Meet Jim Zaniello, President of Vetted Solutions, a Washington DC-based executive search firm and a Panorama partner. Saxton Bampfylde was part of the founding group to establish the Panorama partnership – a community made up of 21 leadership and executive search businesses across the world.
Your past, present and future with Panorama
Vetted Solutions has been engaged in the Panorama community for about a decade. Panorama is truly a premier leadership and search partnership whose values mirror ours. The firms and people who participate are leaders in their sectors and countries. The opportunity to interact with the CEO and staff teams is enormously beneficial to our firm, as the network informs and supports our shared goals of innovating in executive search and building world-class leadership teams for our clients and for our firms. We are inspired by those professionals who share our passion for purpose. A focal point for our firm and Panorama is diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have had the opportunity to be involved in the Panorama DEIA work in the past and look forward to engaging further in the future.
Describe your sector in three words
Impactful. Empowering. Progressive.
What are the priorities for leaders in regulatory organisations in the US?
Advancing awareness of those they represent, advocating on their behalf, and delivering sound business models to ensure the success of their work are always priorities for membership organisations, or associations. Further, associations play a large societal role in that they apply their unique expertise to work that the government might otherwise do. Of increasing importance are advancing fundamental rights, ensuring a vibrant economy, and cultivating and engaging people and perspectives that reflect diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
How do you view the AI regulation agenda being addressed in the US?
I view it as vital, and the sector we work in most has a very important role to play going forward. Associations must not only be informed but be educators about AI. They must be advocates for the responsible, ethical development and application of AI.
“No sector is better equipped than the association community to help safeguard society against the manifestations of AI that pose threats.”
With most of the investment and development of AI to date being in the US does it bring excitement or trepidation in your sector?
Both. It is exciting because it feels new and the opportunities it affords for advancing work in a more efficient, targeted way are undeniable. AI should be a complement and not a substitute for human judgment. At the same time, AI is a cause for caution, because of concern about irresponsible use and, as we have seen, its implications for supporting strong, ethical governance among developers and in deployment. To my earlier point, no sector is better equipped than the association community to help safeguard society against the manifestations of AI that pose threats.
What in your view makes the best leaders?
The best leaders are authentic, empathetic, and passionate. Authenticity instils belief and trust in leadership. Empathy is core to innovation. Passion must shine through in leaders’ commitment to both the roles they play and the greater cause of the organisation, industry, profession, or community they serve. Hand in hand with those qualities is advocacy. The best leaders are respectful but thoughtful, relentless advocates.
