Who We Are
Alexander Whitehead Executive Search is a retained executive search firm established in 2013 as an alternative to the traditional business model offered by large executive search firms.
We have offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Calgary, Alberta, and serve private and public enterprises operating regionally, nationally, and internationally.
The Team
Founding Managing Partners Michael Alexander and Terry Whitehead have 25 years of experience leading complex and challenging global search assignments across multiple sectors and industries.
Michael Alexander
Managing Partner
Natural Resources and Construction
Michael has over 15 years of search experience executing senior executive placements across a broad range of business sectors including mining, renewable energy, construction, and manufacturing. Prior to founding Alexander Whitehead, Michael was part of the industrial practice at a global search firm where he established a reputation for delivering results on technically and geographically complex assignments. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Resource Economics from the University of Massachusetts, and his professional experience includes Board positions with a small manufacturing company and a professional services firm. He speaks English, French, and conversational Spanish. Michael resides in North Vancouver with his wife and two young children.
Terry Whitehead
Managing Partner
Mining and Public Sector
Prior to founding Alexander Whitehead, Terry served in progressively senior corporate development positions before transitioning to executive search for a global recruitment firm. Within the mining, forestry, and public sectors, he has successfully concluded searches at the Board, C-suite executive, and senior management levels for large international private companies and regional public sector institutions. Terry has an undergraduate degree from the University of Lethbridge and serves on the Board of Governors and the Executive and Compensation committees. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Writers Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Sam Morris
Principal
Forestry and Industrial Manufacturing
In 2015, Sam Morris joined the firm as a Senior Associate to lead the Forestry division. Sam’s previous executive search experience included launching the forestry practice for an international recruitment firm. He has established a reputation as a national leader in identifying the next generation of executives in the forestry sector, and he has distinguished himself for his ability to complete complex technical search assignments for operations in remote locations. Sam has successfully completed senior management and C-suite search assignments with clients ranging from large publicly-traded international companies to smaller, privately-held forestry companies across Canada and the United States. In addition to forestry, Sam has led complex searches in mining, manufacturing, and construction. Sam attended Northumbria University in the United Kingdom and focused his studies in Real Estate Management.
Advisory Services
Advisory Services
Our clients retain us on a frequent basis for the following consulting projects outside of executive search:
Succession Planning
We assist clients to identify future talent for key operational and leadership roles through candidate identification, psychometric testing, assessment, and compensation benchmarking.
Candidate Development
Once candidates are identified and in place, we support their development by providing onboarding and executive coaching.
Market Intelligence
We provide clients with objective research and market opinion on corporate culture and corporate reputation.
Our Values
As trusted advisors, our priority is to exceed our clients’ expectations by delivering superior results to their timelines. We partner with select, reputable organizations and operate within a shared investment, shared reward partnership that results in the identification of the best candidates in the marketplace.
We value honest and confidential exchange of information with our clients and candidates. Our candidate selection criteria are directed by each client’s specific needs and are outlined in the comprehensive Position Specification we share with pre-qualified individuals.
We work collaboratively and confidentially with our candidates to ensure their skills and experience align with the needs of our clients, and we provide our candidates with constructive feedback about their status throughout the search process.
Community Investment
Alexander Whitehead Executive Search invests in the communities in which we work and live. We do this through volunteerism and corporate philanthropy. Each year we donate one percent of our revenue to diverse local charitable organizations enhancing our communities in the areas of the environment, education, health care, fitness and youth activities, the arts, and social initiatives.
Alexander Whitehead Executive Search is a proud member of the Alliance Partnership International (API). API is a global association of 19 highly experienced Executive Search and HR Consultancy firms, bound by a common set of values, proven methodologies, and a rigid code of professional and ethical conduct. Each API associate office around the world has a first-rate track record as an independent company in its local market and can partner with member companies to execute the most complex of multi-country or international executive talent acquisition and assessment projects.