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

2024

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

2020-2023

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

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.

2015

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

2010

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

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.

1996

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

1995

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

1995

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

1994

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

1993

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

1992

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

1991

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

1990

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

1990

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

1988-1989

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

1987

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

1986-1991

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

1980

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

1972

Born on January 24th, outside of Boston.

Enthusiastic Love from Rich's Clients

Sandeep Chopra

Co-Founder at Everest Systems

Rich was our key person for identifying, sourcing and recruiting our initial sales and marketing team members and leaders. Rich works 7 days a week, and is constantly iterating to figure out the right candidates based on the unique needs of his client. He never shies away from his point of view of what type of candidate is right for the company’s stage, at the same time is willing to change his approach based on learnings throughout the interview process. Rich is truly an asset to startups building out their GTM function.

Gregg Monastiero

Partner @ Ethos Capital LLC | MBA, Strategic Advisor

I am pleased to recommend Rich Rosen as an exceptional recruiter. Rich has played a crucial role in helping me build successful sales growth teams quickly and effectively, which directly contributed to exceeding our goals and ultimately leading to successful exits. His ability to identify and attract top talent is unmatched, and he consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that we have the right people in place. Rich’s expertise and proactive approach have made a significant impact on our organization. Thank you, Rich, for your dedication and support in driving our success!

Dale D. Royal

Founder imperto.ai

Some people talk a great game…others simply post about greatness with no real credential to support. Rich is not either of those. Having been a long term colleague, Rich personifies the terms of thoroughness, commitment and clarity. He has from Day 1 been a source of truth, reality and hard work, having always delivered clear goals, targets and plans to ensure timely review and consideration of candidates and positions. He is truly a Go-To source for all things people and opportunity!

Rob Marks

GTM Sales Leader | Coach | Mentor | Customer Ambassador | Regional Director at ThoughtSpot

I’ve worked with Rich for over a decade. He was instrumental to my success in building out my team at Tableau. Rich possesses deep industry knowledge and has helped guide his candidates with advice that helped propel their careers. On the flip side of that, Rich overdelivers to his clients with top talent, again which I have experienced first hand. Overall, if you are a company looking to scale out your sales team, I would highly recommend speaking to Rich.

Mitchell Parker

Solution Sales Energy Belden Inc.

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. He is forward-thinking and passionate about making a difference in the world of IT recruitment. I highly recommend Rich as a top recruit in the information technology industry.

Danny Cahill

President/Owner at Hobson Associates

Rich’s superpower is that once he takes on a client and a critical search…it becomes his mission. And while he genuinely comes across as funny and easy going and “just a hard working guy who’s been around a while”, the truth is he is an assassin. A fire in his belly that 25 years of sky high performance hasn’t dulled one little bit. He needs to win, to get there first, and to get it right. Rich is world class!

Alex Harrington

Serial Founder, CEO/COO/CFO, Board Member

We hired Rich to recruit for a critical sales role. Rich went beyond the call of duty to provide several strong and hirable candidates, and we filled the role in a shorter time than expected. He’s also a pleasure to work with, and is alway trying to help clients for BD and other ways through his relationships. Highly recommend!

Stephen Clendaniel

Director of Sales FINBOA

I have worked with many recruiters over the years, but Rich stood out well above the rest. He was very helpful preparing me at every stage of the interview process and stayed highly engaged with me from the first contact to the formal offer and beyond. Truly one of the best!

Jim Nyhan

General Manager East US Kudelski Security

Rich is a hardworking, committed, hands on professional that collaborates with candidates throughout the recruitment, interview and offer stages. A straight shooter that will let you know if you are a good fit for the role and any gaps that are apparent in your CV and is very well connected on both the candidate side as well as the hiring manager side of the equation.

Jack Flynn

Acronym Enthusiast | MBA | SaaS AE | AI | ETA (in progress)

Rich recently helped me secure an ideal opportunity as an Account Executive at an incredible company. Rich was extremely well-versed and transparent on the role & company, checked-in consistently throughout the interview process, and always made himself available for any questions. The opportunity was such a perfect match that I asked Rich if I could write this review. Based on the experience and the outcome, I would highly recommend Rich to anyone seeking a career change as well as any organization looking to provide candidates with a best-in-class experience throughout the recruiting & interview process.