Artemis

Founder & CEO | Contingent Headhunting | Executive Search | Permanent Placement | Certified DVBE

Miracles for Kids

Board Member

University of California, San Diego - Rady School of Management

Guest Lecturer for Rady School of Management - focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Guest Lecturer

Epic Charter Schools - California

Alder

Gen Next is an invitation-only organization of successful individuals dedicated to learning about and becoming engaged with the most pressing challenges facing future generations — including global security, education reform, and economic opportunity. The collective influence of its national network of civic-minded leaders empowers bold and innovative solutions to these challenges.

Regional Board Member

Unified Technical, Inc.

Sales Manager

Chris Relth is a seasoned professional with 19 years of experience in the talent industry, recognized as a thought leader and an agent of change. He is the Founder and CEO of Artemis, a specialized staffing and executive search organization, where he brings a tenacious approach to concierge-style permanent search and staffing services. Additionally, Chris is a Managing Partner for Artemis United, a DVBE-certified joint venture that works with the state, fed, and clients to help meet their vendor diversity needs. Artemis United only hires military veterans internally to help with their transition to the civilian workforce.

Chris' leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment is critical to the success of his team, and ultimately leads to successful outcomes for his clients. His company is dedicated to the satisfaction of its team members and is committed to contributing to positive, long-lasting impact through the promotion of happier, healthier workforces.

A Bay Area native, Chris holds a degree from Chico State University and has been a resident of Orange County for over a decade, where he currently resides in Ladera Ranch, CA. In his free time, Chris channels his energy into philanthropic pursuits as a partner of Miracles for Kids and sits on various boards. He is also a youth football and baseball coach and is heavily involved in fitness.

Chris Relth

Recruiters and headhunters are not the same. 
It’s important you understand the difference. 
Recruiters fill openings… 




They chase active candidates.
The ones replying to LinkedIn messages, scrolling job boards, and sending out CVs.
It’s a volume game.

Fast, transactional, and surface-level.

Headhunters build pipelines.

We chase the best people who don’t show up on the market. 
The ones too busy succeeding to be looking.
The top 10% performers who take ten phone calls before they’ll even have a conversation.

It’s slower. Harder.
But it’s the difference between hiring the best talent IN versus ON the market.

Why does this matter for your business?

Lower attrition rates.

When someone leaves a job they're happy and successful in to join a direct competitor, 
They're far more likely to stay long-term.

Better cultural fit.

These candidates aren't desperately job hunting. They are selective about where they land, which means they choose companies that align with their values.

Higher performance.

The best salespeople, engineers, and leaders are already proving it somewhere else. That’s who you want walking into your Monday meeting.

The recruiting industry has earned its bad reputation for all the right reasons.

But when you work with someone who actually understands headhunting,
Someone who gets you the otherwise unattainable candidates, from direct competitors
Your experience will be completely different.
Delivering candidates who didn’t even know they were open to moving is what a headhunter will do.

That’s when your hiring process transforms… 

From hoping to fill a role with someone decent, 
To choosing between multiple A-players.

The kind that changes what’s possible for your company.

Client: “Chris, we need someone in 2 weeks” 
Me: “No, that won’t work” 
Client: “Why the hell not?” 

Every new client tells me the same thing: 

"We need someone fast."

Then six months later, they're back on the market. 

Because "fast" gave them the wrong person.

Here's what actually happens when you optimize for speed:

You get 10 candidates who barely match the brief. 
You interview 3 out of desperation. 
You hire 1 because the recruiter's pushing hard and you're out of options. 
Then the candidate leaves in 4 months because it was never the right fit.

The recruiter got paid. You got a gap to fill all over again.

I had a client come to me after exactly this situation. 

They'd worked with three different firms in 18 months. 

All promised speed. None delivered someone who lasted.

When we started working together, I told them upfront: 

"This will take longer than you want. 
But you'll get at least 5 candidates in 5 business days, will want to interview them all, and one of them will actually stay."

They pushed back. "We need someone in two weeks."

I said no and advised them on the process they should follow to secure a long-term fit

Two months later, they hired someone who's still there two years on. 
Because we took time to understand what they actually needed, not just what the job spec said.

Here's what I've learned: clients don't actually want fast. They want certainty. They want to know the person they hire won't be a mistake they're fixing six months from now.

