about us

who we are

our story

2003

Partners

We started as a group of five executive search consultants at a firm called Seminarium between 2003 and 2005.

Coincidentally, all of us had worked in the financial sector, but none of us had any previous consulting experience. Even though the incentive structure did not encourage collaboration, we built an excellent team, working together on many search assignments and creating more innovative, and agile processes for our clients.

2008

Decision

Grupo Cinco was born out of a passion for the impact that people and their talents have on a company seeking transformation.

We discovered our passion for people, their various talents and their power to transform companies. We founded our firm in 2008 with the conviction that, by working together as partners and involving ourselves 100% in every step of the search process, we could provide excellent service and differentiating value in the industry.

2010

Technology

We decided to invest in a robust technological platform that was specially developed for the executive search industry: FileFinder Executive Search Software. This solution enables integrated management of files for candidates, companies, search assignments and work references.

The platform’s parameterization tools allow us to search our database – of more than 59,000 executives – by education, experience, position level, salary, functional role, and industry. It also searches the attached records (résumé and LinkedIn documents) for keywords related to each search assignment. Finally, the FileFinder project management software monitors each search by tracking candidate progress in each process. It also keeps a record of contacts with candidates, job references, etc.; progress with the client, attachments, reports; and all communications related to the search assignment. Integration with Microsoft Outlook also enables FileFinder to log all e-mails exchanged with candidates, clients and references.

2013

Consolidation

Over five successful years, we strengthened our day-to-day operations as an integrated team of consultants, researchers and an executive assistant.

We had replicated and systematized the collaborative method that had sparked our early inspiration. We expect our women-owned business and its positive vision of the talent that has developed over the years in the Chilean market to sow seeds of change that lead to a more pluralistic and modern society.

2020

Trust

Through more than a decade of creation, investment and considerable teamwork, we have built close, trust-based relationships with our clients.

We have achieved this by engaging and thoroughly understanding their businesses – their competitive positions, advantages, challenges and growth strategies. From that standing point, we search for the talent that best matches their strategic objectives and business purpose.

Why we do what we do

At Grupo Cinco, we believe that talent exponentially transforms and adds strategic value to companies. Our passion for this talent is what motivates us each morning.

We aim to inspire companies to think openly and innovatively and to be receptive to valuing new talent that is fearless, proactive and questions paradigms.

  • Critically thinking talent with brilliant minds
  • Flexible talent that is adaptable to ongoing change
  • Creative, diverse talent that innovates
  • Talent that leads and motivates teams
  • Talent that contributes in-depth perspective to process improvement
  • Collaborative talent that contributes positively to organizational climate

    • In the words of Simon Sinek: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” This concept is not new or beyond common sense, but it ultimately speaks to the idea of trust. Nothing moves humans and organizations to trust each other more than a compelling business creed and/or world vision.

    founding partners

    Bárbara Pérez
    Vergara

    A founding partner at Grupo Cinco, Bárbara holds a degree in economics from Universidad de Chile. She began her career at the Chilean Ministry of Finance before moving to the research area at Larraín Vial, where she analyzed utilities sector companies. In the eight years following the birth of her first child, she held different positions, including serving on the board of real estate development and investment companies. Tapping into her more creative side, she also worked in interior design for home, office and retail spaces before entering the executive search industry in 2004.

    The opportunity to apply her financial and business knowledge to identifying the specific talent that a company needs to continue growing appealed to Bárbara. She spent five years as an executive search consultant for senior executive positions at Seminarium Penrhyn before she and her partners decided to launch Grupo Cinco in 2008. Bárbara has advised companies on several strategic talent search assignments, including Chief Executive Officers and C-level positions. She has sound expertise in working with family companies and in-depth knowledge of the real estate development/construction, retail and agro-industry sectors.

    Bárbara spends her free time with her large family of five children. She also enjoys mountain sports and has climbed major peaks in the Andes Mountain Range.

    Angélica Hurtado
    Echenique

    A founding partner at Grupo Cinco, Angélica earned a business degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She began her career in the marketing area at Reuters before quickly moving into the financial sector. Angélica spent a year in NYC before returning to Chile to work in the research area at Larrain Vial. Later, she joined Seminarium, where she worked at developing executive education programs in Latin America, including courses with renowned professors from Kellogg, Wharton and Berkley business schools.

    She spent almost two years at Interbrand consulting on brand strategy projects before moving to Seminarium Penhryn, where she worked as an executive search consultant from 2002 to 2006. Angélica went on to become a candidate for a master’s degree in sociology (PUC), then joined her current partners to launch Grupo Cinco in 2008. Her experience focuses on managerial talent searches, including Chief Executive Officers and C-level positions for retail, agro-industry, financial services and technology companies.

    In her personal life, Angélica is passionate about road cycling, cinema and traveling with her family

    María José Deichler
    Oportot

    A founding partner at Grupo Cinco, María José earned both her undergraduate degree in industrial engineering and master’s in engineering science, specializing in management from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She began her career in investment banking and was part of the Citigroup Chile team for six years. During that time, she spent many late nights advising different electric, retail, salmon and manufacturing sector clients, primarily on debt transactions.

