The Board Experts
James J. Zuehlke
Working in the technology, medical, and financial services industries for over 30 years, Jim has a broad understanding of how technology integrates with marketing and sales, as well as first-hand experience in account, product, and technology management. Having worked with both established and fast growing companies he sees the value people bring to leveraging these functions, leading to business success and stronger companies. Jim has worked in the executive search market for over 25 years, founding his own firm, Cardinal Mark.
With the success of Cardinal Mark, Jim and his Cardinal Mark partner, Charlie Roer, founded Cardinal Board Services with a mission to help companies build better boards. Their passion to work closely with boards of directors has led Cardinal Board Services to be a leading board search company.
Cardinal Mark and Cardinal Board Services have conducted hundreds of searches for multiple industry executives and board members for Fortune 500 public companies and private (PE owned, ESOP, Multi-generation family businesses) companies, including Cisco Systems, Check Point Software, Marvin Windows, Ryan Companies, Esri, JSJ Corp., Kent Corporation, Shape Corp., and many others.
Jim is a graduate of Winona State University with degrees in Marketing and Computer Science. He has served on multiple corporate boards and currently serves as Chairman on one corporate and multiple university boards.
Charles G. Roer
Charlie’s career experience spans a wide range of industries, including financial services, technology, printing and paper. As the leader of nationwide sales teams he led his organizations to exceptional revenue growth. He has extensive experience building and managing highly consultative, solutions-focused sales organizations. Companies and clients have also counted on Charlie to provide strategic planning, merger and acquisition integration management, and contract negotiation services.
Charlie co-founded Cardinal Board Services and shares his partner Jim Zuehlke’s passion for helping companies build better boards. He attributes the firm’s success and growth to a commitment to “aiming high” and consistently exceeding client expectations. Conducting extensive client discovery, candidate research and a highly consultative approach, the CBS methodology yields only the best results.
Before partnering with Jim Zuehlke in 2004 to join Cardinal Mark, Charlie was Executive Vice President of Sales for Clark Consulting, Inc. He also served as Director of Major Accounts and East Region Sales for Noosh, Inc., a Silicon Valley based SaaS startup, and was Major Account Manager for RR Donnelley & Sons. He holds a B.S. in Business Analysis from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University – Bloomington. Charlie has worked in the executive search industry for over fifteen years.
Sam Gondeck
Sam is a sales leader and MBA graduate with a robust background in software technology sales and management. His career includes key roles at leading SaaS companies, where he excelled in driving digital transformation and strategic account management. Sam’s achievements include significant contributions to revenue growth and client success, a testament to his commitment to providing lasting value for his customers.
At Cardinal Mark, Sam’s deep understanding of SaaS technology and his track record of exceeding targets will be invaluable in delivering high-potential candidates and faster/better results for clients. His experience in managing complex sales cycles and his dedication to client success align perfectly with our mission to provide targeted search and recruiting services.
Additionally, Sam’s proven ability to lead teams and foster client relationships will enhance our Cardinal Board Services, especially in helping organizations form and optimize their boards. His expertise will contribute to our goal of maximizing board effectiveness and driving growth for our diverse range of clients.