are proud to serve as trusted advisors to our clients and friends in the AEC space. If we can provide any insight into your leadership, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

In today’s challenging times, leadership is needed more than ever. “What we need right now is calm, steady leadership; not panic, hysteria, and rush to judgment,” says Rob Andrews, chairman and CEO of Houston-based executive search firm Allen Austin, in a new report. “We need our leaders to ...

06/19/2020

As executive search consultants and trusted advisers for over 40 years, we've seen a lot of changes in the AEC industry. In fact, change is our specialty. As we've kept our ears to the ground during COVID, we're picking up on what great leaders are doing to adapt. Click the picture below to read a few ideas about where your business can start changing for the better.

01/31/2020

We are pleased to have been selected as a trusted partner in the search for a Market Sector Leader – Aviation at Leo A Daly!

We are pleased to have been selected as a trusted partner in the search for a Market Sector Leader – Aviation at Leo A Daly. About Leo A Daly Located in Midtown, our Atlanta office is flush with ambitious architects and engineers inspired to make a difference. A diverse range of international tale...

01/11/2020

Does happiness determine your success at work? https://buff.ly/35aRoge

01/10/2020

14 Leaders Share The Business Development Tools They Can't Live Without https://buff.ly/2PDkxug

01/10/2020

What Do Differently https://buff.ly/35iAuN1

01/09/2020

What are the “9 Cultural Values” that drive ? https://buff.ly/2RGkctg

01/08/2020

“Every day, workplace productivity is made possible by authentic social connections—whether a sale is closing, an internal team dynamic is built, or a killer presentation finalized. Authenticity is the essential factor to achieve long-term success for an organization, both culturally and financially” https://buff.ly/2YD9lBG