ZRG acquires Aspen Leadership Group, cements market leadership in education talent solutions

Rochelle Park-based ZRG, a global talent advisory and executive search firm, has acquired Aspen Leadership Group (ALG), a premier firm in placing and supporting fundraising and other leaders in education and the broader nonprofit sector.

Together the firms bring unmatched expertise across executive search, interim leadership, consulting/coaching and embedded recruiting.

ZRG says the acquisition reinforces its leadership position and ongoing investment in higher education, where synergies between Aspen Leadership Group and ZRG’s expanding, industry-leading portfolio establish the most comprehensive talent solution suite available.

With ALG’s specialized focus in development and advancement, and its complementary expertise in finance and operations, the acquisition supercharges ZRG’s education sector offerings, including:

  • The Registry, a ZRG company – The leader in interim leadership for academic institutions;
  • TurnkeyZRG – The leader in college sports recruiting;
  • Helbling & Associates – The leader for real estate and facilities searches in academia.

With a legacy of service to over 1,000 institutions across all divisions of higher education and academic medicine, ZRG’s Education Practice is now one of the largest and most deeply resourced talent solutions providers in the sector.

“Joining ZRG allows Aspen Leadership Group to scale its impact exponentially,” Ron Schiller, founding partner and managing director, ALG, said. “With ZRG’s platform and resources, we are poised to meet many more of the talent needs in education and across the entire nonprofit sector.”

“The addition of Aspen Leadership Group is nothing short of transformative,” Larry Hartmann, CEO of ZRG said. “Their expertise in development and advancement is the perfect complement to our growing education practice, and as we roll into 2025, we are unlocking the collective power of these exceptional niche businesses under the unified banner of ZRG’s Education Practice, creating unmatched solutions for academic and nonprofit leadership.”