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Take Your Career to New Heights

Discover the ways Common Agenda can help you forge a fulfilling future

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Candidates placed who weren't actively searching

Unknown Opportunities

The majority of candidates we place are currently employed and not actively pursuing other positions. Upon discovering the opportunities our clients have, they are eager to explore potential advancements in their career at innovative companies.

Be Open

Listen to the types of positions clients are creating and what these companies are delivering in the industry.  Connect with other technology leaders and learn their innovative practices.

Resume Writing

Review best practices in preparing a resume and avoid costly errors in your first impression. See our resume examples for proper formatting presentation and be sure to submit a copy to join our network of candidates.

Interview Prep

Knowing interview basics is crucial but so is reading up on a few simple steps most candidates neglect. Hear our stories on candidate interviews and the feedback we receive from clients.

Making Connections

Regardless of where you are now, making industry connections today can pay off for years. Follow us to learn the latest industry news and hear about new searches.

Join Our Network

We turn to our proprietary database first when conducting a search. By joining our global network of candidates you will hear about priority searches first and only receive opportunities that match your career aspirations.

Case Studies

Technology Sector

Placement: SVP, Sales

Candidate increased sales from $150M to $500M in 3 years, leading to a successful IPO and subsequent multi-billion-dollar acquisition for company.

Placement: General Manager

$600M cable manufacturing facility in suburban Atlanta, overseeing a staff of 500.

Placement: SVP, Sales
Increased sales from $150M to $500M in 3 years, leading to a successful IPO and subsequent multi-billion-dollar acquisition for this optical networking company.
Placement: VP, North American Majors and Markets
$500M P&L ownership, and management of a team of over 50 including 6 direct reports.
Placement: SVP, Sales - Telecom Division

Candidate was brought in to function as a Business Unit.

Placement: GM
Responsible for the largest division of this $900M professional services company.

Non-Profit Organizations

Placement: Executive Director

Changed trajectory from a loss of $500K to a profit of over $14M in three years.

Placement: Director of Member Experience
  • Overall membership increased by 2.4%
  • Student membership went from a 17% year over year decline to a 16% year over year gain

Learn more about Matthew’s inspiration for recruiting

The importance of Optica (formerly The Optical Society of America) to Common Agenda

TESTIMONIALS

WHAT OUR CLIENTS AND CANDIDATES HAVE TO SAY


By chance, our HR Department referred me to Common Agenda in 1997. Matthew Reaves answered the phone and listened as I explained I had been assigned a new territory and had tremendous responsibilities and the need to acquire a team of highly specialized systems engineering and testing professionals immediately. This engagement was tough, to say the least, and I needed local expertise and people who were familiar with my top account. The team at Common Agenda acted as a partner with me and went the extra mile to fill these positions with top-level talent. They have gone on to staff many key roles in Sales, Marketing, and Business Development for me, both domestically and internationally, over the years.

Katie Felts
VP Strategic Sales - Ciena

Common Agenda
2020-09-18T15:45:19-04:00

Katie Felts
VP Strategic Sales - Ciena

By chance, our HR Department referred me to Common Agenda in 1997. Matthew Reaves answered the phone and listened as I explained I had been assigned a new territory and had tremendous responsibilities and the need to acquire a team of highly specialized systems engineering and testing professionals immediately. This engagement was tough, to say the least, and I needed local expertise and people who were familiar with my top account. The team at Common Agenda acted as a partner with me and went the extra mile to fill these positions with top-level talent. They have gone on to staff many key roles in Sales, Marketing, and Business Development for me, both domestically and internationally, over the years.


Honestly, I was fortunate to be short listed on two sales leadership opportunities and was next to accepting one of them when Julia Bocage of Common Agenda reached out and pitched what sounded like an excellent leadership opportunity in an emerging space. Julia outlined the opportunity with both detail and insight. She explained where they were in the search process then sent me off to do my own investigation. Their team set a call with Common Agenda's principal, Matthew Reaves who painted the reality of the company, culture, people, and market, and got answers to all of my questions. When they learned of my late stage with the other companies, they were able to fast track me with their client. The rest is history. It is a pleasure to recommend Common Agenda for doing a great job of shepherding me from beginning to end.

