Veteran Owned & Operated.

Clear Ridge is a boutique Executive Search Firm Focused on Leadership Hiring. We partner with organizations to fill business-critical leadership roles in operations, supply chain, and corporate functions. Our work is not volume recruiting, it is targeted search.

Clear Ridge was founded on a simple observation: most failed hires are not caused by a lack of applicants, they are caused by poor evaluation. Titles and resumes rarely predict performance. Effective hiring requires understanding how a leader makes decisions, manages people, and operates within a real business environment.

Many recruiting firms deliver resumes. We deliver vetted leaders.

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Stevan Gess is the Founder and Managing Partner of Clear Ridge Partners, a boutique executive search firm focused on leadership and operational hiring. He works directly with organizations on critical hiring decisions where the success of a team, facility, or business unit depends on selecting the right leader.

Clear Ridge was established to address a common problem: many leadership roles are difficult to fill through job postings, referrals, or internal recruiting alone. Experienced operators and managers are often successful where they are and not actively pursuing new opportunities. As a result, organizations can spend months interviewing candidates who are available, rather than candidates who are right.

Stevan works with companies to define the success profile of a role, identify where the right background exists in the market, and discreetly engage qualified professionals currently performing comparable responsibilities. Each search is conducted personally and not delegated to junior recruiters, allowing organizations to receive a focused shortlist of evaluated candidates rather than a volume of resumes.

His work primarily supports operations, manufacturing, and supply chain environments where leadership effectiveness has a measurable impact on performance, team stability, and business outcomes. In these settings, hiring decisions carry operational consequences, and a structured search process helps organizations make confident selections.

Clear Ridge Partners operates as a retained search engagement, aligning the firm’s effort with a successful outcome. Stevan remains involved throughout the process, from initial role calibration through candidate evaluation, offer discussions, and onboarding guidance.

Organizations typically engage Clear Ridge when a leadership role has remained open, when prior recruiting efforts have not produced viable candidates, or when a confidential replacement is required. The firm’s approach emphasizes direct outreach, careful evaluation, and clear communication so hiring teams can focus on selecting the right leader rather than managing the search itself.

Stevan Gess | Founder & Managing Partner

Direct Contact

Stevan Gess | Managing Partner

stevan@clearridgepartners.com

The Path to Placement

1. Strategic Alignment

We begin with a deep-dive consultation to understand your organizational mission, culture, and technical requirements. We don't just look for a skillset; we look for the leader who fits your specific strategic trajectory.

2. Objective Vetting

Leveraging a disciplined, objective approach, we identify and screen candidates against your mission-critical benchmarks. We look beyond the resume to assess leadership aptitude, cultural chemistry, and long-term potential.

3. Precise Placement

We facilitate the final selection process with transparency and professional excellence. Our goal isn't just a signed offer—it’s a successful integration that delivers measurable results for your organization from day one.

  • The Specialty: We identify and secure the visionary leadership your organization needs at the highest levels. From CEO and COO to CFO and VP-level roles, our objective vetting process ensures a perfect alignment of technical expertise and organizational culture.

  • The Solution: For mission-critical professional roles across Finance, Government, and Operations. We leverage a disciplined search methodology to find the top 1% of talent that isn't found on traditional job boards.

  • The Expertise: As a Veteran-owned firm, we understand the unique complexities of public sector and government contract staffing. We provide cleared and non-cleared professional talent to ensure mission success at every level of government.

  • The Scale: Strengthening your core business functions with elite talent. We specialize in placing high-impact professionals who drive efficiency, fiscal responsibility, and strategic growth.

  • The Partnership: Beyond placement, we serve as a strategic advisor. We help organizations define their leadership needs, benchmark compensation, and develop long-term talent acquisition strategies to stay competitive.

Tailored Solutions

  • Internal recruiting produced applicants, but no one capable of actually running the function.

  • Candidates interview well but lack real leadership or operational execution experience.

  • A bad hire would impact production, revenue, or team stability.

When Companies Engage Clear Ridge

Companies usually contact us after internal recruiting, job postings, and referrals fail to produce a viable hire.

  • A leadership change is required, but it cannot be publicly posted.

  • Executives cannot review 80 resumes and coordinate weeks of interviews.

  • Operations, supply chain, or leadership gaps are now affecting results.

If this describes your situation, a structured consultation is typically the fastest path to a successful hire.

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