Frequently Asked Questions on Executive Search

Tell me more about Ropella?

For over 20 years, we have focused on middle level management to executive level retained search in sales, marketing, manufacturing, and R&D within the chemical and allied industries (consumer product companies that are significant users of chemicals.)

We are the worlds largest search firm focusing on the chemical industry with 30 plus employees based in our headquarters in Pensacola, Florida, an additional seven in offices across the country, and at least 50 network affiliates/executive search consultants that partner with us based all over the globe.
We have recently expanded our practice areas into Alternative Energy, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Medical Equipment, and Aerospace-technology markets and are quickly becoming well recognized as the “Leaders In Industry And Technology.”

What was Patrick Ropella’s background prior to founding Ropella & Associates?

He started his career with almost three years with Management Recruiters in Milwaukee, WI. Management Recruiters has been called the “Century 21” of the recruiting industry with over 400 franchise offices around the globe. He focused primarily on entry level to some mid level management positions exclusively for the chemical industry.
Next, Pat spent nearly four years in downtown Chicago with Cook Associates—one of the country’s largest independent single location executive search firms. There he focused mostly on mid level management to executive level positions exclusively for the chemical industry.

How many people have you placed in the last year?

The firm places well over 100 people a year with major corporations all over the globe. One minute we are working on a Sales Management position in Mexico the next a Marketing Director in Europe, the next a Technology position in Asia. Overall 80% of our searches are domestic and 20% based elsewhere around the globe.

What is your average salary range?

• Typically entry level and middle management sales, marketing, R&D, and manufacturing positions average $80,000 to $125,000 base plus 15% to 30% bonus.
• Typically middle management positions average $125,000 to $150,000 base plus 15% to 30% bonus.
• Typically upper level management positions average $150,000 to $250,000 base plus 25% to 50% bonus.
• Senior level executive positions typically start at $250,000 and have a wide variety of variable incentives. The sky’s the limit!

What companies have you worked with?

Our client list is a who’s who of the world’s largest companies. Examples include GE, Dow, BASF, Sherwin Williams, Revlon, Bayer, Kraft, etc. For more information see the testimonials page. We will avoid or target any company you request unless you ask us to target an existing client.

Do you have other offices?

We have Ropella representatives working out of satellite offices in New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Tampa, Florida. We also have a very well established and tightly controlled network of over 50 other chemical and allied industry specialists with whom we have been networking with for over 20 years, both domestically and internationally. Each consultant specializes in his/her own niche. For example, by region (South East, U.S., Europe, etc.), by market (textile chemicals, food ingredients, pulp and paper, surfactants, etc.), by function (sales, manufacturing, R&D, entry level or executive level, etc.) and some were direct competitors who have concluded, “Since they can’t beat us they should join us.”

When do you check references?

This depends on each client. If requested, we’ll reference check candidates before they are interviewed by a client, but usually after the client has had at least one interview and indicates interest in the second interview or in discussing an offer. Most candidates are very particular about when they are willing to open the doors to reference checks.

All candidates are reference checked normally by both the client, and our firm before any offer is extended. We believe there should be a partnership process when it comes to background checks, degree confirmation, and reference checks.

How do you find candidates?

Because of over 20 years of specialization in the chemical and allied industries we have developed one of the worlds largest and most well polished databases of networking contacts, chemical and allied industry executives, employees, consultants, outplacement firms, associations, resume database services, as well as internet advertising and research sources.

What we don’t have in our database we find through a strategic partnership we have with a company called XCAVATE. This is an information research firm that uses state-of-the-art research and data mining tools to research and identify any information we may need on a client company or its targeted competitors, prospective candidates in a specific industry niche, or competitive market intelligence.