The High Country Executive Search Team
Monte Merz – President & Founder
Monte founded High Country Executive Search in 2002. After spending eight years working within large national firms in a variety of roles from desk recruiter to Regional Vice President, Monte’s experiences revealed to him not only what clients, candidates, and search professionals wanted in “best practices” but also what they didn’t want in what seemed to be the industry’s “worst practices.” High Country Executive Search has been his effort to refine a low volume, high quality approach to bringing exceptional talent and committed companies together.
Originally from Nebraska, Monte moved to Colorado and began his recruiting career in 1994. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa in 1991 where he earned All-American and Academic All-American honors as a collegiate wrestler before moving on to The University of Iowa and earning his MBA in 1993. Interests include mountain biking, distance running, snowboarding, reading and spending time outdoors with his wife Jenna, daughter Sadie and son Wyatt.
303.282.5209 – Office
Shawn Hamele – Partner
Shawn joined High Country Executive Search in 2008 having come from Korn/Ferry International as a Global Vice President Training, Futurestep. Prior to Korn/Ferry, he was with Ajilon Professional Staffing for 10 years. Shawn had 45 recruiters reporting to him in 26 branches and was also part of the national training team.
His focus is retained and high level contingency searches in finance, HR and administrative. Personally, as a recruiter he has placed over 550 candidates primarily in Denver and Minneapolis metro areas. Shawn graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Economics in 1998.
720.221.9612 Office
303.548.2022 Cell
Jim Dahl – Executive Recruiter
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Jim relocated to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received a BSBA in Accounting. After graduation, Jim spent 3 busy seasons as an Auditor with Deloitte and Touche working on a variety of clients within the Oil & Gas, Manufacturing and Financial Services industries.
Having enjoyed the experience of on-campus recruiting while at Deloitte, Jim was drawn to the recruiting industry as an opportunity to capitalize on his strengths in building relationships and identifying talent. The melding of his experiences in Public Accounting and Direct Source recruiting provide Jim a unique perspective allowing him a particularly consultative approach to offering recruiting and placement solutions for his candidates and clients.
This is Jim’s eleventh year of professional search within the Denver market and he remains as energetic as day one in helping his candidates achieve and fulfill their career objectives. He enjoys music, film and can be regularly found at all of the CU home football games.
720.221.9613 Office
303.522.7533 Cell
Nathan Zimmerman – Executive Recruiter
With six years of successful sales and marketing experience within Major League Soccer, aviation, and advertising, Nate joined High Country in the Summer of 13’. Looking for a long-term career utilizing his skill set of sales, marketing, and communication, Nate has hurled himself into his career in recruiting with passion and energy. His unique style not only fits High Country’s boutique mentality of high quality, low volume recruiting, but also provides his candidates and clients with an unparalleled degree of service.
Nathan received a double major in Economics and English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2007. Nathan and his wife Candace enjoy hiking and hosting friends in their backyard where they often grill out. Candace and Nathan are the proud owner of a middle-aged Pomeranian named Apollo who is always the center of attention when out and about.
720.227.0314 Office
469.534.5729 Cell
Todd Heimbuck – Executive Recruiter
Originally from Boise, Idaho – Todd moved to Colorado in 2000 to work in the area of youth career development. The aspect of the job he most enjoyed was employment counseling and in 2003 Todd answered that calling by directing his career into a role in professional staffing.
Prior to joining High Country, he spent 12 years at a large national staffing firm. He found great success and personal satisfaction developing relationships with both companies and candidates… the end result being the placement of several thousand candidates in the Denver market.
Todd’s ability to dig into the true needs and wants of both his candidates and clients led him to secure nine consecutive trips to President’s and Chairman’s club level award ceremonies – capturing the #1 recruiter spot in the world within his division out of 10,000 employees. Todd has a work ethic which was developed at an early age on the farmlands of Idaho and further cultivated in the employment industry in Denver. He not only understands what it takes to get the job done, he understands the market in which we live and work.
720.221.9610 Office
303.870.0082 Cell
Kevin Mooney – Executive Recruiter
Born and raised on Long Island, NY, Kevin moved to Denver in 2001 where he went to work as an accountant for a Denver-based mutual fund company. Capitalizing on his affinity for connecting with people, in 2006 Kevin began his award-winning tenure with a national Recruiting firm. Ever since, Kevin has dived into multiple roles in both leadership and production. He has thrived building lasting business partnerships with key stakeholders within leading companies in the Denver market and candidates at all levels in accounting and finance.
In 2017, Kevin joined High Country where he is able to marry his deep network and honest, genuine, and collaborative style to the simple approach of providing a low volume, high-quality placement delivery to both candidates and businesses.
Kevin graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Political Science and was scholarship athlete as a member of the UNH football team. He enjoys competing in triathlons, snowboarding, and coaching youth sports, all while trying to keep up with his four children and wife, Joanna.
720.221.5403 office
303.726.2416 cell
Nick Sadler – Recruiter
After 10+ years of experience in Account Management, Nick uses his passion for people and talent in building relationships in his Executive Recruiting career. With just a short period of time in recruiting, Nick has found his calling. He loves to fit the best candidate with the right client and to extend his relationship with both well after the placement is final.
Nick is originally from Wyoming but graduated from Colorado State University in 2003. He spent eight years in Fort Worth, TX, but after marrying, he and his family moved to Denver. Nick enjoys everything about Colorado, from the Denver Broncos to the Rocky Mountains and is excited to call Denver his forever home.
720.403.2984 Office
720.469.3390 Cell