Carl Kutsmode is an Executive Talent Advisor and Affiliate Partner at TalentRise, with over 25 years of experience connecting employers with senior executive talent (Director to C-Level) to drive intentional business and career growth.
Carl leads executive search engagements and provides career transition coaching to executives, working closely with investors, startup entrepreneurs, and leadership teams at privately held, mid-market companies. He has helped hundreds of clients identify and hire proven executive leaders with a track record of scaling operations, increasing revenue, and expanding market share through M&A, product innovation, and geographic expansion.
An entrepreneur and pioneer in the digital transformation of corporate recruiting, Carl began his career in management consulting as founder of Tiburon Group, where he guided companies in modernizing outdated recruitment strategies and systems. His early work laid the foundation for what are now widely adopted high-touch, data-informed recruiting best practices that align with today’s fast-evolving talent landscape.
Carl’s experience spans both domestic and international markets with a personal interest in cross-cultural searches that require leaders who possess an understanding of the local country and foreign owned international business practices. Carl has deep industry expertise and talent networks in private equity and venture capital-backed growth stage startups, as well as mid-market firms in professional services, SaaS and AI technology, industrial and consumer manufacturing, healthcare and life sciences.
Beyond his client work, in his off hours, Carl is passionate about giving back. He is an active member of ProVisors Trusted Advisor Network, Chicago Innovation, the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) – Chicago Chapter, and a volunteer with HRMAC and StartOut. He also serves as a former board member of Upwardly Global, supporting immigrant professionals in navigating the U.S. job market.
A frequent speaker at industry conferences, trade shows, and corporate events, Carl shares insights on topics including executive search trends, talent acquisition innovation, and mid-to-late career transitions. He holds a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago.
