St. Louis Missouri, April 2021 – Mac & Co is an executive search firm that helps small to medium sized non-profits effectively and affordably navigate leadership transitions.

“We are an executive search firm focused on the niche of small to medium sized nonprofits,” Abby Cohen, the Principal and Founder of Mac & Co said.  “Hiring a national search firm that may cost $60,000 at a minimum is just not feasible for those organizations.”

“We really wanted to form an agency to serve these organizations because if they have a really good team leader in place, they can be more effective and serve our community more effectively,” Cohen said.

Unlike traditional search firms, Mac & Co utilizes a flat fee structure with most comprehensive search services priced under $20,000.

While a small to medium sized non-profit may not have the financial capacity to hire a national search firm to help with a transition, they likely need professional help selecting the right leader.

“In small to medium sized non-profit organizations, the Executive Director tends to wear a lot of hats,” Cohen said. “And the volunteer board responsible for governance and hiring isn’t typically involved in day-to-day operations.”

One of the things that sets Mac & Co apart from other executive search firms, according to Cohen, is the process they follow when they are engaged by a non-profit to help with a search.

“We really focus up front with working with the organization on understanding who they need,” Cohen said. “We spend the first two to four weeks talking with internal stakeholders.”

The amount of time spent on this phase will depend on the size and complexity of the organization. Mac & Co will engage with board members, staff, key partners, and other key stakeholders to understand what the organization needs in their next leader.

“We want to get an idea from all these stakeholders of what this position needs to look like, what types of gaps there are on the team,” Cohen said. “We then have a really good idea for who we are looking for.”   

Cohen said her experience as an athlete informs her thinking about how Mac & Co can help their clients achieve success with a search.

“One of the critical processes you can go through the night before a big game is thinking about and visualizing that key shot going in or hitting those free throws in the last second,” Cohen said. “That can have a huge impact on success.”

“One of the things I like to do with agencies during those first few weeks is not just going and finding good leaders in the community,” Cohen said. “It is about understanding what that organization needs in its next leader.”

Cohen said her love of St. Louis helped motivate her to form Mac & Co.

“I want our community as a whole to improve,” Cohen said. “If Mac & Co can be part of that by helping these organizations find their right leaders during a time of transition, we want to be a part of it.”

You can learn more about Mac & Co at macand.co

You can join the conversation with #mySTLbiz

--Ron Watermon, StorySMART Video News, reporting for Mac & Co

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