Ed was raised near Cleveland, Ohio, where he earned a B.S. in electrical engineering, a B.A. in business management, and an A.S. in general business, graduating with honors in all three. Education became his pathway out of a tough neighborhood, though, as he notes, “No one ever really goes to college to become a recruiter.” At twenty-six, he designed and implemented a national recruiting program for a billion-dollar firm, training fifteen divisions on hiring, strategy, and techniques. He later managed technical recruiting efforts for a twenty-two-office firm, where he saw firsthand the broken, often combative nature of the industry—one marked by high turnover and a transactional approach, where companies and candidates turned to recruiters only out of desperation. Ed believed recruiting could be transformative if done right, as a steady supply of top talent gives any firm a competitive edge—but only if they deserve that talent. He likened the process to business development, arguing that companies should pursue employees the same way they pursue clients: proactively, rather than relying on passive job postings. Over-reliance on technology has turned real recruiting and influencing into a lost art, as true influence cannot happen through a text message or a rushed, one-minute recruiting call.

In 1993, Ed founded CWP Technical Group Inc., a recruiting firm dedicated to connecting character-based companies with character-driven individuals. With the guidance of mentors and coaches, he refined this approach and aligned his firm with a select group of truly character-driven companies, believing that building cultures he believes in feels more like a calling than work. After reading Never Split the Difference, Ed was struck by the power of influencing people through deference and listening, realizing that Chris’ techniques were the perfect complement to CWP’s existing focus on compassion and understanding. Specializing in construction, civil engineering design, architecture, the energy sector, and finance, CWP prides itself on being experts at becoming experts and is also sought after for training, talent acquisition strategy, executive coaching, and speaking engagements.