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Testimonials

Retained Executive Search

Technology | Engineering | Data | Product 

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Laura Merling
Client as Chief Transformation & Operations Officer at Arvest Bank

Somer is an incredible recruiter - a true partner when it comes to finding the right executives. She takes the time to learn about not only the company and the opportunities facing the candidate, but she also takes the time to understand the entire executive team and the candidate fit. 

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Zhen Lu
CEO
RunPod

I have had the pleasure of working closely with Somer from Distinguished Search on several executive searches for my company, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. Her exceptional skills as a recruiter and her dedication to her clients truly set her apart.

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Stephanie Kohl
Senior Manager, HR Business Partner

Somer Hackley lives out the authenticity and people centered approach through her work. She is the North Star to what the best in the industry looks like: sincere, ethical, a true partner and brilliant. 
She knows how to spot talent but more importantly she knows how to match people to the right company and role for mutual success; which is the heart of Executive Search.

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Jody Tracey
Client as Global Head of HR, Financial and Risk Customer Proposition

As a client for the past 7 years, Somer has created a strong relationship with my company. From the beginning, Somer displayed a clear understanding of our requirements and could discuss how each candidate matched our requirements or might be an "interesting alternative fit." 

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Anna May Stratton
Client as Director, Executive Recruiting, Capital One

I worked closely with Somer while leading Executive Recruiting for Technology at Capital One. I can't say enough great things about her. I truly saw her as a valued partner to Capital One and in actuality considered her an extension of the Capital One family.

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Steve Davis
Client as Head of Talent Acquisition
Broadridge

I worked closely with Somer while I was the Head of Talent Acquisition at Broadridge Financial Solutions.  What makes Somer a great search partner is her ability to listen to ALL the clients in the search process; hiring managers and other key executives, HRBP’s, talent acquisition leads and of course candidates.  

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Rob Alexander
CIO, Capital One

Somer is a tremendous executive recruiter, and I've been fortunate to work with her for years in my role as CIO at Capital One. She's successfully landed key executive leaders in technology, security, data/ML and other disciplines for our organization. 

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Neil Lucente
Director of Talent Acquisition,
Renaissance Learning; prior Director, Strategic Talent Acquisition at Thomson Reuters

I have never worked with a stronger search partner than Somer. Her ability to truly understand our business needs and uncover excellent talent while managing through our quirkiness as an organization, is unmatched in my experience with search firms.

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Dan McGuire
Managing Partner, Arcturus Advisory Services

It is a great feeling to do business with someone who is thoroughly professional. I worked with Somer several years ago when she was conducting senior executive searches for a major Financial Services client and I was a candidate for one of the positions. 

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Diane Lye
EVP, CIO Card and Small Business Technology, Capital One

Somer is an excellent recruiter of top technical executive talent. I have worked with Somer both as a client, at Capital One, where she helped me make a number of critical hires, and Somer originally placed me at Capital One. 

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Rick Sondhi
Client as Executive Recruiter, Technology & Business, Visa

Worked with Somer on some difficult searches while at Visa, and can confidently say that I was very impressed with her professionalism, interpersonal skills and business acumen. Her ability to "lead" a search, manage and execute on client expectations is very impressive and exemplary. 

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Rebecca Nicholas
Director of Engagement, Facebook

Not only is Somer Hackley a dedicated and well-connected recruiter but she is a strong supporter for those that are looking for work during these crazy times. I worked with Somer on an opportunity a few years back that did not move forward but her ability to connect and understand a candidate made her very memorable to me. 

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Sanjay Bhakta
Past Placement, Pearson

Somer is an exceptional executive recruiter.  It has been years since Somer and her team placed me at Pearson, yet she has made a point to keep in touch. She ensured that I was given feedback and was my advocate throughout the interview process. It was truly a pleasure working with her.

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Graham King
Client as Global Head of Talent Acquisition - Enterprise Technology, Thomson Reuters

Somer has a unique talent that sets her apart from her peers in executive search.  Somer is one of the few search professionals who truly understands a client’s business and is able to quickly identify the relevant candidates throughout the search process.

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Rohit Prabhakar
Placement, Thomson Reuters

When it comes to executive recruiting, Somer is someone I highly recommend.  She and I partnered together in securing a key position for me. Somer understands the nuances of digital transformation and had a strong grasp of the organization’s overall goals and the Digital Transformation leader’s impact.

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Erica Piper
Client as Head of Executive Technology Talent Acquisition at Capital One

I partnered with Somer over the last 2+ years, first when she was with a global executive search firm, and now that she has moved into her own consulting and search firm, Distinguished Search. Somer delivered above and beyond in the search space, landing significant hires for our Tech organization, and partnering closely with our senior leaders to identify and recommend top talent in the marketplace.

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Ted Prendergast

Client as Manager of Talent Sourcing and Operations at Red Ventures

Somer is a true leader in the executive recruiting space. I've had the pleasure of working with her on multiple high priority roles for us here at Red Ventures and her effort and success rate are top of class.  Somer not only works for her clients but also her candidates and builds long lasting and genuine relationships with everyone she represents.

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Jack Karavich
Founder & CEO at Tigeraire

Somer is truly exceptional at her job. She understands the landscape of the recruiting industry better than anyone I’ve met and has elected to focus on its most challenging demographic - senior leaders and executives. Somer has done so with such intentionality that you can’t help but admire her tenacity and gusto. In a space where success is entirely dependent on trust, relationships, and self-awareness, she delivers over and over again at the highest level.

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