Q&A With Gad Weinbach

As a former criminal investigator with the Israeli army Gad Weinbach spent a lot of time trying to ‘find people who don’t want to be found’. He now spends most of his time in executive search and experimenting with new ways to source talent. We spoke to Gad about his background, current work and his upcoming talk at the Sourcing Summit.

Q. What’s your current role and how did you get into sourcing?
I have been a member of Talent Partners, the Board & Executive Search arm of Talent2 International (ASX: TWO) since 2007. My functional expertise includes the appointment of Managing Directors, Chairmen, Non-Executive Directors, Chief Executives and their direct reports. I work with Boards, CEOs and HR Directors to manage succession. I learned how to source information and people as part of my training to be a criminal investigator during my military service. Years later when I entered the Executive Search space, I was exposed to Sourcing in the HR world.

Q. You have a colourful work history including a stint with the army as a criminal investigator. How much of your past has influenced your current role? Do you think anyone can be a good sourcer/researcher?
My past has influenced my current role without a doubt. Back then I was looking for people who didn’t want to be found for various reasons; now, I’m searching for people with good reputation.

I think anyone can become whatever they want to become. There is a mix of skills, experiences and personality traits that makes a good Researcher. I rate credibility, natural flair for investigation, innovation, tenacity, analytical & commercial, with high level of responsiveness and confidentiality.

Q. What do you think is the biggest mistake companies make when looking for talent?
I think the greatest opportunity for leaders in organizations is to be committed to a succession plan and to a future Talent strategy to match the company’s vision. The Executive team of every government and public company needs to make sure they are proactively managing their ability to deliver future and present growth plans. Managing ‘your’ risk is making sure you have the right people with the right skills and capabilities at the right time. The biggest mistake companies make when looking for talent is forgetting they are dealing with people.

Q. What will you speak about at the Sourcing Summit?
I will speak about the art and science of Talent Mapping as part of corporate succession. I’ll talk about who should consider it, why, when and how to conduct it.

Hear Gad Weinbach speak about Talent Mapping at the Sourcing Summit (Afternoon Session 2.30-3.00 PM)