Variant Partners

Rose co-founded Variant Partners with her husband Sam in 1970. In her role as CEO, she is accountable for the day-to-day business operations. This includes managing the administrative staff, payroll, and accounting and finance.  She contributes significantly to our hiring process, strategic planning and franchise relations.

Rose was integral in launching the administrative staffing division in 1988. She was accountable for the growth and management of that group directly in addition to her CEO role.  Our administrative division has won numerous awards for quality of service and division performance.

Rosemary received her Associate’s degree in General Business with honors.

David Sarafa’s Team:

David has a strong team enabling him to deliver exceptional service quickly.

David Sarafa is the President of Variant Partners and manages a specialized team within the company. David’s unique background in this industry enables him to gain a much deeper understanding of what is needed for the roles his team works on, and the expertise of the people they work with. David is fortunate to have a strong team working with him that he has been able to share his knowledge and experience with.

This enables them to provide the right insight and understanding about opportunities with detailed knowledge of the qualifications needed to be successful in any one role.

Here are some highlights of David’s background:

• BSME and MBA (with an emphasis on organizational behavior) from the University of Michigan
• 15+ years of progressive professional recruiting experience at Variant Partners
• A year of experience working for PricewaterhouseCoopers in change strategy
• 8 years working for a Tier 1 Automotive Supplier holding five progressive roles across four functional areas
• You can see details of his background on LinkedIn

SPECIALTY:

Manufacturing/Automotive

PRACTICE AREA:

1. Executive Leadership

• Retained / No Risk Priority Search
• Manufacturing Sector expertise across disciplines
• Management to Executive Leadership

2.  Manufacturing/Automotive

• Contingency or Project Recruiting
• Manufacturing Sector expertise in diverse disciplines
• We work very closely with a select number of clients to fill a variety of roles each year
• Over 90% repeat business
• Individual Contributor to Mid Management

3. Corporate Functions

• Contingency or Project Recruiting
• Individual Contributor to Mid Management
• Finance, HR, Compensation, IT, Purchasing and others across industries

Effective January of 2018, Lynda has taken over the leadership of the Energy Legal search team. The practice is niched to in-house legal roles with a national scope across seven energy industry sectors. Lynda is personally responsible for all client interface as well as the day to day activity management of the team. She has earned this role by her outstanding performance for the past several years in every progressive position leading to this one. Her MA in History is from Eastern Michigan University. In her spare time she enjoys travelling, cooking, and performing arts, specifically nationally competitive dance instruction for children.

SPECIALTY:

ENERGY

PRACTICE AREA:

In House Legal Search

NATIONAL CLIENT SECTORS

Electric vertical: power generation through high voltage transmission to the distribution utilities. Whether the generation is conventional fossil fuel, nuclear, wind, or solar, lawyers are involved at every step.

Natural Gas vertical: upstream production, gathering and processing , interstate pipelines, and the distribution utility.

• Upstream Exploration & Production
• Oil & Gas Pipelines
• Midstream
• Investor owned utilities
• Transmission Owners
• RTO/ ISO
• Merchant Generators
• Energy Trading and Marketing
• Infrastructure Developers
• Renewable Energy

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

• Regulatory/Compliance
• FERC / NERC
• State Regulatory
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• SEC
• Transactional
• Oil & Gas
• Energy Commodity (wholesale and retail)
• Commercial
• Project Development /Project Finance
• EPC
• Real Estate

Team:

Stephanie Krupp, Senior Strategy Director, Energy Practice LinkedIn

Alicia Coles, Administrative Assistant LinkedIn

Jim Miles is a Director in the Engineering and Research practice which spans most manufacturing market segments but principally durable goods related to transportation.  His technical background and problem solving focus give him insights into cultivating relationships that provide cross functional and multi-disciplinary solutions to difficult organizational issues.

Here are some highlights of Jim’s background:

• Over 25 Years in technical and executive search
• BS Biochemistry and Masters in Interdisciplinary Technology from Eastern Michigan University
• Successful in global searches, personally filling positions in across the US, Asia and Europe
• Over 10 years in Human Resources leadership positions in research and manufacturing organizations
• You can see the details of his background on LinkedIn.

