Notable Neighbor: Lucy Lorenzo by Kim Stockberger
Moving is never easy. Trust me, our family just moved to Texas from the west coast last summer and it was NOT fun! Now just imagine moving internationally not once, but several times. That sounds exciting and scary at the same time, but according to Whiffletree resident Lucy Lorenzo, each move brought her to where she is today with a loving and supportive husband, two children and ownership in her own executive recruiting firm.
Lucy was born in Surrey, United Kingdom, about an hour from London. Her first international adventure came right after she completed Secondary School when she opted to take a gap year in France. After completing university, she jumped at the chance to teach English in Tokyo, but realized that teaching was not her passion so she took a job as a recruiter in Tokyo. That move changed the course of her life.
Through her work in Japan, Lucy met an interesting man from Argentina, having no idea that he would later become her husband. They began dating after meeting and eventually got married in 2016. Their son (Oliver) is 6 and Amelia turns 2 in April. Lucy and Armando moved to Texas about 15 years ago as she continued her career in recruiting.
In November of 2020, Lucy and two other partners began their own executive recruiting firm called Ascension Search Partners. They are primarily based out of Texas but have opened a second office in the San Francisco area and added an additional partner. She said making the move from recruiter to owner forced her to wear many hats and learn so much more about how the business functions. It gave her a new perspective as a coach and mentor. Even with the expansion in San Francisco, 90% of their business is right here in the Dallas area where they focus on recruiting CFOs, controllers, VP of finance and high-level accounting roles. She says it’s a white glove service tailored to each client’s ebb and flow which is the focus of their boutique approach.
Since she started as a recruiter in Japan and has now transitioned to an ownership position, the climate has changed. She believes AI (artificial intelligence) is useful for writing job descriptions but won’t necessarily take away jobs. Low level jobs are harder to fill and millennials have a much different attitude about work/life balance. Companies find it harder to keep up with inflation and salaries to attract qualified executives.
About 6 years ago, Lucy and Armando decided to move to the Whiffletree area and have been so happy with their choice. Lucy volunteered on the Whiffletree welcoming committee for a time. Oliver attends kindergarten at Mathews Elementary while playing on not one, but three soccer teams and Amelia goes to pre-school.
The family enjoys the Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve, and the Whiffletree 4th of July Parade. Much of their social calendar revolves around the kids and with family in several different countries, they do a lot of international travel.
There is family in London and Argentina to visit along with trips to Turkey and Mexico; a short jaunt to Austin over spring break and most likely a trip to Spain over the summer. A girl’s trip to Antiqua and Miami is in the books this spring as well. So, it seems the international travel bug that bit Lucy and Armando all those years ago will most likely continue forward with her children. I wish you safe and pleasant travels in the months and years to come.
