Curran Partners, Inc. - Code of Ethics

Introduction

The Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) is an association of leading retained executive search consulting firms worldwide. Dating from its inception in 1959, the AESC has sought to promote high standards of professionalism among retained executive search consultants. In furtherance of this aim, AESC adopted a Code of Ethics in 1977, and a set of Professional Practice Guidelines in 1984. In 1996, with the advice of a panel of AESC member firm leaders and outside experts, the AESC revised and updated both the Code and the Professional Practice Guidelines to reflect important developments in the profession and the business environment.

"Retained executive search consulting" is a specialized form of senior-level management consulting, conducted through an exclusive engagement. Its purpose is to assist executives of a client organization in defining executive positions, identifying well-qualified and motivated candidates, and selecting those best suited through comprehensive, quality assured search processes.

Executive search is widely-recognized as an indispensable service to organizations worldwide and is generally built on relationships rather than discrete transactions. The services provided by executive search consultants are an integral part of the process of building and maintaining corporate, nonprofit and government clients. Like professionals in the fields of law, public accounting and general management consulting, executive search consultants have a profound influence on the organizations they serve.

AESC and its members recognize that outstanding professional service rests on the quality and integrity of relationships with clients, candidates, employees and the public. Executive search consulting firms depend on all of these groups for their continuing success, and to each group they have important responsibilities.

Clients

AESC members are partners with their clients in a consultative process aimed at selecting organizational leaders. As leadership can have many meanings, the professional search consultant identifies the clients specific needs and unique culture as essential elements in recruiting appropriate leaders for client organizations.

Candidates

AESC members maintain professional relationships with candidates and treat them with respect at all times. AESC members regard honesty, objectivity, accuracy and confidentiality as fundamental to their relationships with candidates.

Consultants

AESC members strive to attract and develop their own talent, building the knowledge and experience that will guide the profession into the future. Recognizing the importance of training and education to this process, AESC members provide opportunities for consultants, research professionals and other staff to improve their skills and capabilities. AESC and its member firms are partners in professional development.

The Public

AESC members understand the importance of public trust in the executive search profession. Professional search consultants stay abreast of socio-economic developments in the communities they serve and recognize the need to respond to contemporary developments such as changing demographics, new technologies and changes in the employment relationship. AESC's mission includes understanding these changes and taking constructive positions on public policy issues that affect the executive search profession, client organizations and the public.

The AESC's updated Code of Ethics clarifies the fundamental principles that guide executive search consultants in performing their duties and conducting their relationships with these constituencies. The Professional Practice Guidelines represent the AESC's view of contemporary best practices that exemplify the standards of professionalism expected of executive search conultants into the 21st Century. Underlying these principles and best practices is the expectation that AESC members will articulate and define clearly for clients the terms of their relationship and the members' commitment to perform their work professionally.

Code of Ethics

The Association of Executive Search Consultants, Inc. (AESC) is a worldwide association of retained executive search consulting firms. In order to perform their duties responsibly, AESC member firms are guided by the following ethical principles

AESC members will:

Professionalism: conduct their activities in a manner that reflects favorably on the profession.

Integrity: conduct their business activities with integrity and avoid conduct that is deceptive or misleading.

Competence: perform all search consulting assignments competently, and with an appropriate degree of knowledge, thoroughness and urgency.

Objectivity: exercise objective and impartial judgment in each search consulting assignment, giving due consideration to all relevant facts.

Accuracy: strive to be accurate in all communications with clients and candidates and encourage them to exchange relevant and accurate information.

Conflicts of Interest: avoid, or resolve through disclosure and waiver, conflicts of interest.

Confidentiality: respect confidential information entrusted to them by clients and candidates.

Loyalty: serve their clients loyally and protect client interests when performing assignments.

Equal Opportunity: support equal opportunity in employment and objectively evaluate all qualified candidates.

Public Interest: conduct their activities with respect for the public interest.

Professional Practice Guidelines

Preamble

The Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) strives to enhance the professionalism of its members. Accordingly, AESC has developed the following Professional Practice Guidelines to assist AESC member firms in their business relationships with clients, candidates and the public. As the profession evolves and adapts to developments in business practices, technology and law, the AESC may amend these Guidelines.

Relationships Between AESC Members and their Clients

AESC members are partners with their clients in a consultative process aimed at selecting organizational leaders. The success of these partnerships depends on excellence in client service. The following guidelines describe the processes and professional practices that contribute to outstanding client service.