Jeff Horton
Managing Sales Director, Networks - Intelsat

Common Agenda
2021-09-28T12:21:07-04:00

Jeff Horton
Managing Sales Director, Networks - Intelsat

Honestly, I was fortunate to be short listed on two sales leadership opportunities and was next to accepting one of them when Julia Bocage of Common Agenda reached out and pitched what sounded like an excellent leadership opportunity in an emerging space. Julia outlined the opportunity with both detail and insight. She explained where they were in the search process then sent me off to do my own investigation. Their team set a call with Common Agenda's principal, Matthew Reaves who painted the reality of the company, culture, people, and market, and got answers to all of my questions. When they learned of my late stage with the other companies, they were able to fast track me with their client. The rest is history. It is a pleasure to recommend Common Agenda for doing a great job of shepherding me from beginning to end.


In January 2013 I joined Tata Communications as America’s Recruitment Lead. The company was investing heavily in US growth so I reached out one of our vendors, Common Agenda. I met with their founder, Matthew Reaves who had a long list of placements with us dating back to 2007. Matthew had satisfied customers in many groups and knew the company quite well, so partnering was a natural step.  From 2013 through my departure in 2018, I engaged his team on a wide range of searches in support of my engineering, marketing, service delivery, and sales organizations.

Matthew and I worked as partners. He often educated the managers to the realistic market conditions which improved their ability to hire top candidates. Common Agenda provided me and my hiring managers with detailed communication from the beginning to the end of each search. They know the right places to find the right candidates and as a result, they filled numerous searches during my tenure. Without hesitation I would recommend Common Agenda as an excellent recruiting partner.

Lokesh Mehta
former America's Recruiting Lead - Tata Communications

Common Agenda
2020-09-24T09:49:04-04:00

Lokesh Mehta
former America's Recruiting Lead - Tata Communications

In January 2013 I joined Tata Communications as America’s Recruitment Lead. The company was investing heavily in US growth so I reached out one of our vendors, Common Agenda. I met with their founder, Matthew Reaves who had a long list of placements with us dating back to 2007. Matthew had satisfied customers in many groups and knew the company quite well, so partnering was a natural step.  From 2013 through my departure in 2018, I engaged his team on a wide range of searches in support of my engineering, marketing, service delivery, and sales organizations. Matthew and I worked as partners. He often educated the managers to the realistic market conditions which improved their ability to hire top candidates. Common Agenda provided me and my hiring managers with detailed communication from the beginning to the end of each search. They know the right places to find the right candidates and as a result, they filled numerous searches during my tenure. Without hesitation I would recommend Common Agenda as an excellent recruiting partner.


Common Agenda recruited my VP of Marketing at Pedestal Networks. They were direct, honest, and really worked as though they were members of our team. This is exactly what I needed because not only did I not have an HR department, but I had a high-powered Board of Directors, some of the top VC’s in Silicon Valley known for having extremely high expectations. Common Agenda’s team was diligent and professional, meeting the needs of the Executive team and the Board of Directors. Ultimately, Pedestal Networks was able to recruit and retain one of the most recognized Marketing names in our industry.

Greg Daily
Board Member - Envision
former President - Alvarion

Common Agenda
2023-11-21T12:46:54-05:00

Greg Daily
Board Member - Envision
former President - Alvarion

Common Agenda recruited my VP of Marketing at Pedestal Networks. They were direct, honest, and really worked as though they were members of our team. This is exactly what I needed because not only did I not have an HR department, but I had a high-powered Board of Directors, some of the top VC’s in Silicon Valley known for having extremely high expectations. Common Agenda’s team was diligent and professional, meeting the needs of the Executive team and the Board of Directors. Ultimately, Pedestal Networks was able to recruit and retain one of the most recognized Marketing names in our industry.


