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Jason Mendenhall – CEO @ CTL

Paul Freed on October 17, 2024

Our Herd Freed Hartz executive search team was honored to partner with CTL, a portfolio company of Columbia River Partners, on a nationwide retained search to find their new CEO in Portland, OR.

CTL is a leading Chromebook distributor offering customized support and technical partnership to meet the needs of K‑12 Education and Enterprise verticals. Since their founding in 1989, CTL has grown to $50M+ in annual revenues and gained a reputation for delivering excellence and key strategic partnerships from Google, Intel, Qualcomm and Verizon for their hardware, software and services solutions. They recently were recognized as a B‑Corporation showing their commitment to social responsibility and giving back.Customers prefer partnering with CTL with their 1:1 customized advice/support, volume order discounts, device rental programs, free shipping, self‑service repair, demo devices, OEM quality repairs and buy back/eco recycling programs.

They sell into two key vertical markets:
K‑12 Education – With 1,000+ K‑12 school district clients nationally and a strong track record ofsuccess, the integration of Chromebooks into regular school workflow is here to stay. In 2024, 12 millionChromebooks were deployed in schools and overall growth continues. Key customers range fromPortland Public Schools, Nevada Ready 21, Maine Learning Technology Initiative, and Digital Promise(Verizon Innovative Learning Schools).

Enterprise/Business – Whether conference room systems, customer support center, digital signage or kiosks – CTL has partnered with businesses to find creative and cost‑effective Chromebooksolutions. Clients include Netflix, Airbnb, Airbus, Coinbase, Twitter/X, Spotify and Yelp.

CTL headquarters is in Beaverton, OR, with their 26K sq ft facility and they were named Fastest Growing Private 100 Companies (2022) by Portland Business Journal. Their success track record and market potential attracted the private equity investment in 2021 by Columbia River Partners to help build on this foundation and get to the next level of growth.

“CTL is growing rapidly, and the expansion of our leadership team will accelerate our scaling efforts,” said Pooneet Goel, Board Member and Partner of Columbia River Partners. ”We’ve assembled a strong team of seasoned leaders, with proven track records in education technology, that will continue CTL’s upward trajectory.”

“This is a pivotal and exciting moment for CTL,” said Stromquist, co-founder of CTL. “We’re coming off a year of growth with expansion into new markets, the introduction of new products, and our B Corp certification – all of which have positioned CTL for a bright future. With this transition, I’ll now devote time to developing new business strategies and partnerships that will drive our growth. I’m pleased to support Jason in his new role and am looking forward to our next chapter.” Read full CTL Press Release

Learn more about Herd Freed Hartz’s track record of success:
Technology practice
CEO / President practice
Private Equity practice

Ultimate Job Search Guide: Recruiter Insider Tips

Paul Freed on July 9, 2024

As a retained executive search firm, we get hired for very specific leadership roles for our clients. While we don’t help people find jobs, we want to be a helpful resource for those in job transition. Below is a collection of job search article links and resources.

** Read these articles in order. Why? The content is crafted in a way that builds upon prior sections. This system is proven, but it requires you to take a step back before going forward. Most of the challenges in a job search is getting focus and clarity. Your resume and interview strategy success depend on gaining clarity on where you are today and where you want to go next in your career.

This insight is developed from working on the front lines of hiring for 20+ years working with for 400+ clients and reviewing resumes of tens of thousands of candidates.

In other words, these are proven recruiter insider tips on how you can stand out from the pack and land that next job you want.

1. PREPARATION // Are you ready?

Get recharged. Invest 24 hours to rest, exercise, and do things that clear your head and give you energy. Laugh.

Check your dashboard indicators. Remember the big picture and assess what you could be learning during the job search. Appreciate your blessings, take responsibility for your life, and forgive others so you can move forward.

Get organized. Clear out clutter and get your workspace, computer, calendar, and contacts in order. Create folders and a spreadsheet to track your job search.

Don’t apply anywhere right away. A quick and successful job search requires a focused strategy. Exhale. Trust this proven process and don’t spam your resume.

2. STARTING POINT // Where are you now?

Know your personality. Take a quick personality assessment online (DISC, Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder) for added insight on what makes you unique and what drives you.

Get wisdom. Share what you been learning with trusted friends, family and past co-workers. Ask for authentic feedback from those who know you best.

Unpack your career. Evaluate past experience to determine what you want to continue doing (or not) in the future. Create a checklist of criteria for your next job, including: Title, location, compensation, culture, and professional development areas. Download Unpack Your Career worksheet (PDF).

3. IDEAL DESTINATION // Where do you want to go next?

Expand your perspective. Open your mind to the many options and create a “Big List” of companies you would be interested in exploring further. Download Target Company Tracker worksheet.

Narrow your focus. Identify the industries, companies and role(s) that interest you most. Narrow your big list down to a top dozen target companies. Aim smart at where you target your job search.

Visualize your ideal destination. Think about where you’d like to be down the road in your next job. Visit someone actually doing a similar job to gain inspiration and focus.

4. BE DIFFERENT // What’s your story and how can you stand out from the pack?

Update your resume. Now that you know where you are and where you are going, your resume will be more clear and effective. Update your Linkedin profile to match. Spice it up with some personality and use action words. Download your free PDF “The Resume Template” 36-page resume best practice guide.

Research your network. Who do you know? Find connections at the companies where you want to work. Look for an angle, and a way to stand out to help give you an edge over other candidates. Upgrade your LinkedIn profile (download LinkedIn Tips PDF).

Ask for help. Tell your friends, family and social networks how they can help you with your search. This can lead to great referrals.

Rehearse interviews. Practice and make mistakes with friends instead of a future boss. Be ready for the two questions you’ll get asked at every interview. Develop case study stories to describe your prior roles and accomplishments. Use the Rule of 3 technique.

5. GET ROLLING // How do you land the job?

Email your resume. Now you’re ready to apply for jobs and send your resume to targeted companies. You can skip the cover letter.

Track your weekly progress and success. Measure things you can control to keep you on track and moving forward. Download your weekly success tracking template.

Negotiate your offer. Learn a few insider tips to land the best offer. Provide references if requested.

Say “Thank You”. Remember to follow-up with all of the people who helped you along the way. If you are still employed, finish strong and give notice professionally.