Speed feels like certainty. But it's not when quality is sacrificed

Real certainty takes time. 

It means understanding how someone will fit your team, not just their CV. 

It means saying no to candidates who look good on paper but won't last.

Most recruitment firms won't tell you this because it's not what you want to hear

But it's what you need to hear if you're tired of rehiring the same role every year.

Lately, every CRO I speak to says the same thing:
“We’ve been burned by recruiters before.”
And they’re right to feel that way.



Too many firms promise quality candidates and instead deliver whoever replied to a LinkedIn message.

One CRO I spoke with put it to me this way:

“Chris, I don’t need more resumes. I need the right people. 
And I need to know where they’re coming from.”

I thought about it for a while after.

Because it’s exactly what separates true search partners from order-takers.

Here’s what the best CROs ask before they sign with a firm:

→ Where will these candidates come from (active job seekers or truly passive talent)?
→ How do you qualify them on compensation expectations and quota attainment?
→ What’s your interview-to-submittal ratio for similar searches?
→ Can you walk me through your last 3 placements in this space?

If a firm CAN’T answer those questions with data and specifics, you won’t be working with a search partner.

They’re a service vendor.
And you’ll feel the difference fast.

Here’s something else to keep in mind…

Most firms send one or two resumes and hope something sticks.

A true headhunter delivers 4-5 fully qualified candidates, 
And you’ll want to interview every one of them.

Because beyond matching keywords on a CV.
They’re actually assessing fit, culture, and long-term impact.

And that’s where real headhunting earns its name.

Fast hires fill seats.
Right hires build companies.

My best clients are always hiring.
Even when there’s no open role.
Especially in aerospace & defense, things change fast:


A key engineer gets poached
A program manager moves on
A lead relocates overnight

And suddenly it’s: “We needed someone yesterday.”

If you only start hiring when there’s a gap,
You’re already 6 months behind.

The strongest teams don’t wait for vacancies.
They build relationships before they need them.

So when change hits (and it always does)…
They don’t go to the market.

They make one call.

And surprise, surprise…

They’ve already got top talent ready to say yes.

Wiss

Kevin leads both the Recruiting Business line and Experienced Hire Recruiting for Wiss, a regional NJ/NYC CPA firm.  Kevin offers a unique recruiting pedigree, as he spent close to 20 years in the Finance/Accounting industry before transitioning into Recruiting.

During his tenure at Wiss, Kevin has built a $1 million client recruiting practice from the ground up, while at the same time hiring over 135 professionals for Wiss.  

For clients looking to hire top talent, Kevin specializes in placing mid to Executive level Finance, Accounting, and Human Resources professionals for current Wiss clients, prospects along with his own client base.  Kevin sources for both privately-held and publicly traded companies (from early stage to mature company profiles).  

Kevin provides clients with a "white gloves" consultative and collaborative approach to recruiting.    Kevin excels at identifying and delivering top caliber candidates to clients in an extremely lean candidate market.   Kevin believes that a successful recruiting engagement requires a fully invested partnership from both himself and the client.  The end goal is to successfully identify the right long term fit for an organization while accelerating time to hire.  

For Wiss, Kevin's goal is to continue to build the internal talent pipeline across all of our core practice areas.  Our firm is invested in our employees' success by creating  a culture where they can continue to develop and grow professionally under empathetic and inspirational leadership.

Our firm is actively recruiting at all levels across Tax (including Partner level), CFO Advisory, Assurance,  and Family Office/Wealth Management.

For companies interested in learning more about our recruiting services or candidates interested in internal Wiss opportunities contact me at (973) 577-2545 or at kkurtz@wiss.com!

"The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure"  - John Maxwell

Partner, Recruiting Practice

I lead Wiss's Recruiting Business line which services both our current and prospective clients across the United States.   My specialization is concentrated in C level Finance, Accounting and Human Resources positions.  My team also specializes in the Construction industry and we assist our Early Stage clients in sourcing Sales, Marketing and IT positions.   In addition, I oversee all internal recruiting for Tax, Audit and Advisory professionals in New Jersey and New York for Wiss & Company.