SPECIALTY AREA:

Manufacturing/Automotive

PRACTICE AREA:

• Engineering and Engineering Management
• Technical Executives in research and engineering (Managers to Vice-Presidents)
• Technical Specialists (Analysis and Simulation, Basic and Applied Research) across most engineering disciplines
• Specialized manufacturing technologies (e.g. advanced martial processing, hydroforming, composites, powdered metals, etc.) with a sub-specialty in Materials Engineering.
• Automotive / On and Off-Road / Durable Goods

Greg joined the Variant Partners team in January of 2019. He has been in leadership level roles his entire career, being responsible for the direct impact on a company’s bottom line. Greg’s experience and his intellectual curiosity allows him to think outside the box and find that distinguished talent that companies long for. He got into the executive search business to formulate a process that will resonate with candidates and clients for a lifetime. Greg has always strived to achieve a skill level at anything he does, through hard work and determination, to be ranked with the best in the industry.

In Greg’s spare time he enjoys giving back to the community with various volunteering activities, competing in all sports, and being a father to his four amazing children.

Stephanie joined Variant Partners in 2000 following a leadership role in a natural gas marketing firm. The following year she took over leadership of the energy practice which provided energy companies with top talent across multiple technical disciplines. In 2003 she dedicated Variant’s energy practice exclusively to attorneys in house in order to bring a unique specialized focus to the business.

Who we know is what we know. Our extensive network is currently over 12,000 people due to our continual efforts to know every energy attorney in the country. We get to know the individuals in our network. Even though most are passive, we know exactly what opportunity and location will spur them to become active in a process.

We are the only search practice exclusive to energy industry in house attorneys. Approximately 65% of the attorneys we place come from private practice. We understand the many reasons attorneys choose in house opportunities over firms. For attorneys already in house, opportunities for continued professional growth can be limited and a company change is the right move. Energy industry legal departments are generally pretty flat. As more than one GC has told me, “I don’t hire people who need to be managed.”

Our clients need us to reach candidates who aren’t going to apply online. We use our network and its referrals to confidentially contact every qualified candidate. Our goal is to make sure every qualified person is aware of our client’s opportunity including its professional and personal advantages. We aggressively seek out, qualify and attract the best talent.

Download My Specialty Sheet

Download Our Search Options Sheet

SPECIALTY AREA:

ENERGY

PRACTICE AREA:

In House Legal Search

NATIONAL CLIENT SECTORS

Electric vertical: power generation through high voltage transmission to the distribution utilities. Whether the generation is conventional fossil fuel, nuclear, wind, or solar, lawyers are involved at every step.

Natural Gas vertical: upstream production, gathering and processing , interstate pipelines, and the distribution utility.

• Upstream Exploration & Production
• Oil & Gas Pipelines
• Midstream
• Investor owned utilities
• Transmission Owners
• RTO/ ISO
• Merchant Generators
• Energy Trading and Marketing
• Infrastructure Developers
• Renewable Energy

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

• Regulatory/Compliance
• FERC / NERC
• State Regulatory
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• SEC
• Transactional
• Oil & Gas
• Energy Commodity (wholesale and retail)
• Commercial
• Project Development /Project Finance
• EPC
• Real Estate

Team:

Lynda Cooney, Practice Leader LinkedIn

Alicia Coles, Administrative Assistant LinkedIn

Louie started with Variant Partners in 2011.  His superior recruiting knowledge and expertise is a result of his commitment to the industry and willingness to learn and grow each day.  He prides himself on always following up with clients and candidates in a very timely manner.  He is an avid Michigan and Detroit sports fan, and likes to spend his free time with his family and friends doing outdoor activities.

SPECIALTY:

Manufacturing/Automotive

Team:

David Sarafa, President/Practice Leader LinkedIn

Mike Nowak, Senior Account Manager LinkedIn

Tim Surma, Senior Recruiter LinkedIn

Lindsay Panyard, Senior Recruiter LinkedIn

Greg Hughes, Research Associate LinkedIn

Mike joined Variant Partners in 2013 after graduating from Central Michigan University.  He has a passion for the recruiting industry and a desire to succeed.  His hard work and dedication to learn the industry has led him to become an integral part of the team, and Variant Partners as a whole.  He is very competitive and enjoys any extracurricular activities that include competition, particularly golf.