    In 2005, María José received a call that turned her career around and brought her to Seminarium, where she first entered the executive search industry advising clients on human, instead of financial, assets. After about three years – just as the subprime crisis hit and only a week before the fall of Lehman Brothers – she and her four partners founded Grupo Cinco in September 2008. Her focus is consulting on search assignments for local and multinational companies and her primary areas of expertise are construction, real estate development, financial services, agro-industry and manufacturing.

    María José has two children. She loves yoga and outdoor sports.

    María José Greene
    Pacheco

    A founding partner at Grupo Cinco, María José studied business administration at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and began her career at Citibank. Working in the Business Solutions area, she supported clients’ cash management needs with financial services and developed customized products. She then spent a short time in the asset management area at IM Trust before entering the executive search industry.

    In 2004, María José joined Seminarium, where she conducted specific searches for a variety of clients. She went on to lead an executive search team and support the process of attracting new clients. She and her four partners decided to start Grupo Cinco in order to provide differentiated, more personalized executive search services. Most of her experience has been in search assignments for industrial, technology, construction and real estate development companies.

    In her free time, she enjoys a variety of activities with her family and pursuing her passion – reading great books!

    Amparo Silva
    Moore

    A founding partner at Grupo Cinco, Amparo has been in the executive search field since 2000. Previously, she spent more than ten years in the financial industry, specifically, the sales and investment areas, where she advised high net worth clients on investments in Chile and abroad. Her experience in the executive search industry began at Seminarium, where she spent more than eight years as a consultant for several industries and areas. Amparo also worked in the sales area, maintaining and building relationships with potential new clients.

    Her executive search career has focused primarily on the sales, marketing and human resources areas at consumer goods, real estate development, retail and agro-industry companies. In 2008, she and her four partners founded Grupo Cinco, aiming to lend a distinctive hallmark and teamwork methodology to searches.

    In her free time, she likes to spend time with her large family (especially at her beach house in Bucalemu). She also enjoys putting her extensive social skills to use with her friends and weekday TRX training.

    Team

    Josefina Jiménez
    Parot

    A Senior Researcher at Grupo Cinco, Josefina lived in Talca until she was 18, before studying Service Management at Universidad de los Andes. She began her career in the internal communications area at Walmart and joined Grupo Cinco as a Research Analyst in 2011. In 2015, Josefina left for Barcelona with her husband and daughter. After two years abroad and much travel, she returned to Chile with that excellent life experience.

    She rejoined the Grupo Cinco team in 2018 as a Senior Research Analyst. Josefina supports the partners in identifying candidates for the different search assignments by investigating relevant information about industries, organizational structures and talent within companies. She also puts together client search assignment presentations.

    She has two daughters. Her passions include spending extensive amounts of time with family and friends, trips to the countryside and reading.

    Rosario Villalobos
    Pérez

    A Senior Research Analyst at Grupo Cinco, Rosario graduated at the top of her class in the journalism program at Universidad de los Andes. Her career began in internal communications and corporate social responsibility at Falabella. She then spent six years in Puerto Varas, where she led communications projects for several innovative, CORFO-funded initiatives related to women-owned SMEs and B Corporations in the Los Lagos region.

    In 2019, she joined Grupo Cinco as a Senior Research Analyst. Rosario supports the partners in identifying candidates for the different search assignments by gathering relevant information about industries, organizational structures and talent within companies. She also puts together client search assignment presentations.

    Rosario has a daughter who shares her name. She enjoys family life in nature, interior decoration and good friends.

    Mónica Forner
    Duarte

    After a few years studying civil engineering at Universidad de Santiago and Universidad Diego Portales, Mónica went to work at Banco Edwards, where she spent more than ten years as an executive assistant and investment executive. Later, she was the administrator at a dental center for six years and went on to spend three years overseeing asset and vehicle management at Aguas y Riles.

    Mónica joined Grupo Cinco in 2018. She assists the partners on different administrative and client management matters, gathers information on companies and talent, and produces candidate reports for clients.

    Mónica has three children and, in her free time, she enjoys traveling and crafts, most especially knitting and crochet.

    Mauricio Herrera
    Bascuñán

    After graduating from the systems analysis program at INACAP Professional Institute in 2005, Mauricio went to work at ACG Group. He worked on network configuration projects in the information technology support area as well as in the electrical installation, data and security areas. Mauricio was made a partner at ACG Group in 2018 and became Head of the Information Technology Services Area. In that position, he advises companies in the import, food industry, manufacturing industry sectors as well as SMEs in the education, retail, hotel and consulting services industries. He supervises implementation projects in several regions of the country.

    At Grupo Cinco, Mauricio has been essential in terms of information technology, technological support and especially in managing Filefinder. The US software, a comprehensive platform for executive search services, groups together more than 59,000 executives and manages information about companies, search assignments, interviews, references and candidate evaluations.

    Mauricio has a daughter and a son, whom he adores. He spends a lot of his free time on the computer (up to 20 hours a day). He listens to rock by Deep Purple, David Bowie, Elton John, Genesis, The Who as well as artists like Little Richard and Ray Charles.