NEW YORK — Three former Capstone Hill Search leaders, including ex-president Jamie McLaughlin, have banded together to launch a new recruiting firm serving the PR industry, Monday Talent.

McLaughlin is partnering in the venture with Gillian Williams and Carly Mednick, formerly a Capstone VP and managing consultant respectively, predicated on their like-minded approach to recruiting, which includes forming alliances with the companies they work with that are deeper than typical recruiter/client relationships.

“Disrupting the traditional recruitment model, we will not sit on the periphery of the marketing and communications world, just moving people in and out of jobs. We will be embedded with our clients, acting as an extension of their talent functions and true ambassadors,” Mednick said.

Monday Talent’s expertise is the communications and marketing industries, although it is not exclusive to those businesses. A dedicated DE&I search function is among its offerings. 

“As a black woman who has personally experienced discrimination in various workplaces both as a woman and a person of color, I have a deep commitment to creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations,” Williams said.

Monday Talent’s launch comes one year after McLaughlin’s departure from Capstone, where he had been since 2012, when he co-founded the firm’s London office, joining owners Jeremy Wrench and David Cornelius, who launched the company in 2009. He moved to the New York office in 2014, overseeing and expanding the US business by opening offices in Chicago and LA.

“I took some time off and did a lot of thinking, and even some reading, and despite some amazing offers, I felt I had some unfinished business. Working with Carly and Gillian was never a question. In my 15-year career, they are the most talented people I have ever worked with,” he said.

“Launching a business during a global pandemic may not be ideal, but from a business point of view it not only sharpens the senses, but also really helps you prioritize what is important,” he said. “Whilst we are working on a range of roles from chief creative officer to chief marketing officer, communications will always be at the heart of what we do. From a market perspective, I have never been more confident in the PR world. 

“There has never been a greater need for communications and finally, public relations professionals are being recognized for the value they bring to individuals and organizations,” he said.