As a Common Agenda customer, I find that they are able to work with me to find the right person for the job, whether it is an Engineering Program Manager, a Society Executive Director, or a Marketing Director. The Common Agenda team asks the right questions to identify our core needs so that we hire the right person for the job.  Each time, Matthew’s group has provided us with a good slate of candidates and our final selections have proven to be assets to the organization. During our interactions, Common Agenda has partnered well with HR, the hiring managers, and other stakeholders within the organization. They have provided clear and timely communication throughout the search. They target the right skill sets and do a great job of vetting candidates to produce an excellent slate of candidates.

Mary Ward-Callan, MSEE, CAE
Managing Director Technical Activities - 
IEEE

Common Agenda
2020-08-24T09:59:58-04:00

Mary Ward-Callan, MSEE, CAE
Managing Director Technical Activities - 
IEEE

As a Common Agenda customer, I find that they are able to work with me to find the right person for the job, whether it is an Engineering Program Manager, a Society Executive Director, or a Marketing Director.


I first met Matthew Reaves in 1999 through my boss, who was President of Nortel's Optical & Internet Solutions Unit at the time. As Vice President & GM, my goals necessitated recruiting the best senior level specialized optical engineering and product people from a hyper competitive market.  Matthew’s team was very familiar with recruiting in this space and immediately filled several key positions.


As President & CEO of small and mid-sized private and public tech companies, I have retained Matthew to partner with my leaders in targeted headhunting to meet our requirements. Common Agenda excelled in sourcing and vetting candidates and consistently presenting impressive slates of candidates. In each search, they demonstrated an understanding of the requirements as they tap into their vast network and extend into related industries. They excel at pinpointing individuals with the right combination of skills and cultural fit. Their search results have consistently met my expectations and I have recommended them on many occasions.  We built our rapport quickly and it carries on to today.

Dan Mondor
Former President & Board Chair - Inseego, Concurrent
Former Vice President - Nortel

Common Agenda
2023-11-30T13:47:40-05:00

Dan Mondor
Former President & Board Chair - Inseego, Concurrent
Former Vice President - Nortel

I first met Matthew Reaves in 1999 through my boss, who was President of Nortel's Optical & Internet Solutions Unit at the time. As Vice President & GM, my goals necessitated recruiting the best senior level specialized optical engineering and product people from a hyper competitive market.  Matthew’s team was very familiar with recruiting in this space and immediately filled several key positions. As President & CEO of small and mid-sized private and public tech companies, I have retained Matthew to partner with my leaders in targeted headhunting to meet our requirements. Common Agenda excelled in sourcing and vetting candidates and consistently presenting impressive slates of candidates. In each search, they demonstrated an understanding of the requirements as they tap into their vast network and extend into related industries. They excel at pinpointing individuals with the right combination of skills and cultural fit. Their search results have consistently met my expectations and I have recommended them on many occasions.  We built our rapport quickly and it carries on to today.


During 2007, Matthew Reaves was recommended to me by a trusted colleague who had recruited dozens of principal staff and leaders through him at an ITC startup a few years earlier.  I engaged Matthew to recruit a Director of Contracts and interviewed an excellent slate of candidates. We were successful in filling that position thanks to Common Agenda. In my current role, as Vice President of North America for a global service provider, I have retained Common Agenda to recruit several key positions on my leadership team. Common Agenda has taken care to understand our culture and how to attract top talent. Their slates of candidates have exceeded my requirements and my hires have been outstanding.  It’s important to note that they have partnered very well with each of the Human Resources and Talent Acquisition teams that have supported my efforts. I have recommended them many times and will continue to call on them as I build leadership teams.

Tim Schermerhorn
Vice President North America - Intelsat

Common Agenda
2023-12-19T10:53:26-05:00

Tim Schermerhorn
Vice President North America - Intelsat

During 2007, Matthew Reaves was recommended to me by a trusted colleague who had recruited dozens of principal staff and leaders through him at an ITC startup a few years earlier.  I engaged Matthew to recruit a Director of Contracts and interviewed an excellent slate of candidates. We were successful in filling that position thanks to Common Agenda. In my current role, as Vice President of North America for a global service provider, I have retained Common Agenda to recruit several key positions on my leadership team. Common Agenda has taken care to understand our culture and how to attract top talent. Their slates of candidates have exceeded my requirements and my hires have been outstanding.  It’s important to note that they have partnered very well with each of the Human Resources and Talent Acquisition teams that have supported my efforts. I have recommended them many times and will continue to call on them as I build leadership teams.


