Olympic Reflections #3: Across Sectors

by Ross Fletcher, Director
Herd Freed Hartz – Executive Search

Olympic Reflections and lessons learned for recruiting

I was fortunate to work at seven Olympic Games (and a few Youth Olympics) during my time in broadcasting. For the duration of Paris 2024 I’m sharing a reflection a day.

Working at 11 different Olympics events over a 13-year span allowed me the chance to report on a huge range of sports, many of which I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.  

Who knew that Modern Pentathlon was the most gladiatorial, captivating sport out there?  One minute the athletes are guiding a horse they barely know over fences, the next they’re facing off in a fencing competition. Similarly, I’d never have become a fan of Biathlon unless I’d been thrown into it in -4 degrees Fahrenheit in Seefeld, Austria back in 2012.  How the competitors ski their hearts out for miles and then calmly shoot targets I’ll never know. And what about track cycling? Athletes with thighs bigger than my torso racing at 44mph within an inch or two of the bike ahead of them, on crazily banked planks of hardwood.   

The prospect of variety was always a huge draw at every new Games. Here at Herd Freed Hartz there’s a similar theme. We work across industry sectors, with the company placing over 1000 executives in more than 450 businesses.  Variety is the spice of life and all that.

If you liked this, you can also check out:
Olympic Reflections #1: The People
Olympic Reflections #2: Interviewing

#olympics #executiverecruiting