Rick Kloete

Principal and Senior Partner

Rick’s philosophy is to approach life, executive recruiting, leadership consulting, and helping his clients, with creative thinking, determination, and a commitment to service.  Focused on delivering results now, his 25+ years of experience in Management positions and Leadership roles with some of the nation’s major IT/technology and Telecom & communications companies have honed his skills in Team building, Change Management, Sales Leadership, IT Communications Technology, and Coaching.  Rick’s experience includes acquiring talent to open new markets, managing Regional Sales Teams, and Managing National & regional clients in diverse industries.

Rick earned his BS in Finance from The University of New Orleans (formerly LSUNO) with graduate work done in education, psychology, and quantitative methods, and was an adjunct instructor for Belmont University’s Center for Professional Development & Delgado College. He is Director of the Nashville COO Forum, which is a part of the national COO Forum designed to serve COO’s and second in command executives.  As Founding President of Metro Leaders Chapter of Toastmasters International, he achieved a Competent Communicator & Leader, & Speech Contest Winner and has represented this chapter in regional contests.

He enjoys playing trumpet, golf, chess and spending time with his family when he’s not pulling for his New Orleans Saints & LSU Tigers.  Additional community involvement includes volunteering for Restore Ministries of the YMCA, the Nashville Rescue Mission, the Nashville Chamber Orchestra NCO Volunteer, and the Nashville & Williamson County Chambers of Commerce.  In 2011 he helped My Friends House set a new record for fundraising for their annual Mardi Gras Ball. Rick served as Sr. Consultant for The Human Capital Group, Inc. for almost 4 years, Chairman of the Board of the Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce, President / Owner & founder of Fearless Advantage:  a sales training, & business consulting firm, National Account Manager, Healthcare & Government, AVAYA, President, Chairman, & VP of Training & development for the Nashville Association of Sales Professionals, Regional Director of Sales, GTE / Verizon, Sales Manager, AT&T / Lucent Technologies.