"Over the years, I have required Common Agenda’s assistance on numerous searches ranging from Individual Contributor to Vice President level roles. From day one, Common Agenda acted as though they were part of the VPI 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

"Darlene’s sense of timing and ability to quickly and accurately assess a manager’s hiring needs is astonishing. When we were faced with difficult job searches, she embraced them and identified key talent, sought them out, sold them on our company and closed the hire quickly and effectively with very little help from the hiring managers. This enabled our hiring managers to stay focused on product development. Darlene recruited the best and the brightest for our company."

- Dr. Krishna Bala, CEO Xtellus (formerly Founder/CTO Tellium)

"I have worked directly with Darlene Corrubia on over 70 placements. She has always demonstrated enthusiasm, good judgment, and good time management. She is fearless in pursing candidates and does a great job of recruitment. Darlene has always been a pleasure to work with and I would certainly use her services in the future. I consider Darlene to be one of the best recruiters I have ever worked with. Not bad for a Jersey girl!"

- Michael Hodges, VC, Partner ATA Ventures (formerly CEO of MEMX)

"As the new CEO of an early stage technology start up I needed to bring in the first Sales member to join a small team consisting of mainly Ph.D.s. The product is an optical product geared to the Pharmaceutical industry. Knowing of Common Agenda's successful track record in the Optical space I approached them, a bit skeptical, I must admit about what they could do in the Pharma industry. Common Agenda moved quickly to leverage their extensive network and knowledge of optical and identified three viable candidates in less than three weeks. In fact, not only did the candidate I hired through them have the exact right technology background, pharma rolodex, and personality I was seeking, it was the first candidate they presented at our initial visit at the start of the search. I found Common Agenda to be very professional, thorough and intelligent in their approach to recruiting. They also kept in mind my time frame and acted as my partner and advisor through the entire recruiting process."

- Dr. Walter Alessandrini, CEO of Ometric (formerly CEO/COB Avenex)

"Over the past decade, I have held Vice Presidential positions in both large companies and in VC funded startup organizations and have hired many individuals. Over this period of time 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 position. 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!"

- Douglas Smidl, Vice President - Worldwide Sales, Picolight

"On multiple occasions over the last five years, we turned to Common Agenda for help in recruiting senior technical staff with highly specialized skills. Common Agenda accepted each engagement as a shared mission, not just a job, and in every case, we were extremely satisfied with the results. Since each of the technical areas we asked Common Agenda for help with was an emerging technology, we witnessed how they systematically "learned" a new domain, thoroughly did their homework, and were able to quickly identify qualified prospects. Common Agenda made genuine efforts to understand the nuances of our needs and to fine tune that understanding through feedback sessions during the search. Thanks to their effective screening process we were presented only with attractive candidates along with insightful data and commentary not only about the candidates but also about the competitive talent landscape and external perception of our company. Common Agenda stayed engaged from start to finish and served as a helpful bridge between us and candidates at various stages, having earned confidence from both parties with their integrity and professionalism. In short, we consider Common Agenda our trusted partner in recruiting talent."

- Roger Tran, President, NEC Labs America

"Common Agenda - thank you for your services and for bringing the candidates that you did to the table. The quality of the candidates was exceptional. For the first time in my 20 years in the business, I have been faced with such a great array of candidates to choose from and a difficult decision because they were all so good."

- Arthur Smith, COO, Ciena Corporation

"Common Agenda helped us dodge a bullet. Our perception of the role we were hiring for was still coming into focus as we started the search . . . usually a recipe for disaster, but proactive communication and outstanding listening from Common Agenda kept us well coordinated as we sorted out our thinking and evaluated the candidates. We ended up splitting the job into two FTEs and hiring both through Common Agenda . . . and they’ve both been good hires. The process was a pleasure and the results were great."

- Bill McCall, CEO, Sedna Services

"Unlike many search firms we worked with, Common Agenda provided great assistance in their ability to understand our unique needs and to provide qualified, bona fide technical candidates that fit the specific needs, characteristics and descriptions we provided to them. They desire to understand your specific corporate needs, the culture, and the hiring need, to develop an efficient pipeline of candidates that saved us numerous hours of waste caused by other search firms that fail to do adequate screening. Common Agenda created an expertise with a difficult job search in locating top-notch talent, pre-sold them on our company and the position, and assisted us in closing the hire quickly and effectively. This efficient process allowed us to stay focused on primary client and business needs and removed the distraction that is common to many difficult job searches. Darlene assisted us greatly by recruiting the best available technical engineering talent for our company."