Accepting Client Assignments

Outstanding client service begins with a full understanding of the client organization, its business needs and the position to be filled. An AESC member should:

Accept only those assignments that a member is qualified to undertake on the basis of the member's knowledge of the client's needs and the member's ability to perform the specific assignment.
Accept only those assignments that will not adversely affect the member's objectivity, loyalty and integrity.
Disclose to present and prospective clients information known to the member about relationships, circumstances or interests that might create actual or potential conflicts of interest, and accept potential assignments only if all affected parties have expressly agreed to waive any conflict.
Disclose to present and prospective clients limitations arising through service to other clients that may affect the member's ability to perform the search assignment.
Base acceptances on an understanding that, among other things, defines the scope and character of the services to be provided; the identity of the client organization; the period, if any, during which the member will not recruit from the defined client organization; and the fees and expenses to be charged for the services rendered.
Discuss with the client when advertising is required by law or is a recommended strategy for the particular search assignment.

Performing Client Assignments

Members should serve their clients with integrity and objectivity, making every effort to conduct search consulting activities on the basis of impartial consideration of relevant facts. Specifically, an AESC member should:

Conduct an appropriate search for qualified candidates.
Advise the client promptly, and offer alternative courses of action if it becomes apparent that no qualified candidates can be presented, or that the length of the search will differ considerably from that originally specified.
Present information about the client, the position, and the candidate honestly and factually, and include reservations that are pertinent and important to an assignment.
Withdraw from the assignment if a member determines that a client has characterized its organization falsely or misled candidates, provided the situation is not rectified.
Thoroughly evaluate potential candidates, including: in-depth interviews in person or by video conferencing, verification of credentials, and careful assessment of the candidate's strengths and weaknesses, before presenting candidates for client interviews.
Complete thorough reference checks and transmit these references to the client.
Advise the client if advertising becomes necessary.
Avoid the voluntary presentation of resumes in the absence of an existing client relationship.

Preserving the Confidentiality of Client Information

AESC members should use their best efforts to protect confidential information concerning their clients. Specifically, a member should:

Use such confidential information received from clients only for purposes of conducting the assignment.
Disclose such confidential client information only to those individuals within the firm or to potential candidates who have a need to know the information.
Not use such confidential information for personal gain, nor provide inside information to third parties for their personal gain.

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest

AESC members should protect their integrity, objectivity and loyalty by avoiding conflicts of interest with their clients. For example, a member should:

Refuse or withdraw from an assignment upon learning of conditions that impair the member's ability to perform services properly, including conflicts of interest that may arise during the assignment (unless all affected parties expressly agree to waive the conflict).
Inform clients of business or personal relationships with candidates that might affect or appear to affect the member's objectivity in conducting the assignment.
Not accept payment for assisting an individual in securing employment.
Avoid knowingly presenting simultaneously, without disclosure to clients, the same candidate to more than one client.

Relationships Between AESC Members and Candidates

Although a member's primary relationship is with the client, member firms seek also to establish professional relationships with candidates. These relationships should be characterized by honesty, objectivity, accuracy and respect for confidentiality. In building such relationships, a member should:

Provide candidates with relevant and accurate information about the client organization and the position.
Present to clients accurate and relevant information about candidates, and otherwise maintain the confidentiality of information provided by prospective and actual candidates.
Encourage candidates to provide accurate information about their qualifications. Upon learning that a candidate has misled the client or member regarding his or her qualifications, the member should reject the candidate, unless the client, candidate and member agree that the candidacy should continue following disclosure of the facts.
Advise prospects and candidates of the status and disposition of their candidacies in a timely fashion.
Consider whether an individual's permission is needed before sharing his or her background information with a client and secure permission as necessary (permission should always be obtained if an executive's "resume" is submitted).
Advise candidates of any limitations on a member firm's ability to advance them as candidates in future searches.

Relationships Between AESC Members and their Contractors

AESC members sometimes rely on contractors and subcontractors to assist in the search process. A member should:

Avoid contractors and subcontractors whose practices are inconsistent with the standards of professionalism expected of AESC members.
Encourage its contractors and subcontractors to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Professional Practice Guidelines.

Relationships Between AESC Members and the Public

AESC members should recognize the importance of public trust and confidence in their profession and seek to serve their clients in a manner consistent with the public interest. Therefore, a member should:

Observe the principles of equal opportunity in employment and avoid unlawful discrimination against qualified candidates.
Promote and advertise member firm services in a professional and accurate manner.
Conduct relations with the media so as to reflect favorably upon the AESC, clients and the executive search consulting profession.