At two companies I’ve worked for since the late 1990’s, I have requested Common Agenda’s assistance on numerous searches ranging from Individual Contributor to Vice President level roles.  From day one, Matthew and the team at Common Agenda acted as though they were part of my team working endlessly to recruit the best talent and facing me with the difficult decision of choosing from a pool of exceptional candidates.

Tito Sharma
Chief Financial Officer - VPI Systems
former Chief Financial Officer - Lemur Networks

Common Agenda
2023-11-21T12:37:57-05:00

Tito Sharma
Chief Financial Officer - VPI Systems
former Chief Financial Officer - Lemur Networks

At two companies I’ve worked for since the late 1990’s, I have requested Common Agenda’s assistance on numerous searches ranging from Individual Contributor to Vice President level roles.  From day one, Matthew and the team at Common Agenda acted as though they were part of my team working endlessly to recruit the best talent and facing me with the difficult decision of choosing from a pool of exceptional candidates.


One of the things that impressed me the most about Julia Bocage of Common Agenda was her deep understanding of what her client needed. This was well-articulated to me and was represented both directly and indirectly during my interview process. Having worked with other recruiters in the past, this was unique to Julia at Common Agenda. While the other recruiters knew their client had a position to fill, Julia made it clear that it was the resume and personal attributes that would ultimately contribute to the organization's culture and success. Similarly, Julia was transparent about the challenges of the existing culture and took into account my feedback to confirm if I was a fit for the role.

All in all, I had a wonderful experience with Julia at Common Agenda as I took the position. It was such a great experience, I have referred others to them for opportunities as I know Common Agenda is looking out for all involved.

Trish Jaraicie
Director of Marketing and Membership - IEEE Communications Society

Common Agenda
2020-09-29T15:09:43-04:00

Trish Jaraicie
Director of Marketing and Membership - IEEE Communications Society

One of the things that impressed me the most about Julia Bocage of Common Agenda was her deep understanding of what her client needed. This was well-articulated to me and was represented both directly and indirectly during my interview process. Having worked with other recruiters in the past, this was unique to Julia at Common Agenda. While the other recruiters knew their client had a position to fill, Julia made it clear that it was the resume and personal attributes that would ultimately contribute to the organization's culture and success. Similarly, Julia was transparent about the challenges of the existing culture and took into account my feedback to confirm if I was a fit for the role. All in all, I had a wonderful experience with Julia at Common Agenda as I took the position. It was such a great experience, I have referred others to them for opportunities as I know Common Agenda is looking out for all involved.


As both a candidate successfully placed and now as a commissioning executive running a global technology business, I have the utmost respect for ways that Common Agenda has truly partnered with me. They may be smaller than the big name executive search firms, but in my experience the information they provide to me is more real. They are much more attentive, flexible, personable, and tenacious! They have really impressed me with industry knowledge, research capabilities, and their attention to detail. They take the time to know their candidates – not only their professional skills and aspirations, but also their life and family values. For that reason, their matches are excellent. Most importantly, they deliver qualified candidates on time – even for my toughest searches.

Maik Lankau
former VP, Sales - JDSU

Common Agenda
2020-08-20T15:52:47-04:00

Maik Lankau
former VP, Sales - JDSU

They take the time to know their candidates – not only their professional skills and aspirations, but also their life and family values.


Common Agenda was familiar to me because they were members and active volunteers of The Optical Society where I was Chief Meetings and Industry Officer. My career developed, in large part, due to deep engagement with the leaders of the global communications industry where Common Agenda was a well known executive search firm. So, when Matthew Reaves called and presented what sounded like a fantastic career opportunity - one that would leverage my background and provide a challenge but also enable me to grow and expand into new industries, I took it seriously. The timing coincided with the OSA's largest trade show (OFC - The Optical Fiber Conference) so we met and immediately hit it off. It impressed me that he genuinely knew the organization, it's leaders, the challenges, the potential... He interviewed me with his client's needs in mind but didn't just try to sell. He listened and got to know me. The process took some time but his staff kept me informed and handled every aspect with professionalism. I was shortlisted and ultimately accepted the position as Society Executive Director of the IEEE Computer Society. It was a great experience!