- John Garland, SVP Rembrant IP Management LLC

"Since 1997, I have hired Common Agenda to source executives and engineers. In each search, they have worked quickly and tirelessly to not only contact their extensive network for leads, but also to seek out individuals in tangential industries. They have never disappointed me in their search results. They stay focused on our requirements and are able to zero in on individuals with both the skills and behavioral fit we are looking for."

- Rebecca Seidman, President, Seidman & Associates (fmr SVP HR Ciena)

"Having worked with a number of recruiters, I have found Common Agenda to be my top preference in finding the right candidates. Filling key positions with highly qualified employees is one of the prime success factors for a company, and I have relied on Matthew for nearly two decades to fill these positions. They have the unique qualifications to understand the latest technologies, know the jargon, and have an amazing database of contacts to network with. With these capabilities, they can qualify and prescreen all contenders for our positions, thus saving us the time and expense of having to sift through applicants. Matthew consistently delivers."

- Greg Nulty, VP, Strategy and Business Development (fmr Ocular)

"Matthew Reaves of Common Agenda came to me recommended by my VP Business Development who Matthew had worked with for years in previous companies. Ocular was a venture capital backed startup company with aggressive plans and a short market window. After an initial meeting, I retained Common Agenda to conduct the search for our VP of Marketing. This position was crucial to our success. Common Agenda worked diligently to identify potential candidates and in a short time presented a slate of candidates that included highly recognized industry Marketing Executives. Common Agenda worked as a trusted team member throughout the process which allowed Ocular to recruit and retain an exceptional talent that ultimately satisfied both my needs and those of my Board of Directors."

- Ed Kennedy, Founder and CEO, Ocular Networks

"By chance, our HR Department referred me to Common Agenda more than seven years ago. I had been assigned a new territory and had tremendous responsibilities and the need to acquire a team of highly specialized 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 Feltz, VP, Strategic Sales (fmr Ciena)

"Acting as COO, I negotiated a contract with Matthew Reaves and his team at Common Agenda to perform multiple searches for multiple departments in the company. They satisfied a number of requirements we submitted for key positions in our Sales, Marketing, and Engineering areas with exceptional talent. All this was accomplished inside of tight deadlines during a time when everyone was hard pressed to find qualified people"

- William Caragol, Former VP and CFO, Mantra Comm

"Working together as a team, Common Agenda helped us staff our global sales application engineering organization in multiple locations in record-breaking time. Matthew and his staff recruited extremely difficult-to-locate management and staff people who had to demonstrate a rare combination of advanced technology skills and superior customer service skills, not easy, but Common Agenda came through with flying colors!"

- Greg Hayes, Former Global Manager, NPI

"Let me say that Common Agenda will always be a preferred search firm for me. They are honest and very hard working. With those two qualities, we know they will always succeed for us… even if it takes some time. I'm patient because I know that they are doing all they can and that they will be honest with me if they hit a brick wall and cannot deliver due to outside circumstances, like candidates not wanting to move, etc. Other agencies make things up to buy them time....Common Agenda doesn’t and I really, really respect that. They're the best!"

- Jen Smith, Sr. Director Human Resources, Ciena

"Matthew Reaves of Common Agenda has a team of outstanding recruiting professionals. Their ability to match skills with positions has allowed them to maintain a large base of clients and applicants. Working with them is always a pleasure."

- Cliff Staley, Director Product Integration

"My association with Common Agenda was as Matthew Reaves' client during my tenure as Chief Operating Officer of The Tolly Group in New Jersey. Matthew approached me with a sensible alternative to our previous approach to hiring Engineering and Marketing staff. He earned my trust and we were able to hire a number of very talented people at different levels in a reasonably short time. As a Common Agenda customer, I found Matt and his team to be quick in understanding our varied requirements and able to produce qualified candidates that were well-matched even if we did not hire them. Through that collaboration, we became trusted friends and have remained so even after my cross-country move to another company."

- Neil Anderson, VP Spirent Global Service

"Common Agenda has performed several senior searches for us. They are great recruiters - focused on clearly defining the requirements for the job and then insuring that candidates are well matched against those requirements. They did not waste our time on candidates that were not outstanding."

