About Rich Rosen

Rich grew up outside of Boston – at 15 years old became enamored by the stock market and creating wealth. At a very young age, Rich learned how to track and pick stocks, consistently beat the pros.

After finishing in the top 1% out of thousands of competitors in national stock challenges, Rich went on to become the youngest stockbroker/ equity analyst in the country for Dean Witter (major firm at the time ). While still in college, Rich was entrusted to a manage $150M portfolio, picking equities and investments for one of the top brokers in the company. This was the dream! He was making a ton of money still in college, raking in the cash between investments and a real adult salary … then BOOM, his boss left reality (It’s a LONG story… ask him and he’ll tell you over a beer.) He moved back to Boston, took a monster pay cut but lived off my own investments and took a chance on himself.

Consistently leading the Dean Witter office in phone time, dials, and pretty much every category – bringing in over $1M in bonds, drips, and other non-equity investments. Rich was the #1 rookie in the office, but his manager wouldn’t let him run his own desk (he was making too much money off Rich and teaching him nothing.) Rich left to start a different kind of desk. One he would ultimately build to be one of the strongest in the recruiting industry.

Two weeks later he started as a rookie recruiter with MRI. As a stockbroker he was expected to make hundreds of calls a day. When he started as a recruiter, the expectation was 50 calls a day… Rich asked, “What do I do after breakfast?”

Rich closed his first deals, for 40K in billing, in his first 10 days, while still in training! A recruiter star was born! Rich was loving life. For the first six months he’s either the top biller or in the top five of 77 recruiters.

After paying his own expenses, buying the first computer in the company, and billing like a fiend, it was time to go out on his own. And that’s exactly what he did. He opened Cornerstone Search, switched verticals, and now almost 30 years later, he’s billed almost 20M in revenue, placed over 1000 senior professionals, and has been listed in the Forbes Top Fifty Recruiters for the last four years, most recently at #14. This makes him the highest ranked solo practitioner in our industry. He’s done this on his own, with just part-time administrative support.

Rich loves to make placements, but he loves helping other recruiters more. (mostly) 

Timeline

1972

Born on January 24th, outside of Boston.

1980

Won first sales contest selling candy bars, Showcasing early sales talent.

1986-1991

Worked at Norwood Hospital for $6.36/hr; An early lesson in hard work and humility.

1987

Interned at a law office - Realized a dislike for monotonous tasks.

1988-1989

Interned at a stock brokerage firm, sparking a passion for the stock market.

1990

Graduated from Norwood High School. Was a passionate soccer player known for leading in yellow cards.

1990

Began college at American University. Joined Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity.

1991

Finished in the top 1% in the AT&T national Stock Picking Challenge.

1992

Interned at Prudential as a stockbroker and again excelled in the AT&T Stock Challenge.

1993

Became the youngest licensed stockbroker in the country, created strategies for $150m in assets.

1994

Graduated from American University with significant achievements in stock market analysis.

1995

Returned to Boston, joined Dean Witter's Rookie Broker program, but left disillusioned after excelling yet facing industry limitations.

1995

Transitioned to Management Recruiters. Made an immediate impact by closing significant deals in just 10 days.

1996

Founded Cornerstone Search after identifying the need for a better recruitment experience.

1998-2006

Pivoted to software sales post-long-term care sector bankruptcy, overcoming the challenges of the Dot Bomb era. Celebrated personal milestones: marriage and the birth of two children.

2010

Won first poker tournament, showcasing strategic and analytical skills beyond the business arena.

2015

Joined The Pinnacle Society, an elite group of top-performing recruiters aiming to elevate industry standards.

2020

Adapted to the pandemic by refining a chocolate chip cookie recipe with his children. A testament to his ability to find positivity and growth in challenging times.

2020-2023

Consistently ranked in Forbes' list of top 50 recruiting firms. A testament to relentless dedication and skill in executive recruitment.

2024

Joined the Moore Essentials Team. Sharing accumulated knowledge and guiding others toward success in recruitment.

Enthusiastic Love from Rich's Clients

Ryan French
Pigment
“I've spent a lot of time over the past several years building teams and working with both internal & external recruiters to help fill those needs....I have to say that Rich is the at the top of that list!"

Mitchell Parker
SUSE
“I highly recommend Rich Rosen for a recruitment role in the information technology industry. Rich has been a top recruiter and a leader in the field for many years. He has excellent interpersonal and communication skills, a deep knowledge of the IT industry, and the ability to locate, screen and assess top talent. Rich is organized, professional, and enthusiastic about his work, with the ability to make sound and reliable decisions"

Brenna Souza
Resonate Growth
“I recently worked with Rich on a VP search and was beyond impressed. I clicked with him right from our first call; he is professional, direct, funny, ethical, and deeply connected to thousands of candidates. He is extremely communicative and gives the same attention to both customers and candidates alike."

Rich McGhee
Resonate Growth
It's no accident that Rich is one of the top recruiters in the business. Rich's industry knowledge, vast network, focus, and tenacity separates him from the pack. Nobody works harder than Rich...and his results show it. One thing you'll notice about Rich is, he's always "on." He's always prepared. He's always game-ready. He always follows through. And he expects the same from you. I highly recommend Rich Rosen.

Ed Peek
Unifocus
Rich is the consummate professional. I have worked with him for several years. He has conducted a number of searches for the organization I have led and always brings forward top quality candidates for the positions we have filled. Highly recommend him to organizations who need a top-tier recruiter.

Richard DeFrancisco
Balboa Geolocation Inc
Rich is one of the hardest working guys in the business. And one of the select few that really works to understand client needs. And he delivers the highest quality candidates that we expect. I highly recommend him for just about any search.

Drew Scarano
AntWorks
Rich gets the job done his network is extensive and always listens to the needs of his clients. Rich has recruited top talent over 10 years for my companies. I recommend Rich highly, he’s honest, honorable and all around great guy to be associated with.