Chuck Lew - Mecklenburg Times Power Player

Q: Give us a brief synopsis of your organization.
A:  Coleman Lew & Associates, Inc. is a Charlotte based retained executive search firm that provides executive search and leadership development consulting services to clients nationwide.  We recruit and evaluate executives for organizations and institutions in a variety of industries.  Coleman Lew is the oldest, and possibly the largest, retained search firm in the Carolinas, and one of the largest in the Southeast. 

Q: What is your professional philosophy?
A:  My professional philosophy is reflected in our firm's Mission Statement:  "To provide high quality executive search and leadership development consulting services through the recruitment, evaluation, and development of superior executive talent."  We value integrity and treat all constituents (clients, candidates, and employees) in a fair, ethical, and professional manner.

Q: What is your definition of success?
A:  My definition of success is based on our firm's achievement of solid financial results, a high percentage of repeat clients, long-term sustainability, and an excellent reputation among clients, candidates, and employees. 

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?
A:  My biggest accomplishment is starting from scratch, and with no contacts in the area, an executive search firm that has prospered into a successful, employee-owned company.  In 1979, I made the decision to move my wife and 2 small children from Columbus, OH to Charlotte, NC to start this new company.  Since then, Coleman Lew has grown into one of the largest retained executive search firms in the Southeast. 

Q: What are you most proud of?
A:  I am most proud of my marriage and my family.  I have been married to Jody for over 37 years, and together we have reared and educated 4 children, who are now young adults. 

Q: What is the best thing about your organization?
A:  The best thing about our organization is our associates.  They are high caliber, hard working, and motivated professionals.   Over 60% of our permanent staff has been with the firm for over 9 years, and half of those have at least 18 years tenure with our company.  Because of these dedicated individuals, our firm has been able to achieve significant growth and position itself for the next generation of leadership.

Q: What is the toughest decision you have had to make?
A:  The toughest decision I have had to make is to sever relationships with employees who did not provide clients with the level of service our firm requires.

Q: What do you wish you knew when you were starting out in your career, that you know now?
A:  When I first started my career, I wish I had known about Warren Buffett.  During the early 1990's, I began studying and following his business and investment strategies.  Buffett's Owner-Related Business Principles, outlined in the Berkshire-Hathaway Annual Reports, have been particularly helpful and have influenced many of my business decisions.  Had I started adhering to these principles earlier in my career, our business would have been even more successful.

Q: What advice would you give others in your field?
A:  I would advise others in the search business to not only learn, but adhere to, the professional standards of our industry, and then provide better service than the norm. 

Q: What do you think was most important in preparing to lead an organization?
A:  The most important preparation I received for leading an organization was the experience gained, and lessons learned, while serving in the Marine Corp during Vietnam.   Leading an organization, though challenging, does not carry nearly the responsibility that I experienced at age 21 in Vietnam.

Q: What is your favorite book?
A:  My favorite book is Roger Lowenstein's, Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist.

Q: If you weren't doing what you are doing, what else would you want to do?
A:  If I were not an executive search consultant, I would be an independent investor and offer financial planning services to individuals and families.  

Coleman Lew & Associates, Inc., founded in 1979 and headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a national retained executive search firm that recruits board members, officers, and senior level executives for national and international companies, academic institutions and non-profit organizations. The firm also provides customized leadership development services to organizations seeking to maximize corporate performance. Member, Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC).