R.H. Perry & Associates is featured in the Association of Governing Boards of Universities andColleges’ Presidential Search Guidelines and Directory. We are providing this profile to you in the print-friendly Adobe Acrobat format (PDF).

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Our Credentials

Biography

Robert H. Perry established R. H. Perry & Associates (RHPA) in Washington, DC in 1974. Since 1987, the for-profit executive search firm has had as its primary focus: assisting institutions of higher education identify and select leadership. RHPA also serves a wide range of not-for-profit organizations, including associations, foundations, and the federal government as well as U.S. and foreign-based private sector corporations. Since its inception, the firm has completed nearly 500 assignments and has earned an excellent national reputation.

Prior to founding RHPA, Mr. Perry was selected as a Fellow in the White House Executive Exchange Program in 1972. As Special Assistant to the Director, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President, he headed a recruiting task force to staff the Management Associates Program, a new initiative providing 40 GS-13 - GS-18 OMB positions and 30 more on the staffs of Assistant Secretaries in the Cabinet Departments.

From 1968 to 1972, Mr. Perry served the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT) initially as Assistant Manager, Headquarters Recruiting; and then as Manager of Staffing, with responsibility for one-half of ITT's corporate executive staffing. In 1971, Mr. Perry developed and implemented ITT's first corporate MBA Program, doubling its complement in the second year while maintaining a 40% minorities rate. Mr. Perry began his career as an Industrial Engineer for the Colgate-Palmolive Company. Promoted four times in seven years, he completed his tenure with Colgate as Manager of College Recruitment (1966-1968).

A native Washingtonian, Mr. Perry is a graduate of St. Albans School and the University of North Carolina (BS, Industrial Relations, 1959); and he continued in graduate studies at both Chapel Hill and New York University. Mr. Perry's first book, HOW TO ANSWER A HEADHUNTER'S CALL, A Complete Guide to Executive Search, was published by the American Management Association. He co-edited a second text, THE EXECUTIVE SEARCH COLLABORATION, published by Quorum Books. In addition, he has authored and co-authored articles on topical higher education issues in such publications as The Chronicle of Higher Education, AGB's Trusteeship and CASE CURRENTS.

Background and Experience

R. H. Perry & Associates is one of the oldest, most respected, and most successful executive search firms in the country. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the firm's consultants maintain offices in Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island. RHPA's staff consists of seven professionals, four support staff, and a six-member Board of Advisors. Eight of our partners and board members have 138 years of cumulative higher education CEO experience.

According to the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges' 2008 edition of Presidential Search Guidelines and Directory, RHPA ranks number three in CEO completions for 4-year institutions in the previous four years. For additional information, please visit: www.rhperry.net

Since 1987, RHPA has completed more than 200 CEO searches, including interim placements. Most of these assignments were conducted for independent institutions below the Tier I level. Over the years, in the course of these four- to five-month search processes, we gained insight into the inner-workings of board governance and the increasingly demanding role of trustees. Further, we witnessed first-hand the difficulties experienced by the governing boards in filling their vacancies. Most importantly, we learned that the challenges and goals of these boards, as well as the prerequisite qualifications to meet those goals, are very similar.

It is this experience that precipitated the conceptualization of R. H. Perry Foundation. Operationally, the Foundation will draw on the capability and contacts of RHPA's partners, Board of Advisors and senior consultants as well as its staff and resources.

Publications

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