Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirk Kelley.
After working together for a few years as financial recruiters, Chendo Gonzalez and Kirk Kelley remained friends and started talking about the idea of starting their own business together in the summer of 2015. It was a dream for them both, and in January of 2016, they teamed up to make Spectrum Search Group a reality.
Although they specialize in different sectors and have a 15-year age difference between them, their talents and specialties complement each other perfectly. This is why they’ve seen such immediate success with their partnership.
Kirk graduated from the University of North Texas and has experience as both a Financial Auditor and Senior Accountant. He made the jump into the recruiting world and quickly worked his way up as a recruiting leader in the market. Having true hands-on experience has been a real asset for him to both the candidates that he places and clients he works with.
Chendo received his degree from Texas A&M and immediately went into recruiting. He has created and developed a few other recruiting firms in the past, so he was able to help get Spectrum launched quickly. Chendo has established himself as one of the top investment banking recruiters in Texas, with several long-term clients in Dallas and Houston.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s extremely hard to walk away from being top producers at a company and leave your book of business behind to start from scratch. They were very confident and excited to be able to create a firm with the kind of culture, work ethic and integrity that they both felt would foster a successful company.
They both left a national firm that had established systems, processes, and clientele; and have built up their own book of business and charted their own course. They joke that Chendo is the talent and Kirk the brains in their partnership.
There are a LOT of recruiters here in Dallas that are very lazy in the way they work and how they interact with candidates, but they have been in this business for so long and know how to do it the right way. When you treat people with respect and have integrity, your business comes back to you.
Kirk and Chendo have set themselves apart from the big “recruiting machines” in Dallas, and have done that by truly spending the time to listen to their clients and make the right match for what kind of skill set they need.
Please tell us about Spectrum Search Group.
Spectrum Search Group is an executive search firm that specializes in placing candidates in the accounting, finance, and investment banking sectors.
Kirk and Chendo are proud of what they’ve accomplished in such a short period of time and are looking forward to more growth and expansion in the years ahead. In the last year, they were able to create a new division of the company, Spectrum Staffing Group, and brought on Beth Ryan to lead it. Beth is extremely well-known in the Dallas market and brings extensive experience with her. She specializes in placing temporary contractors within general accounting, accounts payable, payroll, and more.
Spectrum is also very excited to announce its recent acquisition of Taylor Hiring Solutions. This adds another local Dallas firm to their business and some great talent and clientele along with it.
The team has a lot of fun working together and they truly enjoy the work that they do. Chendo brings a VERY big personality to their group, he is always high energy and loves to make people laugh. His charisma is contagious throughout Spectrum and he makes the office a fun and exciting environment.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I’m an identical twin and we actually have a younger set of twin brothers as well. My favorite memory was that our house was always alive with 4 boys running around and playing sports, games, and picking on each other. I grew up in Cleburne, TX, which is a small town south of Dallas. I’ve been fortunate enough to still be best friends with the guys I’ve known since first grade! – Kirk
I’m a proud Texan and Aggie who was born in Houston. I was raised in Brownsville and Longview, TX where I swam competitively for 12 years. I have many fond memories going to South Padre Island and hanging out with family and friends and occasionally swimming with the sharks in the Gulf of Mexico! I’m lucky to say I still have a handful of good friends from both high school and college that I still keep up with to this day. – Chendo
Contact Info:
- Address: 5050 Quorum Drive #700 Dallas, TX 75254
- Website: www.spectrumsearchgroup.com
- Phone: 972-687-9083
- Email: kirk@spectrumsearchgroup.com
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