Ken Schmitt

Partner & Co-Founder | Ascentria Search Partners

Ken Schmitt is Partner & Co-Founder of Ascentria Search Partners and a trusted advisor to business leaders navigating growth, change, and talent decisions. With nearly 30 years of executive search and recruiting experience, he has helped private, founder-led, and private equity-backed companies identify, attract, and retain leaders who drive performance and long-term value creation.

Throughout his career, Ken has partnered with organizations ranging from emerging growth companies to established middle-market businesses, helping them build leadership teams across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Human Resources, Accounting, and Finance. His work extends beyond filling positions. He helps companies think strategically about organizational structure, succession planning, leadership capability, and the talent decisions that influence business outcomes.

Known for his candid perspective, practical approach, and ability to connect talent strategy with business strategy, Ken has built a reputation as a trusted partner to executives, boards, and hiring leaders. He believes successful hiring starts with understanding where a company is today, where it wants to go, and what kind of leadership is needed to get there.

In 2025, Ken co-founded Ascentria Search Partners following the merger of TurningPoint Executive Search and Collabrie. The firm was created to combine deep recruiting expertise with a high-touch, consultative approach that helps clients make better hiring decisions and build stronger organizations.

Beyond his work with clients, Ken is a frequent speaker, writer, podcast host, and industry thought leader. He is the author of The Practical Optimist, founder of the Sales & Marketing Leadership Alliance (SMLA), and publisher of the Hiring Matters newsletter, where he shares insights on leadership, hiring strategy, succession planning, retention, and talent market trends. His articles and presentations draw on decades of real-world experience helping companies navigate the challenges of growth, leadership transitions, and workforce change.

Ken's perspective is grounded in a simple belief: great companies are built by great people, and hiring decisions have consequences that extend far beyond the individual role being filled.

Over the years, I've learned that most hiring challenges aren't really hiring challenges. They're business challenges that happen to show up through people.

That's why I start by understanding the bigger picture. Where is the company headed? What obstacles stand in the way? What kind of leadership is needed not just for today's goals, but for what's next?

Whether I'm working with a founder preparing for growth, a private equity-backed company navigating change, or a leadership team planning for succession, my role is to help bring clarity to decisions that have long-term consequences.

I believe the best talent decisions are intentional. They aren't driven by urgency, assumptions, or the pressure to fill a seat. They're built on alignment between strategy, leadership, culture, and execution.

The goal isn't simply to make a hire. It's to build stronger teams, stronger leaders, and ultimately stronger businesses.