Introducing Joe McCormack, Venari Partners’ new Transport & Logistics Principal

Venari Partners’ recent hire, Joe McCormack, provides some context about his career to date, what he has learned about himself, and how joining the company will boost what he can offer to clients.

Transport and logistics are complex sectors. The challenges are significant – but so are the opportunities. What’s the best way of planning your talent strategy against a landscape that’s constantly shifting? Of course, there’s no easy answer.

It’s difficult to understand an industry inside out until you’ve been in it. I should know. I’ve spent 15 years in executive search and 10 of those have been internal, at major global players like Maersk as well as CEVA Logistics. Both my colleague Gov Kandola are tackling this space and have worked with businesses that cross over with the broader transport and logistics sectors. Like Gov, I’m interested in anything that involves moving products from A to B, whether it’s trucks, cold chain, or 3- and 4PL warehouses. I also work with PE funds that operate in these areas.

As I moved into external search work, I found that clients really seemed to value my perspective, and I’ve worked hard to keep building on what I can offer to my network. They know my experience is credible. After all, I’ve sat in plenty of meetings where succession planning is discussed. I’ve seen the impact of not having the right person in the role. And I’ve observed the effect of aggressive M&A activity as talented and dedicated employees left their employers. I understand the pressures and know that working in transport and logistics isn’t always plain sailing – but clients appreciate that I’ve seen the hiring process, not to mention these sectors, from both sides and that I’ll always strive to deliver the best results possible.

Customer focus

My approach as a recruiter has always been about being personable and doing what I say I’ll do. If I tell a candidate or client that I’ll call them at five o’clock on a Friday, there are no two ways about it: I’ll call them at five o’clock on a Friday. Building relationships with my network has always been the most important part of the job for me, and I’m glad to be able to focus on that in earnest with my new role at Venari Partners. In fact, in recent years I’ve not had the chance to concentrate on the people-first aspect of the job as much as I would have liked.

As many of you reading this might know, I spent several years effectively running my own executive search business. It was extremely rewarding, but also quite exhausting to operate as a one-man band. I was stretched too thin between giving the kind of dedicated and personalised service my clients have come to expect on the one hand, and dealing with the hectic organisation and admin that comes with running the show solo on the other. I felt the need to change direction and concentrate on fundamentals – which is when the opportunity to join Venari Partners arose.

Game-changing factors

What really appealed to me was the level of support and the quality of the product this company provides. The sample RFPs I saw certainly caught my attention: I would not have been able to come up with something so detailed on my own, let alone undertake the hours and hours of research that inform each document. But still, I used to get bogged down trying to put in the work behind the scenes and maintain the client-facing side of my job seamlessly. Seeing the standard of Venari’s work, as well as meeting Felix Meller and James Parker, made joining an easy decision. The company’s dedication to its customers chimes with my own values. I am now seeking to offer a better service to my existing clients – not to mention find new ones – by leveraging the research, platform, tools, and brand recognition that my new role affords me.

Learning how I work best

It is refreshing to work at an organisation that regards its research function as being as central to the business as its sales team. It’s especially reassuring for me, given what I now know about myself and how I work best. In 2023, I was diagnosed with ADHD. It was a lot to take in at first, but my diagnosis has been instrumental in helping me understand my thought processes and learning to harness these effectively.

For example, in the past I would often obsess over small details and found it hard to trust other people with my work. I’d try to do everything myself and overcommit – but now I know I can put my faith in the researchers and support specialists at Venari Partners with details that I might have found it difficult to let go of in the past. More than a few business leaders are neurodiverse, with neurodivergent thinking often described as a ‘superpower’. That’s been a helpful reference for myself, and something I agree with. Now that I have a support structure around me at work, I can really laser in on what I’m best at: winning business and going above and beyond for clients.

As a side note, according to my Whoop band my sleep and recovery have been better since I joined than they have been for ages. I don’t think it’s a coincidence!

Looking ahead

Many of my previous placements have been at C-1 or -2, as well as SVP-level hires. My primary ambition now is to focus on C-suite appointments. I’m looking forward to picking up in territories that have been key for me previously. I’ve made placements in Latin America (including Chile, Mexico, and Panama) as well as Europe (Germany and the Netherlands), though it’s safe to say that the US is the key market for transport and logistics at present. Between cold chain, pharma, and trucking, to name just three areas, there is so much going on there that I am keen to get stuck in. That’s something else that really excites me about the new role: before, it was harder for me to pick up work stateside without name recognition or a US LLC. I hope that Venari Partners’ considerable footprint across the pond will help me yield dividends. I’m buzzing to get started in earnest!

If you would like to hear more about what I can do for your transport and logistics organisation – or if you are a professional looking for advice on your next career move – don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.