With over 500 placements and over a decade of experience, our Partners offer you a team approach and a proven track record of nationwide executive recruiting success.
JIM HERD
Managing Partner
Jim's recruiting background consists of 15+ years of nationwide, executive level placements. His clients range from Fortune 50 to high-profile, venture-backed start-up companies. His experience includes working in-house for a publicly traded, internet / technology company as well as working for both retained and contingent executive search firms. Jim's industry expertise has been sought after and published by the WSJ, Seattle Times, Puget Sound Business Journal, Washington CEO Magazine and King 5 TV.
Prior to co-founding Herd Freed Hartz in 2001, Jim worked at RealNetworks (RNWK) and was responsible for executive level hiring. He is also the co-founder of the RealNetworks Alumni Organization. Before RealNetworks, Jim worked as a Senior Associate for a retained search firm focusing in the Technology and Manufacturing sectors. Jim began his recruiting career working for a regional search firm specializing in Northwest based high-tech companies where he lead its Executive Search division.
Jim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Western Washington University, is a member of WWU's MBA advisory committee and partakes yearly in its mentor program. He is also a Board Member for Seattle Jobs Initiative. SJI is a local, non-profit organization focused on helping low income job seekers earn livable wages.
Jim lives in Issaquah with his wife and two children.
PAUL FREED
Managing Partner
Paul supports the needs of venture backed startups to public companies for thorough, nationwide searches on key executive roles. He brings 12 years of senior recruiting experience working with companies across Technology, Consumer, Life Science and Manufacturing industries.
Before Herd Freed Hartz, Paul worked as Chief Recruiting Officer for StartupAcademy at Scimitar Ridge, the Northwest’s premier service provider to the venture industry and Fortune 1000 clients, providing accelerated executive offsite strategy and teambuilding success. His role working with portfolio companies consisted of: consulting executive teams on recruiting strategy, executive team due diligence, and recruiting key executives/advisors.
Earlier in his career, Paul spent four years as President and Founder of Northwest Search, Inc., a Seattle-based executive search firm specializing in the technology, manufacturing and medical device clients. Paul earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree and graduated with honors from the University of Puget Sound in the Business Leadership Program.
His community involvement includes serving as President for Northwest Recruiter Association (www.nwrecruit.org) - the largest professional recruiting organization in the Northwest; Board for the Seattle chapter of Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); a recent role on the National Alumni Board, Seattle Chapter Chair, and Business Leadership Mentor for University of Puget Sound; and volunteer work with Seattle Young Life and Mars Hill Church.
KEVIN HARTZ
Managing Partner
Kevin brings 14 years of extensive executive recruiting and in-house recruiting experience in technology and the streaming media industry. Prior to co-founding Herd Freed Hartz, he was the Recruiting Manager for RealNetworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK), where he worked for nearly 6 years, as he helped build this streaming media industry leader by recruiting 350 positions during their explosive growth from 90 to 1000 employees and through an IPO. He has been an integral part of bringing executives and key talent for both domestic and international positions at all levels of management including: Sales, Product/Program Management, Marketing, Finance, Legal and Operations. Kevin is also co-founder of the RealNetworks Alumni Organization.
Prior to RealNetworks, Kevin began his recruiting career working as a Senior Recruiter for the executive search division of a premier regional placement firm with technology industry focus placing executives and senior level positions. Kevin earned a Bachelor of Science degree Marketing from Indiana University
