Diversified Search / AltoPartners Form New Alliance with the Special Olympics

Diversified Search, one of the nation’s leading executive search firms, and Special Olympics, the world’s largest global and grassroots movement for the empowerment of people with intellectual disabilities, today announced a new alliance that will aim to identify and reward outstanding members of the Special Olympics organization around the world; recruit and develop a pipeline of new talent to move the institution forward; and provide long-term leadership stability.

Special Olympics is one of the world’s premier organizations for those with intellectual disabilities, with 5.6 million athletes in 170 countries. “The Special Olympics movement offers exciting career opportunities where you can make positive and life-changing impact throughout the world,” shared Timothy Shriver, Chairman, Special Olympics.“  Our work creates real and lasting solutions to big challenges—isolation, inactivity, and injustice— and our team see the results of their work regularly. We are excited to have AltoPartners and Diversified Search join us to build the best team to achieve the change we want to make in the world.”

Diversified Search, along with its international affiliate, AltoPartners, will offer training and best practices throughout the Special Olympics organization to bolster leadership from the Board of Directors to ground-level operations. As part of this strategic alliance, it will also:

• Take a leading role in the Special Olympics Diversity Task Force, providing thought leadership and best practices for leadership recruitment and retention around the issue of diversity. As part of this, both Diversifi ed Search and AltoPartners will participate in training with Special Olympics Programs on issues of diversity and recruitment.
• Provide input and structure for Special Olympics awards given within the organization, including the development and marketing of possible new honors in conjunction with Special Olympics’ forthcoming 50th anniversary in 2018. As part of this effort, Diversified President and CEO Dale Jones will take part in the meeting of the Special Olympics International Nominating Committee in Atlanta in November, sharing best practices and thought leadership.
• Provide additional thought leadership and guidance to Special Olympics on a wide range of topics, including succession planning, board development, and recruitment practices for operating roles in Special Olympics programs around the world.

Diversified Search and AltoPartners hosted Special Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, as part of the annual AltoPartners international meeting in late June, to both exchange ideas and provide strategy for global leadership development. “As people committed to finding tomorrow’s great leaders, we have a moral duty to identify mission- and purpose-driven leaders who will have a global and personal impact beyond themselves,” said Jones. “At Diversified and AltoPartners, our firms’ DNA promotes the health and wellness and dignity of all of humanity.”

Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, and is universally recognized as one of the world’s most admired organizations. Special Olympics CEO Mary Davis said she hoped the new alliance would result in strong long-range development of strong board members, executives, and operations managers who will serve Special Olympics long into the future.