SANDY DENNIS CPA, CGA

Principal & Founder, Elite Search

As Founder and Managing Director of Elite Search, Sandy Dennis is a trusted executive search advisor who partners with entrepreneurial, privately held, and growth-oriented organizations to identify and recruit exceptional leadership talent. With more than 18 years of leadership search experience and a background as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA), she brings a unique combination of financial expertise, commercial acumen, and executive recruitment experience to every client engagement.

With more than 18 years of leadership recruitment experience, Sandy began her career with one of the world’s largest global recruitment firms before co-launching and leading the Western Canadian operations of multiple national leadership search organizations. Her experience spans building successful regional practices, partnering with executive teams, and recruiting senior leaders across a broad range of industries and functions.

Earlier in her career, she held finance leadership positions, worked as a software implementation consultant for a Fortune 500 company, and successfully owned and operated a small retail business. This diverse background enables her to quickly understand the strategic, operational, and financial challenges facing organizations and to assess leadership talent through a business-first lens.

Sandy serves as a strategic advisor throughout the executive search process, working as an extension of her clients’ leadership teams rather than as an external recruiter. Her collaborative, consultative approach emphasizes transparency, market insight, and long-term relationships, helping organizations make confident leadership decisions that support sustainable growth.

In addition to her executive search practice, Sandy serves as an Advisor with MacKay CEO Forums, where she supports Chairs and , CEOs and business leaders with organizational success through thoughtful leadership talent strategy.

Some of Sandy’s notable placements include:

  • CFO - fast-growing SaaS company
  • SVP Construction & Development - global restaurant franchisee
  • CFO - large, multi-national Geotech engineering company
  • VP Human Resources - large, multi-national Geotech engineering company
  • VP Risk & Insurance Management - North America's fastest-growing new home developer
  • SVP Finance - market-leading real estate development, management and investment company
  • Regional Director of Operations - private equity owned healthcare provider
  • VP Development Finance - leading international real estate firm
  • Project Manager, ERP implementation -private equity owned food producer
  • Director of Tax - market-leading Real Estate firm
  • Tax Manager - large global manufacturing company
  • Director of Operations – scaling healthcare organization
  • Chief Operating Officer - a growing and transforming professional services firm
  • Chief Financial Officer - private equity backed lumber & energy company
  • VP Marketing – publicly held e-commerce building material company
  • Director FP&A - local insurance firm undergoing major growth through M&A

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

  • Active CPA, CGA in good standing, bringing a unique blend of financial, operational and executive search expertise.
  • More than 18 years of success recruiting executive, management and leadership talent across Canada.
  • Founder & Principal of Elite Search, delivering boutique executive search solutions with the rigour of a national firm and the flexibility of a trusted advisor.
  • Formerly co-launched, built and led the British Columbia operations of two national recruitment firms.
  • Trusted advisor to CEOs, business owners and executive leadership teams on succession planning, organizational growth and strategic talent acquisition.
  • Advisor to MacKay CEO Forums, supporting business leaders through trusted peer advisory relationships.

Distinguished as a Thought Leader and Professional Networker:

  • Extensive experience recruiting C-suite, Vice President and Director-level executives for publicly traded, private, private equity-backed and family-owned organizations.
  • Recognized specialist in real estate leadership recruitment, with a successful track record serving developers, REITs, asset managers, construction companies and property owners ranging from entrepreneurial firms to global organizations.
  • CPA background combined with previous experience in finance leadership, software implementation consulting and business ownership provides uncommon insight into clients' business and leadership challenges.
  • Former Co-Chair of the Recruiter Roundtable for CPHR BC & Yukon, helping advance best practices within the recruitment profession.
  • Published thought leader on executive recruitment, leadership hiring and talent strategy

PERSONAL PURSUITS

Outside of work, Sandy relishes the wonders of the natural world. You might often spot her globe-trotting, tending to her garden, exploring hiking and biking paths, or paddling the local waterways.