Rick Sears
Leadership Coach
Rick Sears is a management graduate from Purdue University and began his professional career at Management Recruiters International (MRI) as a Research Analyst in 1996. Rick quickly grew to a Senior Executive Recruiter and Strategist with one of the Southeast's most reputable executive search firms, The Wilmington Group (an MRI affiliate). It was during his professional growth in the executive search environment that he honed his business and teaching skills and reinforced his zest for being an entrepreneur.
In 1999, Rick founded e-Search Logistics, an e-learning and media marketing organization for the recruiting industry. In 2001, Rick also founded EmailIdeas.com, a national marketing company revolutionizing the way people market themselves and company through email. Even today, EmailIdeas.com continues to thrive as a market leader. In late 2002, Rick co-founded Sterling Partners, today one of the largest virtual recruiting organizations in the country focusing on professional recruitment in a variety of markets and professions. Rick continues his role as CEO of Sterling Partners and the majority of his time there is focused on strategy, operations and "partner" development.
Building on the success and market niche of e-Search Logistics, EmailIdeas and Sterling Partners, in early 2008, Rick founded American Career Services, an organization dedicated to providing professional career services. With ACS' growth and reputation for assisting professionals nationally, it was a natural evolution to merge with Career Masters International (CMI), an international outplacement organization in early 2010. Rick currently presides as President and CEO of Career Masters International. Rick is a highly sought after conference speaker and motivator and has been featured in hundreds of recruitment/outplacement seminars and in the local media for recruitment/employment perspectives.
Out of the office, Rick is active in the Charlotte community spending hours pro-bono working directly with local professionals on career education. Rick typically starts his business day before dawn planning his day, and normally gravitates to the local Starbucks to discuss “solving the world’s business problems” with his local business network and friends.
He currently sits on the Board of Advisors for Environmental Carolinas, and is active in the Charlotte Chamber, as well as many additional local business networking groups including the Renewable Energy Business Network of Charlotte. Rick is President of the Charlotte Purdue University Alumni Club with over 1,250 members and is past President of his local HOA in the Ballantyne area.
Rick enjoys golf, cycling, the outdoors, and physical fitness. He and his wife, Susan, enjoy spending their free time with their two young sons, Austin and Colin.