After having such a positive experience being a candidate, Common Agenda was my first call when I found myself needing to build my staff. They have recruited a few of my key managerial team and I couldn't be happier. I have developed a long-lasting relationship with Common Agenda - not only with Matthew but the entire team. They are knowledgeable, efficient, and personable and their engagement delivers an exceptional experience. They are an asset to our organization and continue to provide exceptional service as our partner in recruiting.

Melissa Russell
Executive Director - IEEE Computer Society

Common Agenda
2021-09-28T11:39:54-04:00

Melissa Russell
Executive Director - IEEE Computer Society

Common Agenda was familiar to me because they were members and active volunteers of The Optical Society where I was Chief Meetings and Industry Officer. My career developed, in large part, due to deep engagement with the leaders of the global communications industry where Common Agenda was a well known executive search firm. So, when Matthew Reaves called and presented what sounded like a fantastic career opportunity - one that would leverage my background and provide a challenge but also enable me to grow and expand into new industries, I took it seriously. The timing coincided with the OSA's largest trade show (OFC - The Optical Fiber Conference) so we met and immediately hit it off. It impressed me that he genuinely knew the organization, it's leaders, the challenges, the potential... He interviewed me with his client's needs in mind but didn't just try to sell. He listened and got to know me. The process took some time but his staff kept me informed and handled every aspect with professionalism. I was shortlisted and ultimately accepted the position as Society Executive Director of the IEEE Computer Society. It was a great experience! After having such a positive experience being a candidate, Common Agenda was my first call when I found myself needing to build my staff. They have recruited a few of my key managerial team and I couldn't be happier. I have developed a long-lasting relationship with Common Agenda - not only with Matthew but the entire team. They are knowledgeable, efficient, and personable and their engagement delivers an exceptional experience. They are an asset to our organization and continue to provide exceptional service as our partner in recruiting.


Julia’s expertise, direct approach, and open communication matched me to this role, where I am able to leverage my talent and experience. She made it easy to navigate the entire process, from introduction to interviewing, and transitioning gracefully from my previous position. Thank you, Common Agenda!

Cindy Tiritilli
Membership Manager - IEEE Communications Society

Common Agenda
2020-08-27T09:35:21-04:00

Cindy Tiritilli
Membership Manager - IEEE Communications Society

Julia’s expertise, direct approach, and open communication matched me to this role, where I am able to leverage my talent and experience. She made it easy to navigate the entire process, from introduction to interviewing, and transitioning gracefully from my previous position. Thank you, Common Agenda!


Over the past two decades, I have held Vice Presidential positions in both large companies and in VC funded startup organizations and have hired many individuals.  Over this period, I have worked with many recruiters and my most recent experience working with Common Agenda was second to none.  They took the initiative to truly understand my hiring needs and presented to me, a number of candidates that were all potential great hires.  As a result, I was able to select the “best of the best” for my open positions.  They did the work of finding, preparing, and presenting to me the right candidates and the cycle time to hire was fast and simple.  In the end, all I care about is results – filling my open position with not only the right person, but the best person.  Common Agenda delivered – Mission Accomplished!

Doug Smidl
Vice President of Sales - Accedian
former Vice President, Worldwide Sales - ADC

Common Agenda
2020-09-18T15:44:32-04:00

Doug Smidl
Vice President of Sales - Accedian
former Vice President, Worldwide Sales - ADC

Over the past two decades, I have held Vice Presidential positions in both large companies and in VC funded startup organizations and have hired many individuals.  Over this period, I have worked with many recruiters and my most recent experience working with Common Agenda was second to none.  They took the initiative to truly understand my hiring needs and presented to me, a number of candidates that were all potential great hires.  As a result, I was able to select the “best of the best” for my open positions.  They did the work of finding, preparing, and presenting to me the right candidates and the cycle time to hire was fast and simple.  In the end, all I care about is results – filling my open position with not only the right person, but the best person.  Common Agenda delivered – Mission Accomplished!
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