Executive search leadership

Mike Imperiale, Managing Partner

Mike is regarded as an industry leader in executive search and corporate recruitment, with a career spanning over three decades. During this time, he has filled key leadership roles for many nationally recognized Financial Services and Healthcare brand names, including leading corporations, foundations and professional associations. As a result, Mike has become a trusted search partner and advisor to senior Human Resources executives and business leaders involved in executive search. His experience includes 17 years in Corporate HR and executive recruiting with some of the country’s largest and well known financial institutions, including Chemical Bank, HSBC/Marine Midland Bank and Barnett Banks, Inc. Mike began his career in executive search in the Banking, Brokerage and Insurance industries on Wall Street.

He earned distinction at Barnett Bank, where he built and led the nationally recognized Barnett Executive Search Group responsible for hiring the executive talent that the bank relied upon to achieve unparalleled growth in its consumer, commercial and wealth management businesses. The model that Mike introduced at Barnett has since been replicated at other leading companies, and Mike is a frequent speaker and consultant on how an in-house search function can be a key differentiator for high-growth companies in national talent acquisition. Mike received a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from The City University of New York at Brooklyn College.

Mike@SterlingSearchJax.com | Office: 904-536-6666

Betsy Jacobs, Managing Partner/Client Development

Betsy has been a nationally recognized leader in executive search and corporate recruitment for more than two decades, including a dozen years as a Corporate HR Talent Acquisition executive. Betsy spent the first 10 years of her career with Barnett Banks, Inc. in a variety of increasingly senior business line and holding company recruiting positions. As a Senior Staffing leader, Betsy played a central role in building the national Best Practices Staffing Services Division, where she managed the company’s largest statewide talent acquisition group responsible for the bank’s IT, Operations, Call Center and Customer Service recruiting and contract staffing.

Betsy also spent several years as an independent talent management and outplacement consultant, providing advice and counsel to senior leaders at major companies including American Express, Merrill Lynch, Drake Beam Morin, The Ideon Group and Website Pros (now Web.com). She is sought out as a speaker and presenter on topics including recruitment best practices, professional and career development and emerging trends in Human Resources. Betsy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Florida.

Betsy@SterlingSearchJax.com | Office: 904-537-3630

Krickett Simonton, Manager, Professional Recruiting

Krickett has been in the recruiting industry for over 20 years. She spent the first 10 years working for an independent staffing firm as a recruiting specialist before being promoted to Branch Manager, managing major client accounts including Merrill-Lynch, EverBank, Coach and Suddath Van Lines. In July 2005 she joined Randstad North America as Senior On-Site Account Manager for Merrill-Lynch and was then promoted to Branch Manager for Jacksonville operations.

Prior to joining Sterling, Krickett specialized in recruiting for positions in IT, Project Management, Business Analysis and Customer Service with iMethods. At Sterling, Krickett manages professional and management level placement. This includes national and regional recruiting for multiple industries, business lines and functions.

Krickett@SterlingSearchJax.com | Office: 904-434-3249

Executive search leadership

Mike Imperiale, Managing Partner

Betsy Jacobs, Managing Partner/Client Development

Krickett Simonton, Manager, Professional Recruiting

Sterling Commitments