Team

Meet Our Team

Kurt headshot

Kurt VandeMotter

Principal, Linked Executive Search.

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“Matching Exceptional People to Great Teams”

Founder of Linked Executive Search, Kurt is an accomplished leader and hiring executive with...

Kurt VandeMotter

Founder of Linked Executive Search, Kurt is an accomplished leader and hiring executive with over 35 years of experience. Filling over 400 executive-level positions, Kurt has demonstrated the ability to not only identify and attract extraordinary talent quickly but match exceptional people to great teams – ensuring a win-win relationship for both the client and the individual. Kurt brings significance to the conversation, as demonstrated by Linked Executive Search's recognition in Forbes as the #1 Executive Search Firm HQ in Texas from 2019-2020 and 9th overall in the US.

Kurt speaks frequently to Executives about Succession Planning for the Executive Suite, Re-Inventing Yourself and Coaching teams through difficult personnel transitions.

Additionally, he brings proven expertise from Fortune 500 and start-up companies in the software, cable, wireless, and beverage industries. Kurt has also been an executive leader with extensive sales, marketing, operations, management, and product development experience gained from Pepsi-Co, Dr. Pepper/7UP, AT&T Wireless, Jobster, and Intervoice. Committed to building highly effective teams, Kurt delivers energy, focus, and extraordinary networking to enhance your organization’s human capital needs.

Kurt is a graduate of Central Michigan University, where he was president of the American Society of Personal Administrators. Today, Kurt stays actively involved in the professional community and continues to make significant contributions to numerous boards and other special interest groups in the Dallas area.

Send Email to Kurt
(214) 675-4516 direct

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[email protected]
214.675.4516

Paula

Paula Calise

Principal, Linked Executive Search

“Filling hard-to-fill positions.”

Paula specializes in filling hard-to-fill positions, filling hundreds of searches since founding Linked Executive...

Paula F. Calise

Paula specializes in filling hard-to-fill positions, completing over 600 mission critical searches since founding Linked Executive Search.  Paula is known for rapidly finding talent to fill key positions that fit the company, culture and team – delivering quality candidates who can step in and immediately produce positive results.  Across many professions and industries, Paula often fills jobs that have been open for 6 weeks to 6 months. Forbes lists Linked Executive Search as the #1 firm headquartered in Texas and in the top 10 US Best Recruiting Firms in 2020 - 2022. Additionally, LinkedIn ranked Paula in the top 10% of global recruiters using their platform in December 2018.

As a hiring manager by profession, Paula fills jobs like her clients would themselves, if they had the time. With years of leadership in sales and marketing at TXU Energy, LexisNexis and IBM, she brings a wealth of placement and executive experience to every client search.

Paula is a frequent speaker on The Art of Hello®, Be Remembered in a Noisy World™, providing presentations, workshops and keynote addresses. Paula can be heard at MBA programs, professional associations, conferences, internal company leadership programs, and job seekers support groups. Paula’s popularity as a speaker is in part due to providing actionable and fresh perspective on the topic of personal branding for professionals and executives. Paula shares the tips and tools on The Art of Hello weekly on LinkedIn.

Paula earned an undergraduate degree in HR from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the University of Houston. She is actively involved in community volunteerism and leadership. Paula serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of North Texas College of Business.  She is a board member of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Retail Executive Association, co-founder of Dallas Executive Women’s Network Group, a founding member and Vice President of The Board Connection, and a former Assistant Vice President of Southwest Higher Education Authority.

 

ABOUT LINKED EXECUTIVE SEARCH

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Linked Executive Search, a Calise Reed company, is a leading executive search firm that specializes in filing hard-to-fill positions, finding the perfect executive and mid-career matches for hard-to-fill management positions.  Using a client-friendly business model, Linked leverages its hiring expertise to identify the best and brightest candidates for its clients.

Send Email to Paula
(214) 316-2519 direct

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[email protected]
214.316.2519