SPECIALTY:

Manufacturing/Automotive

Team:

David Sarafa, President/Practice Leader LinkedIn

Louie Letourneau, Senior Account Manager LinkedIn

Tim Surma, Senior Recruiter LinkedIn

Lindsay Panyard, Senior Recruiter LinkedIn

Greg Hughes, Research Associate LinkedIn

Lindsay joined Variant Partners in 2012, and knows that executive search is all about building relationships between candidates and clients. Lindsay not only provides great service, but knows and understands her clients on a detailed level. She is a personable, honest and thorough communicator before, during and after the search and hiring process.

SPECIALTY:

Manufacturing/Automotive

Team:

David Sarafa, President/Practice Leader LinkedIn

Louie Letourneau, Senior Account Manager LinkedIn

Mike Nowak, Senior Account Manager LinkedIn

Tim Surma, Senior Recruiter LinkedIn

Greg Hughes, Research Associate LinkedIn

Tim supports David’s team at Variant Partners. Tim received his degree in Psychology from Central Michigan University and has 4 years of experience in sales, primarily in the automotive industry. His goal is to find the best talent and ensure his candidates are taken care of from the first conversation to their first day on the job instilling a long lasting relationship. In his free time, he enjoys being on the golf course and spending time with his family.

SPECIALTY:

Manufacturing/Automotive

Team:

David Sarafa, President/Practice Leader LinkedIn

Louie Letourneau, Senior Account Manager LinkedIn

Mike Nowak, Senior Account Manager LinkedIn

Lindsay Panyard, Senior Recruiter LinkedIn

Greg Hughes, Research Associate LinkedIn

Greg joined David’s team at Variant Partners in 2017 as a research associate. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 2014, he began working in a variety of industries while living in Chicago. Greg’s experience in these roles led him to discover an aptitude for internet research, writing/editing and data analysis. He applies these skills to his current position as he continues to learn more about his team’s industries.

Greg is also a passionate music listener and performer. He manages, composes, and plays bass guitar in a rock band during his spare time.

Team:

David Sarafa, President/Practice Leader LinkedIn

Louie Letourneau, Senior Account Manager LinkedIn

Mike Nowak, Senior Account Manager LinkedIn

Tim Surma, Senior Recruiter LinkedIn

Lindsay Panyard, Senior Recruiter LinkedIn

Alicia joined the Variant Partners team in December of 2017. Alicia is the individual in charge of updating, reviewing, and maintaining the accuracy for the Energy team within Variant Partners. She is excited for her new role and excited about the opportunity!

Team:

Stephanie Krupp, Senior Strategy Director, Energy Practice LinkedIn

Lynda Cooney, Practice Leader, Energy Practice LinkedIn

Gabe joined Variant Partners in May of 2019. Prior to joining Variant Partners Gabe specialized in recruiting for early stage startups across a variety of industries including Software-as-a-Service, Artificial Intelligence, and Transportation. Gabe is a research enthusiast who enjoys the challenge of sourcing difficult to place positions. Gabe joined the recruiting industry after a decade of experience recruiting and coaching for collegiate speech and debate teams at Big 10 and Big 12 institutions.

Laurie joined Variant Partners in 1989 as a high school co-op student. Later that year, she became a full-time Administrative Assistant. In 1998 she was promoted to Office Manager.

As Office Manager, Laurie is responsible for all of the office administrative duties. She assists with all the daily financial operations and maintain monthly sales reports to track both individual and company sales goals. Laurie manages payroll and processing of temporary candidates and coordinates with our Corporate office in this function.

Nicole joined Variant Partners in 2017 as the Operations Manager. Nicole’s professional background includes nine years of grocery retail experience, with four years in grocery retail management experience focusing on areas such as merchandising, human resources and operations. Nicole graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2013 with a Bachelors of Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Information Systems. In her free time, Nicole enjoys traveling, kayaking, and hiking.