- Bill Gartner, GM Optical Div. Cisco (fmr Founder/COO Photuris)

"Common Agenda has done a superlative job of helping us; identifiying, recruiting, and placing two very specialized senior sales people. Matthew and his team took all the worry out of finding suitable candidates for these crucial positions, and made the whole process simple and straightforward. We could never have found these two individuals on our own. I especially appreciate Common Agenda’s concern not only with finding the right business/technical skill set, but also validating personal and cultural fit as well. I am sure that our company will be strengthened by the quality of our new hires. People are our strength, and that applies to both our employees and our "virtual team members" from Common Agenda."

- Alan Sguigna, Senior VP Sales & Marketing, Asset-Intertech, Inc.

"I seriously thank you for your support on this search, as well as the other searches you helped me with in 2006. My team has grown considerably in 2006. Thanks to your assistance, we have raised the bar at ADTRAN for product managers and marketing managers. I could not have gotten to where I am without your team. THANK YOU!"

- Eric Vallone, Dir.of Product Mgmt, Carrier Networks, ADTRAN

"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, VP Sales - Ixia- (fmr ATI SVP Worldwide Sales)

"I had never worked with a recruiter before, so though I was somewhat cautious when Common Agenda approached me, we quickly developed a rapport. Since they took the time to assess my needs and interests first, they were able to target the right opportunity for me without wasting a lot of time discussing opportunities that held no interest to me. Common Agenda’s style is refreshingly direct and frank, which built my confidence in their abilities. Their patience and understanding of my needs helped me to land a major position in a startup with amazing potential."

- Cory Geiger, VP, Sales

"Common Agenda’s deep experience was evident from our first conversation and it gave me tremendous comfort to know that I was dealing with true professionals. We candidates can develop a very narrow perspective of our own skill sets and experiences. Common Agenda helped me to broaden that perspective and get a sense of my own marketability and to see how my skill set was exactly what their client desired. As a marketing professional, I would have liked to think I knew how to market myself, but it was my recruiter, Darlene’s, coaching that helped me land a job that I had previously dismissed, thinking, "They’ll never consider me!""

- Jon Secrest, VP of Corporate Marketing

"When I was contacted by Common Agenda, I was not looking for any opportunities and was not responsding to recruiters. However, Carla at Common Agenda had taken the initiative of prioritizing many opportunities that would be a great fit for me. There were many companies looking for hard-workers and my well rounded experience could be a great asset to them. Carla presented me with the right opportunity for my International Standards background. I have been enjoying my new job ever since. I was extremely pleased working with Carla, and highly recommend her to all my friends."

- Lily Cheng, Carrier Ethernet Services Engineer

"I have spoken to a fair number of recruiters in the past. Even though we hadn’t spent much time talking about specifics, I immediately felt very comfortable speaking with the recruiter from Common Agenda. She has a very warm and inviting style. I know she probably has many clients that really love working with her. I look forward to staying in touch with this recruiter."

- Nelson Hubble, Global Account Manager

"Matthew, I want to say that I did recognize and appreciate, and still do, the integrity and sense of fair play with which you dealt with me when you placed me years ago as the lead executive consultant on the Telcordia Technologies (Bellcore) Enterprise Data Network Management "State-of-the-Industry" study and report that went so well. On balance, I hope those attributes have paid off for you over the long term. You’re a good man!"

- Howard Wallace, Enterprise Data Network Management Study

"Having worked for a large company, I approached Common Agenda with some very definite ideas about the career path I had in mind for myself. They helped me to get organized and set career goals that targeted my aspirations and I was placed in a position in a promising startup. Later, when that startup fell on hard times, they placed me in a new role that expanded my career in the very direction we had discussed years before!"

- Steve Carter, Senior Product Marketing Manager

"Several years ago, Matthew Reaves of Common Agenda was instrumental in my decision to make an inter-company move to New Jersey. Over the next few years, as I became better acquainted with Common Agenda, they were able to determine the type of opportunity that would truly benefit me and my family, in our particular set of circumstances. Matthew spent a lot of time getting to know me and identifying what makes me tick as opposed to what makes someone else tick. Matthew coached and counseled me through the job-seeking process, and helped me to land an exceptional opportunity."

- James Collier, SVP, World-Wide Sales (fmr Ciena)

"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 the Silicon Valley, who are known for having extremely high expectations. They were 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, VP of NA Sales

"Common Agenda’s ability to understand the goals and objectives for my career direction and match that with positions that fit is a gift. It’s easy to spin your wheels working with other recruiters, but with Common Agenda, they narrow the opportunities down to those that are a match for both the client and the candidate. I felt that Common Agenda was working on my behalf from the moment that I ended my first phone conversation with them."