How do we differentiate ourselves at Wiss?  The foundation of our recruiting practice is concentrated around cultivating  long term relationships with candidates and clients.  We establish trust because we take extra care in every aspect of the recruiting process.  Making a placement is not our end goal; rather building a long term relationship based on honesty, trust and integrity is who we are.  That is truly the Wiss Way!  We take a personalized and "white gloves" approach to recruiting!

Practice Leader, Recruiting

Robert Half

I oversaw Robert Half's Finance and Accounting direct placement in our Bridgewater, NJ territory.  I had 2 concentrated goals.  First, to attract and recruit the highest caliber of  Finance and Accounting candidates in NJ and NYC and to match those candidates to opportunities which best align with their career objectives and aspirations.

Secondly, to partner and collaborate with companies in New Jersey to ensure they are seeing the most talented candidates available on the job market.

Division Director Finance and Accounting (Permanent Placement)

Recruiting Manager specializing in placing Accounting and Finance professionals with progressive, and reputable companies.  I take pride in learning about my candidates background, skills and career aspirations.  This ensures that I only present them with the absolute best matches for the next phase of their career.

Recruiting Manager - Permanent Placement Division - Accounting & Finance

Prudential

Professional Experience

Prudential Financial, Inc.  New Jersey 	1996 to 2015

Corporate Management Reporting [2006 to 2015]
Vice President, Planning & Analysis [2012 - 2015]

	Led all planning, forecasting, expense and headcount reporting for the Corporate Center functions $2.4 billion expense budget, including development of key financial metrics to drive business decisions
	Reduced organizational cost footprint by ~$1 million and headcount footprint by 25%, while improving the organizational operating model, talent base and overall financial product
	Implemented a more dynamic, robust and controlled budget and forecast process which ensured 100% financial integrity and Company delivery on 15% ROE commitment
	Executed and implemented strategic reporting and technology initiatives which accelerated delivery of quarterly financial analysis by 2 days 
	Developed executive presentations for C-Level executives which identified ~$20 million of cost savings opportunities associated with the $400 million Corporate & Other forecast in order to maximize ROE
	Presented and reviewed all planned Corporate Center allocated costs and associated drivers annually to the Business Group leaders to ensure cost transparency
	Oversaw, managed, developed, inspired and empowered a team of 18 Finance professionals 
	Increased employee opinion favorability by 25% through creation and leadership of employee focus group with emphasis on cultural improvement and commitment development of talent

Vice President, Planning & Analysis

Director of Financial Planning and Analysis

Partner, Recruiting Practice at Wiss - Delivering Top Caliber Accounting & Finance Talent to BOTH Wiss and Our Clients -Clients Value our "White Gloves" service approach to Recruiting!

I began my career at Prudential, and spent nearly 20 years building strong relationships and developing a solid Finance and Accounting foundation.  

I successfully pivoted into Recruiting and became a trusted resource and "market expert" to both candidates and clients.  

During my time at Robert Half I successfully placed numerous candidates and helped them achieve their career aspirations.  I took pride in getting to know my candidates and learn what they valued in their next career move. 

Beyond that I opened our Accounting and Finance office in Bridgewater, NJ and excelled at developing new client relationships built on trust and integrity.  

I gained an invaluable recruiting foundation at Robert Half which served as the perfect springboard for my new opportunity at Wiss.

At Wiss, I serve in 2 capacities.  I am responsible for enhancing and growing Wiss' internal talent pipeline through the active recruitment of top caliber talent  in the Tax, Advisory, Assurance,  and Wealth Management practice areas.  

Secondly, I lead our Recruiting business line which affords me the opportunity to partner with existing and prospective clients to optimize and strengthen their Accounting, Finance, Human Resources and Sales organizations  My expertise is concentrated in Executive Search, but we are happy to assist clients with more junior positions.  

I take a personal and "white gloves" approach to recruiting both on the candidate and client side.  I am fully invested in cultivating long term relationships.  My goal is to identify the right long term candidate for our clients and accelerating the time to hire.  

Talent is the foundation for sustainable organization success.  A magic potion does not exist when it comes to sourcing top caliber talent.  To learn more about how Wiss can be your consultative recruiting partner and enhance your company's talent pipeline contact me at (973) 577-2545 or kkurtz@wiss.com!

https://wiss.com/services/recruiting-services/

"Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential." - John Maxwell

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Chris Relth

Kevin Kurtz, MBA

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The Battle

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Kevin Kurtz, MBA

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