Murdoch Mason has extensive expertise and capabilities within global executive search and consulting to quickly and completely meet the needs of your business. We're big enough to provide full service anywhere in the world through our team members and affiliate partnerships, and we're small enough to care about you, your teams, and your company.
Some of the key leaders within our practice are noted below.
AARON B. CLEAVINGER
MANAGING PARTNER
Aaron is a transformational executive leader who builds top performing teams and elevates strategic priorities within dynamic multi-billion consumer focused companies. Murdoch Mason mirrors his expertise to serve talent acquisition and strategic procurement consulting needs within a wide variety of industries.
His experience in the trenches allows Murdoch Mason to best understand our clients' needs. He has led and developed capabilities in supply chain, corporate strategy, strategic sourcing, procurement, inventory management, finance, consumer insights, merchandising, private label, e-commerce, omni-channel, operations, energy management and sustainability, strategic negotiations, and large scale technology implementations.
Consulting engagements led clients to frame innovative B2C strategies that reduce costs, drive incremental sales, enhance existing strategic differentiators, increase operational efficiency, and maximize customer engagement. In addition to his strategy, supply chain, and procurement expertise, Aaron has coached candidates and clients as a recruiter, employment counselor, and career transition consultant for more than 10 years.
Aaron holds CPSM and C.P.M. certifications from the Institute for Supply Management, and Lean Six Sigma and Six Sigma Green Belt from Villanova University. Aaron earned a bachelor's degree in German from Brigham Young University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business.
SIMON BROCKLEHURST
Commercial consulting practice leader
Simon has worked with many of the world's leading companies across virtually every sector to solve their commercial challenges. He is passionate to work with clients to build high-performing strategies that are simple and flexible and engage all stakeholders. He then supports implementation with the team based on the premise that if the results don't follow, why did we bother?
He coaches senior executives using his innovative Commercial Coaching methodology, which was developed with leaders to help them step change their impact in real life situations.
He held many commercial roles within large global CPG/FMCG companies in the UK, including Johnson & Johnson and Unilever. Simon then led the Americas business for The Gap Partnership negotiations training and commercial strategies consulting firm before launching the CommercialSolutions company and partnering with Murdoch Mason (focusing on procurement-specific projects) to deliver extraordinary performance to our clients.
Simon graduated from Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd in Wales with an honours degree in Business Economics.
MICHAEL CLEAVINGER
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING & ANALYTICS
Michael is an analytical expert and leader, with an aptitude for integrating cutting-edge technical capabilities with business solutions. He quickly assesses and implements marketing strategies and new technologies that allow the firm to provide best-in-class solutions to the companies and candidates we serve.
His expertise within CPG, retail, and technology companies (PepsiCo, Amazon, Target, JCPenney) lend significant insight and value to the firm. Over the course of his career he has developed specialties within omni-channel retail merchandising, supply chain, final mile delivery, third-party logistics, computer networking, business management, programming, analytics, data visualization, and problem solving. He has significant proficiency in marketing and media mix modeling, multiple statistical languages, analytical tools, visualization software, programming languages, and hardware implementation.
He leads the retail industry in seamlessly integrating deep data analytics and technology implementations with marketing strategies and techniques to increase social connection and clearly speak to targeted customers. His talents enable Murdoch Mason Executive Search Group to think and act differently than other search firms, to the benefit of our clients.
Michael earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy from Brigham Young University and an MBA with Information Systems Specialization from the University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management.
LIZ WHITE
VICE PRESIDENT, ADMINISTRATION & PROJECT COORDINATION
Liz is a co-founder of the firm and manages the company's administrative affairs and back office activities. She also oversees the internet researchers and project coordinators who are skilled in using our proprietary methods and tools to identify the best candidates for our clients. Murdoch Mason utilizes proprietary methods and analysis to identify, assess, and fit the best talent with the cultural and performance needs of our client companies. Liz leads this effort to provide our clients with the capabilities of the largest search firms, but with the understanding, care, and communication that only Murdoch Mason can offer.
Her expertise in business efficiency, process excellence, accounting practices, office organization, and long-term relationship building enable Murdoch Mason to continuously improve both the speed and quality of service to our clients. Her professional experience spans retail operations, office management, and accounting executive support.
Liz earned degrees in sociology and social work from Ricks College.
DR. HOWARD CLEAVINGER, PhD
Principal Psychologist for Executive and Team Assessments
Dr. Cleavinger is a licensed psychologist who applies years of clinical experience in the provision of executive assessments for our clients. These include Electronic Executive Profiles (no candidate inputs required) and Executive Selection Assessments (candidate evaluations and interviews). Dr. Cleavinger leads the assessment team and provides customized and unique profiles on candidates to ensure that you hire the right leaders for your culture and company.
Dr. Cleavinger graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University with a B.S. degree in Psychology, where he then earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology and neuroimaging. Following an internship at Dartmouth College, he then received an appointment at Dartmouth Medical School as an intern and postdoctoral fellow in neuropsychology and neuroimaging. Dr. Cleavinger then worked as a professor at New England College and Brigham Young University where his focus was testing, measurement, and neuropsychological assessment.
SCOTT KISH
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP LIAISON & ASSESSMENT CONSULTANT
Scott applies years of military and combat leadership, in addition to more than 20 years of research and analysis in the military and on Capital Hill, to assist in matching your company's most important hiring requirements to the best candidates. Based on years of analytical experience in developing future military capabilities in the Pentagon, Scott understands the importance of finding the person with the right skills, personality, and requirements to maximize your company's potential. Scott works closely with Dr. Cleavinger to develop proprietary Electronic Executive Profiles (no candidate inputs required) that provide you with unique insights about candidates and help ensure that you find the right fit for your company.
Scott graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. degree in Political Science and was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College and a Master of Science degree in Systems Technology from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He is a combat decorated war veteran and truly understands the importance of leadership in business and the military.