< Back to Team Page

SARAH J. MITCHELL

Director

Ms. Mitchell has more than 15 years of recruiting experience, twelve of which have been with The Alexander Group in both the Houston and San Francisco offices. She has also worked in house as a recruiter for Amazon.com in Seattle, Washington, partnering with executives in finance, legal, and human resources to select and attract world class talent.

Ms. Mitchell’s practice focuses on legal, marketing, human resources, financial, and information technology positions in a broad range of industries, with an emphasis on biotechnology, high technology, new media, and professional services. Ms. Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Rice University and is active in the San Francisco Bay Area theater community.

READ SARAH J.'S ARTICLES IN TAGLINES MAGAZINE

More About SARAH J.

Where are you from?

My British parents moved to the US for dad’s career with ExxonMobil two months before I was born. I grew up in the suburbs of Houston. My sisters and I were the girls with the parents that talked funny. Looking through my parents’ eyes, I grew up with an outsider’s view of the world around me, which I think gave me an inquisitive and critical mindset.

How did you get to San Francisco?

I showed up in San Francisco with the dotcom boom in 2000, along with everyone else. Those were fun and weird times! I was a recruiter for Amazon.com and Pets.com during periods of intensive growth. I prefer the diversity and consultative role of executive search to working in house, but I’m so glad I got the client side perspective.

What do you love about search?

There is a palpable rush when I meet the right candidate for my client. Sometimes I just know I’ve found “the one” and I can’t wait to tell my client about him or her. It’s especially exciting when they aren’t a conventional candidate on paper, but the intangibles are all there.

What would you do if you weren't in search?

I love the ideas of being nutritionist, helping individuals make the right food choices to be as healthy and respectful to the earth as they can be. Hmmm...that kind of sounds like search doesn't it?

What past jobs have you held?

When I was with Amazon, I covered the Christmas rush by packing boxes in Reno, Nevada on the graveyard shift. During my 3 a.m. lunch break I learned that Jeff Bezos was announced Time Person of the Year.