Somer Hackley is the founder and CEO of Distinguished Search, a retained executive search firm. She has been in recruiting for 20 years, including the last 13 years in executive search. She spent six years at CTPartners, the seventh-largest global retained search firm, and later ran the North America digital, technology and commerce practice at a leading boutique. She went off on her own in 2020, inspired to launch a firm that aligned with her core values: working with fewer clients and offering more personalized services. She has placed executives in companies from Fortune 100 to startups, with a focus on technology and digital positions. She received her degree in economics from Tufts University in 2002.

The need for transparency in executive search led to her debut book, “Search in Plain Sight: Demystifying Executive Search.” 

Zen founded RallyWorks, where her team dives into fast-growing companies to establish their Talent Acquisition teams while also doing their recruitment. She has been in retained search, RPO, internal TA, and has been in the Chief People Officer role, working for companies including Google and True before launching her firm. She gets how hiring works - both internally and externally, at small boot-strapped starts ups, hyperscale companies, and at tech giants. She’s passionate about changing the industry and creating the next generation of TA leaders.