The Man in the Arena
As Scott grew up in the Midwest and graduated Ohio State with an Engineering degree, he set his sights on going global. Two decades later, after consulting to some of the largest international tech firms, leading global search teams, and raising a family from various European locations, that goal has been achieved. When he needs to scratch that engineering “itch,” he turns to his latest project — restoring a 1957 Jaguar. That tells you everything you need to know about Scott — a dedication to the journey, resilient, unafraid to take on daunting projects, and a reflective mindset. Oh, and hopeful… you’ll find this keen fly-fisherman regularly standing in a river expecting to connect with something big.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out where the doer of deeds could have done better….The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;… who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. Theodore Roosevelt
Scott Jacobs is a partner with the Technology practice at Acertitude, where he leads senior-level searches and company-wide assessment projects all over the world for clients who seek rapid, exceptional performance. He is highly specialized in serving the private equity community along with public and private enterprises across the software and infrastructure sectors.
Before joining Acertitude, Scott was the founder and managing partner of executive search and advisory firm Apex Advisors. Prior, he spent 15 years with Heidrick and Struggles. As a senior partner, he led the Technology & Services Practice across EMEA and was a member of the board practice, leading several Chairman and NED searches, predominantly for privately-backed mid-cap firms.
Additionally, he spent two years in the Heidrick Consulting business where he delivered projects focused on improving executive team assessment and performance, identifying organizational deficiencies, and driving improvements.
Earlier in his career, Scott worked as a management consultant around the globe for a range of board-level TMT clients. His teams addressed a variety of projects, from multi-million dollar restructuring projects at large organizations to new-business launches for technology start-ups. He graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Scott and his wife Paula divide their time between London and the United States. In their leisure time, you can find them on for long rambles in the Surrey Hills or grabbing a pint in the pub with friends. They love to travel and have collected a lot of airmiles chasing their grown children around the globe. Scott is set on finishing his bucket-list goal of fly-fishing for salmon in each country where they still run wild in the rivers, whether you get there by car… or helicopter.
