ACG’s 2010 Member of the Year

Putting all the factors in place to create magic is a talent that Chet Marino, ACG Denver’s 2010 Member of the Year, brings to both ACG programs and clients of his executive search firm, Verus Partners. As a member of the ACG board, Chet has been managing programs for the past two years — and we’ve never had such a continuous string of exceptional speakers.

How bad could it be to join ACG?
About two years ago a colleague invited Chet to an ACG lunch program. Someone offered to introduce him around – and to his surprise they actually did it! He immediately liked the welcoming feel of ACG and thought: “I’ll just go ahead and become a member; how bad could it be?”

Little did he know that a few months later he’d be given two weeks notice to find the next lunch speaker. And, oh yes, it had to be the CEO of a prominent company with a captivating story. Ever since, as the board chair for programs, Chet has lived with the constant pressure of feeding fascinating CEO stories to a hungry lunch crowd of about 175 people every month. And he has delivered! Every lunch program is a sellout, and Chet has now been asked to manage programs for corporate breakfast programs as well.

Speakers who don’t make you yawn
Chet says there’s no magic formula for selecting speakers. He looks for C-Level people who have an interesting story, or who are entertaining or simply good speakers. It can be the way they tell their story that makes it interesting. He looks for speakers who would be interesting to both corporate and service provider members.

“What I do is ask myself, ‘Who would I like to hear telling a story?'” says Chet about his process. “I want members to feel good about inviting guests to the lunch programs, and I go to some effort to find the best speakers possible. After all, no one wants to hear speakers who make you yawn.”

The fit between ACG and Verus Partners
One of the best ways to get full benefit from ACG membership is to get involved in an area that fits with your business goals. For Chet, and Verus Partners, that area is helping companies achieve their business goals by hiring the right people. ACG is fundamentally about growing companies; and Chet has been helping companies grow through executive search and succession planning for more than twenty years.

“Like other service providers, Verus Partners solves problems; and we solve problems that relate to people,” states Chet. “Almost every company realizes that talent acquisition is necessary for success. We are a competent advisor who walks them through that process.

“I’m almost always working with companies that are growing, so ACG is a good match for us because our growing members need help with the search for new people,” he adds. “Mainly, we serve middle market companies from $50 to $500 million in revenue, primarily in technology, industrial products and energy, throughout North America.”

Chet’s fit with ACG has expanded his business contacts and given him insights into the marketplace here and nationally. He says: “I wouldn’t minimize the fact that ACG has events around the country; I’ve been warmly received at every location I’ve visited. Our Denver chapter is vibrant, and I’ve found that all ACG chapters are decent organizations that welcome outsiders. ACG is a quality organization, and I encourage Denver members to look them up when they travel.”

A passion for seeing people bloom where they’re planted
Chet Marino has always marveled at people’s potential in general; and knows that people excel in the right environment. What gets him up in the morning, even though he’s a night owl, is helping people and companies get the right fit. His gratification comes when he succeeds at finding the right cultural fit for a candidate, in the right industry and right size of company. Says Chet: “My passion is seeing people bloom where they’re planted, getting people into that exceptional fit. When all the conditions are right, people’s best qualities come out.”

And Chet’s other passion? A guitar with the right band; it just clicks. Chet played drums in college, and even played professionally for a couple of years afterward in clubs, Off Broadway musicals, and even on a commercial. He remains a music and performing arts fan.

“Whether it’s music or business, when the right factors are present it’s magical. And when someone doesn’t want to do something, it won’t work. I find that fascinating,” he muses. “What people can accomplish when they want to do something, particularly in groups and teams…well magical is the right word.”

 Congratulations to Chet on his award as ACG 2010 member of the year! And our thanks for his hard work to create exceptional programming. Contact Chet Marino at: [email protected] or 303-410-8800.

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