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The Artemis Spotlight · April 2026
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From Johanna
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,
I want to share something I am seeing in real time that I think matters to you.
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Over the past 90 days, the executive talent market has shifted in a way I have not witnessed since 2020. Across energy, technology, financial services, and industrial sectors, companies are restructuring at the senior level. Not trimming around the edges. Eliminating entire leadership layers.
And the executives being displaced are not underperformers. They are operators who built divisions, turned around P&Ls, integrated acquisitions, and led through complexity. They are being released because structures changed around them, not because they failed.
This newsletter is about what that means for you, whether you are on the hiring side or the talent side.
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"The companies that move with precision, not panic, will come out of this cycle stronger."
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94%
of Artemis placements thriving after two years
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In This Issue
▶ The Displacement Wave
▶ Positioning Ahead of the Curve
▶ Why This Is Not a DIY Moment
▶ For Executives in Transition
▶ Developing the Leaders You Have
▶ Johanna at the Gulf Coast HR Symposium
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Market Intelligence
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The Displacement Wave: What Is Actually Happening
The numbers tell the story. In Q1 2026 alone, over 90,000 jobs have been eliminated across major companies. January layoff announcements hit the highest level since 2009. But the headline numbers miss the most important detail:
This wave is disproportionately hitting senior leadership.
Citigroup is specifically targeting Managing Directors and senior executives as part of a 20,000-role reduction. Amazon eliminated 16,000 corporate positions, with internal memos explicitly calling for the removal of management layers. Block cut 40% of its workforce. Across Houston's energy corridor, Chevron, BP, and ConocoPhillips have collectively announced tens of thousands of reductions, with the Greater Houston Partnership projecting over 3,200 additional oil and gas jobs lost in our market in 2026.
The executives caught in this wave did not fail. Their companies restructured, merged, or reorganized around them. These are proven CFOs, COOs, CROs, and division presidents with track records of building real things at real companies. And right now, they are available in a way they have not been in years.
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The Opportunity
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How Forward-Looking Companies Are Positioning Right Now
The companies that come out of market disruptions stronger tend to share three habits:
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01
They map gaps before they source.
They know exactly what success looks like in 90 days, not just what the job description says.
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02
They vet for how, not just where.
Past titles are everywhere right now. They look for how someone built, adapted, and delivered under pressure.
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03
They move before the window closes.
The best operators get absorbed within weeks, often through relationships, never through job boards.
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Why This Is Not a DIY Moment
At the executive level, the best talent does not come through job boards. It moves through trusted relationships and experienced search partners. The data bears this out:
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76%
of executive hires are facilitated through external search firms
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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70%
of executive candidates are sourced through networking, not applications
Forbes
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5-27x
annual salary: the cost of a failed executive hire
Dr. Bradford Smart, Topgrading
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The right search partner does not just find candidates. They know who is available, why, and whether they will actually succeed in your specific environment. That is the difference between filling a seat and making a hire that lasts.
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Understanding the Difference
Two Search Models. Different Dynamics. Different Results.
Both contingent and retained search have a place. The question is which model fits the stakes of the role you are filling.
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Contingent Search
How it works
Firm is paid only if they place a candidate. Multiple firms may work the same role simultaneously.
Best suited for
Mid-level roles, high-volume hiring, roles where speed to fill is the primary metric.
Candidate sourcing
Primarily active job seekers and existing databases. Speed is prioritized over depth.
Vetting depth
Resume screening and initial interviews. Volume of candidates presented tends to be higher.
Confidentiality
Role is often widely distributed across multiple firms and job boards, which can limit discretion.
Typical outcome
Fast fills for roles where the candidate pool is broad and readily accessible.
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Retained Search
How it works
Firm is engaged exclusively and paid in stages. One dedicated team owns the search from start to finish.
Best suited for
C-suite, VP, and senior leadership roles where the cost of a wrong hire is significant.
Candidate sourcing
Proactive outreach to passive candidates who are not actively looking. Deep market mapping and personal networks.
Vetting depth
Substantive personal interviews, leadership assessment, reference verification, and cultural fit evaluation before any candidate is presented.
Confidentiality
Search is conducted discreetly. Candidates and clients are protected throughout the process.
Typical outcome
Higher placement success rates, stronger long-term retention, and leadership hires that are evaluated for fit, not just qualifications.
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The bottom line: For roles where the wrong hire costs 5 to 27 times the annual salary, the depth of a retained search is not a premium. It is a safeguard. At Artemis, 94% of our placements are thriving after two years because we invest the time to get it right before anyone walks through your door.
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If you have a leadership gap you have been waiting to fill, or one you can see forming, the talent to solve it is available right now in a way it will not be six months from now.
That is the conversation I want to have with you. Not a pitch. Not a presentation. Just a direct comparison of what you need and what I am seeing in the market.
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For Executives in Transition
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If You Are Navigating This Transition
You are not alone, and this is not a reflection of your capability. The market is doing what markets do. The question is how you position yourself for what comes next.
The executives who land well in these cycles share a few traits: they are clear about what they bring (not just where they have been), they move through trusted networks rather than mass applications, and they invest time in understanding the organizations they are considering rather than taking the first offer that appears.
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The Artemis Candidate Showcase
Our Candidate Showcase is how we connect pre-vetted, Actually Interviewed executives with companies that value implementation over pedigree. Each candidate has been personally assessed by our team before they are ever presented. If that sounds like it fits your situation, I would welcome a conversation about whether the Showcase is right for you.
Tell Me More →
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Beyond the Hire
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Finding the Right Leader Is Only Half the Equation
A question I am hearing more often from clients lately: "We have good leaders. How do we make sure they stay and grow?"
It is a fair question, especially right now. In an environment where replacing a senior leader takes months and costs multiples of their salary, developing the leadership bench you already have is one of the highest-return investments an organization can make.
That is why we have been expanding our work in leadership development and executive coaching alongside our search practice. The same insight that helps us identify what makes an executive succeed in a new role also helps us develop the leaders already inside your organization, strengthening how they communicate, how they develop their teams, and how they retain the people around them.
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Training, Coaching & Leadership Development
We work with organizations on:
▶ Executive coaching for newly placed and existing leaders
▶ Coaching-centered leadership workshops for management teams
▶ Leadership assessment and development planning
▶ Engagement and retention strategies tied to leadership behavior
If you are thinking about how to strengthen the leaders you already have, I would welcome that conversation.
Let's Talk About Your Team →
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Just Announced
Gulf Coast HR Symposium 2026
I am excited to share that I have been selected to present at this year's Gulf Coast Symposium on HR Issues at NRG Center in Houston. The theme is Purposeful HR: Intentional Leadership. Meaningful Results.
My session: Leadership Depth as Business Strategy: How HR Can Champion the Conversation That Gets You a Seat at the Table
▶ Wednesday, August 5 | 3:45 - 4:45 PM
▶ Thursday, August 6 | 8:30 - 9:30 AM
If you or someone on your HR team is attending, I would love to see you there.
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AUG
5-6
NRG Center
Houston, TX
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One Conversation Can Change Your Trajectory
Whether You Are Hiring or in Transition, I Would Welcome 15 Minutes.
No pitch. No pressure. Just a direct conversation about what you are navigating and how I can help.
Or simply reply to this email. I read every one.
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Find Leaders Who Fit, Perform and Stay.
Artemis Executive Partners | 1800 Bering Dr Suite 940 | Houston, TX 77057
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