Meet Gerardo Macias of DHR Global

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gerardo Macias. He and his team share their story with us below:

He arrived to Detroit in 1999 to study Fine Arts at the College for Creative Studies (CCS); he received his BA with honors in 2002 and is a recipient of a CCS Grant and the Diego Rivera-Edsel Ford Award. As a professional artist, he has shown his artwork in Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Romania, Russian Federation, and the U.S., and curated several art exhibitions and lectures in Michigan.

Alongside his art career, Gerardo started working in 2002 for the Consulate of Mexico in Detroit, coordinating the Cultural Institute and a spokesperson. Leading many projects for the Mexican, and Hispanic communities in Michigan and Ohio, including cultural events, k-12 education and economic development programs, government visits from several states in Mexico, and former President Vicente Fox.

This is when Gerardo started to learn about Marketing, Public Relations, Business Development, and Human Resources.

After that, Gerardo became the Marketing Manager for Mexicantown Community Development Corporation in Detroit. (2007-2008), organizing multiple events and activations with Companies and the community.

Just on December of 2008, he decided to go back to Mexico to work for the Steel Museum horno3 in Monterrey, which allowed him to reconnect with regional businesses and friends. Several jobs came after that, including joining in 2014 his first boutique executive search firm.

Fast forward to 2022 when he joined DHR Global, a leading executive search & leadership consulting firm founded more than 30 years ago. DHR has offices all over the World, including in Birmingham and Rochester Hills, Michigan, and Monterrey, Mexico, resulting in a natural connection for Gerardo and his clients.

A former Board Member for the City of Northville Arts Commission, the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID), and the Council for International Education at Madonna University.

Gerardo is currently an Advisory Member for the College for Creative Studies Alumni Council, Advisory Committee Leader for Agroalim Agrobusiness Cluster of Nuevo Leon, Advisory Board Member for Polymath Organizational Design, and Member of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico. In his free time, he shares his expertise on his podcast “The Grateful Leader” with his co-host Gaby Piccott based in Halifax, Canada, as well on multiple conversation on LinkedIn Live.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has never been easy; there are always challenges.

Easy is for conformists. It’s all about being open and aware in order to learn new skills. But most importantly, know yourself enough to challenge your beliefs and create new behavior patterns.

As a recent lesson, I’ve been given the opportunity to almost relaunch our brand DHR Global in Mexico and Latin America. The challenge has been to first select the adequate media and face-to-face events to communicate our high-touch solutions to Companies. At the same time, leverage business development efforts with traditional methods to always be “out there”. The most important lesson: To always trust and empower your team to get things done. As a leader you have to first serve others and foster their own leadership within their function.

In short, reinvent yourself and adapt to your environment and circumstances as needed; and of course, you can always raise your hand to ask for help or guidance; having a Mentor is great!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about DHR Global?
DHR is a leading, privately-held provider of executive search, leadership consulting, and emerging leader search solutions in more than 50 markets spanning 22 countries. With expertise in more than 20 industries and functional areas, DHR pairs clients with resourceful consultants who have the most experience in their world.

For more than 30 years, DHR has solved talent challenges by being connected, accountable, attentive, and prepared to hit the ground running to ensure clients have the best talent available.

Our emerging leader search services are delivered through Jobplex, a DHR company.

My focus is on C-Suite and board positions as well as family offices, being a strategic and results-driven brand ambassador with a proven ability to build relationships with a purpose. Having lived and worked in both Latin America and North America, I can easily navigate between organizations’ different cultural nuances and their talent needs. My consideration is that I bring experience to our board search capabilities, having served in a wide array of board roles myself.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Risk is an open door to possibilities that can lead you to great success and at least to an amazing range of learning experiences (NOT failures). For me, risk is necessary in order to grow, advance, become better at your purpose. Definitely calculating a path of action and possible outcomes. 

At the same time, I am sure risk-taking is fueled in me by fear. When you feel afraid of making a decision or taking a step in our career you are actually aware of the situation and your surroundings, helping you to assess and act. Being afraid is the fuel that oftentimes you need to survive and evolve as a professional.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dhrglobal.com/consultant/12572/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elheadhunter
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elheadhunter
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/elheadhunter_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYZpc7PsFnwaXCu_58WGBWQ
• Other: https://linktr.ee/elheadhunter

Image Credits
Adriana Treviño
Gerardo Macias