What is the Pinnacle Society

The Pinnacle Society was formed in 1989 with the assistance and leadership of industry trainer Tony Byrne and Ben Meador. In addition, Honorary Lifetime Members Gail Kaplan, Diana Gazzolo, Michael Goldman and Terry Carver, all top recruiters themselves, have continued to help cultivate The Pinnacle Society into the elite group it is today.

The cornerstone of our success is our highly successful member network that is always there to help a member "throw an idea around" when dealing with a particularly difficult client, assignment or business issue. Membership to Pinnacle is purposely limited to keep this network accessible.

In addition to regular conversations and informal get-together's, we hold two conferences each year where our members meet to share "the secrets of their success". Through member panels and individual speakers we discuss techniques in increasing personal production, staff productivity; management issues and the latest in search related technologies. This exchange of ideas and practical solutions [by the industry's leading speakers] insures an ever evolving perspective on the challenges faced in good times and bad.

We are honored to have the renowned industry's leading trainer, Danny Cahill, as our educational chair. Danny has been a successful recruiter, trainer and mentor for over 25 years and his insights and training sessions are a continued source of inspiration to our members at every meeting. Members of the Pinnacle Society are regularly featured guest commentators on Danny Cahill's web site According To Danny.com, a training and mentoring website for recruiters.

Additionally, many Pinnacle Society members regularly conduct similar panels teaching others the qualities and techniques of top producers for other international, national and state recruiting organizations and firms.

The Pinnacle Society's dedication to excellence in recruiting means that ALL members must be committed to an honest, ethical approach to conducting business and share a desire to raise the standards of the profession. We are a non-profit, independent organization that exists for our own benefit.

Our Experience

We landed in Sarasota Florida on the 25th of October 2006 for The Pinnacle Society Conference. It was a sunny morning and both my partner Chris LaVoie and I were looking forward to meeting the cast of characters’ that make up the Pinnacle Society membership roster.

When we arrived at the hotel (The Ritz Carlton) it wasn't long before we were greeted by Danny Sarch, the Society's current president. Danny, like the majority of the members, runs a highly successful business apart from his duties as the association's current president. He was perpetually courteous and gracious and was instrumental in making our stay a successful one.

If you’'ve never heard of The Pinnacle Society, their qualifications for membership will give you a glimpse to their individual performance levels:

Dues for the Pinnacle Society are $750 per year and members are required to attend a certain number of our semi-annual meetings in April and October. The cost of the conferences (currently $600) is not included in the membership fee. The Pinnacle Society only accepts into its membership those persons who:

1. Place candidates permanently on a contingency or contingency/retainer basis for a fee.
   
2. Have a minimum of five years experience as a Sales Counselor/Manager/Owner in the permanent contingency or retainer placement business. Non-owners must be nominated for Pinnacle Society membership by his/her owner or by a Pinnacle Society member
   
3. Have cash-in billings in excess of $300,000 annually for three of the five most recent sales years with one out of the last three years showing cash-in billings of more than $400,000.
   This is a very special circle of achievers. If you think that you can qualify we urge you to join their association to leverage your business to the next level. You can join them at the following url: http://www.pinnaclesociety.org/join.php

Success couldn't have brought a better group of people together to share their thoughts and celebrate their achievements within the circle of their peers.

Jim Shaki - Publisher