- Stephen Barna, Director, NA Sales

"I've spent most of my twenty-five year career in the telecommunications industry because I like the challenges that it presents. Over the past few years, however, it has become increasingly difficult for me to find a gratifying telecom position. I had almost given up even trying to find a good job in the industry when I approached Common Agenda and told them that I really wished I could find a good position with a small vibrant telecom company that was within commuting distance of my home. Within a week of that conversation, I had a nice offer at a company that met all the criteria I was looking for. I've since accepted, started and couldn't be happier. Common Agenda's ability to quickly identify a good match and aggressively market their candidates played an essential role in me getting this job."

- Gregory Rogers, Senior Software Engineer

"Through a friend’s referral, Matthew Reaves of Common Agenda contact me 10 years ago with an opportunity to run a business unit at DSC Communications in Dallas, Texas. Moving my family from Atlanta to Dallas created a lot of issues that Common Agenda worked diligently to resolve to our satisfaction. Shortly thereafter, I began to use them in a client role to hire people to work for me. Years later, after leaving DSC, I continued to use them to staff positions in various areas of the country. Common Agenda never uses a boiler plate approach to recruiting and as a coach, counselor and friend, Matthew is a valuable asset to any client or candidate seeking to better themselves or their company in today’s high-tech environment."

- Paul Frazier, VP, Sales (fmr DSC Comm)

"Over the past 10 years, I've not been a stranger to recruiter calls. Experience has allowed me to ask good questions, to define who's working in my best interest, and who is just trying to fill an empty spot and collect a check. The recruiter I worked with at Common Agenda passes this test. She's thorough, and makes sure that both sides will experience success from the change. My recruiter was adept at listening to what's important, and culling out the requirements and the rewards that would make a move into a positive step for both individual and company."

- Ken Ferrell, Sales Manager

""My recruiter helped me with a job search back in 2004. I found she did a great job of representing me and negotiating a compensation package. Definitely, Common Agenda goes out of their way to match candidates with openings and provide coaching throughout the interview process." Top Qualities: Great Results, Personable, High Integrity"

- John Moffitt, Director of Software Development

"With ten plus years at my current job, I realized that it was time for a change so I decided to contact Common Agenda. I found the team and their policies professional, efficient, and focused. After emailing my resume, I was given constructive career advice that helped me define what I wanted to do. We fine-tuned my resume and they identified real opportunities in the areas that I wanted to pursue. They helped me get an interview and provided me with focused, intelligent coaching on proven interviewing techniques. I aced the interview with my "first-choice" company and now I am enjoying an exciting, new career. Thanks, Matthew, and hats off to the entire Common Agenda team!"

- John Curtis, Sr. Product Manager

"What I appreciated about dealing with Common Agenda was Matthew Reaves' knowledge and insight into the industry. After re-working my resume a bit, he provided advice based on real market conditions. He pushed me to focus my job search and encouraged me to pursue my own avenues. He did much more than I thought a recruiter would do. Matthew set up for an interview and called to prepare me for it. He really made me think... and to be ready for questions I was not comfortable talking about. He really helped me to get the job offer. Today I feel quite comfortable that I accepted the right one. I'll be recommending Common Agenda to my fellow engineers, I've been very impressed. Thanks!"

- D. D. (Name withheld by request), Senior Software Engineer

"My experience in working with Matthew Reaves and his team of professionals at Common Agenda has been an extremely rewarding one. I was particularly impressed with the range of top technology companies with whose executive management they are well connected. This translates to immediate access to decision makers, which is the name of the game. Moreover, he and his folks take a sincere and personal interest in making the placement successful both for the candidate and for the hiring company. While I am very happy with my new company, should for some reason I ever envision a change, I will again seek his good counsel and proven ability to get results."

- Tim O'Shea, Director Product Marketing (Nortel)

"Unlike many other recruiters, Common Agenda has a true understanding of the communications industry. Throughout my long interviewing process, they kept me informed about what was happening every step of the way. My recruiter was both thoughtful and intelligent in mapping out a successful strategy that allowed me to transition the knowledge and skills I gained in the industry into a position in a new company that wanted to move in that same direction. She was very direct - a straight shooter - who didn’t waste my time with opportunities in which I had zero interest."

- Bill Rozier, VP, Marketing Communications