Who We Are

The Symicor Group is a boutique outplacement and talent acquisition firm based in Lincolnshire, Illinois & San Antonio, Texas serving banks and credit unions throughout the United States.  Our nationally unique value proposition centers around providing the very best outplacement and recruiting services to outplaced bankers across the United States.

We know how to prepare bankers in transition for the next step in their career journey.   Unlike other outplacement firms in the nation, the Symicor360 team of outplacement experts also engages our recruiting division to actually help the outplaced candidate find a new job opportunity!  

Our model is unique and effective – preparation for re-employment and actual job recruitment.

Symicor360 is a premier financial institution outplacement and recruiting firm that specializes in providing the absolute best outplacement consulting and recruitment services in the United States!

When you work with the Symicor360 team, losing your job doesn’t mean losing your future.  We will work with you to find a position that matches your unique experience, skills, and personality.

The Symicor Team

Tom Szmanda – Principal

thomas@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Tom is a former Bank President and CEO with over 27 years experience in banking and human resource management.  As a former educator, Tom enjoys the benefit of learning essential communication skills and gleaning a deep understanding of how to effectively motivate and develop employees.

Tom is skilled at identifying the best available talent through a disciplined interviewing process known as behavior-based interviewing.  This process allows The Symicor Group to effectively provide the best available talent to our client firms. Our proven process also ensures that job candidates are offered positions that best match their desires, talents, and skills.

Tom has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.

Jamie Paul – Director of Operations

jpaul@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Jamie has many years of experience as an administrative assistant. She enjoys making sure that all aspects of the business run as smoothly and as efficiently as possible. She takes pride in her organizational skills, multitasking abilities, and her passion to help others succeed. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Jeanie Johnson – Director of Marketing

jeaniej@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Jeanie is a seasoned business professional with over 15 years of experience as a successful entrepreneur managing all facets of the business including Marketing, Finance, Sales, and Human Resources.  She has been responsible for driving revenue growth while managing cost containment – yielding sustainable profit growth.

Jeanie enjoys many years of human resource management experience offering keen and savvy insight to Symicor Group clients and candidates. Jeanie is a graduate of Brigham Young University.

Amanda Hervol – Outplacement Specialist

jobs@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Amanda is a client-focused Executive Career Coach and Certified Resume & Profile Writer who is driven to inspire, support, and lead clients to the next level with expert coaching and career document creation. As a skilled communicator with the proven ability to collaborate and sincerely connect with each client, it is her passion to help people succeed in reaching the next step in their career path.
She joined The Symicor Group and Symicor360 because she recognizes they share the same passion she does in helping talented and dedicated professionals in the banking industry find where they want to go next in their career.

Joe Burke – Outplacement Specialist

jobs@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Joe has over 20 years of experience in human resources, career consulting, and executive recruiting. As a former corporate talent acquisition leader, Joe has helped organizations optimize culture-driven recruitment practices, which has been instrumental in supporting candidates through career matching, job search preparation, and transition. Joe previously served as a career management coach and trainer for a global talent management company. He also brings an extensive background in employment marketing and personal branding and has helped business leaders leverage their digital presence to more effectively navigate the modern employment landscape.

Bob Rud – Senior Recruiter

bob@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Bob brings with him a 40-year career in the banking industry.   Bob started his career in teller operations while in school and finished as President & CEO of a community bank in the Chicagoland area.

Bob has extensive experience in both large and small community banks. Bob also organized and started two De Novo banks.  As a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer of community banks, he has an extensive background in operations, financial and regulatory reporting, lending, auditing, investments, leadership, and management.

Bob also has over 30 years of human resource management experience.  His area of human resource expertise includes behavior-based interviewing, hiring and training – all within the banking field.

Tina Damron – Recruiter

beckyd@symicorgroup.comtina@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Tina is a senior professional with over 15 years’ experience in the financial services industry and more recently over 15 years of national recruiting experience.

She has full life cycle recruiting experience sourcing and interviewing candidates at all levels for technical and commercial roles for a wide range of global industries. A goal-oriented professional working in high-volume, time-sensitive environments, with a strong customer service orientation.

Tina sources passive candidates through personal networks and social media and is skilled in evaluating individuals to find the right organizational fit.

Catherine Harnett – Recruiter

catherine@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Catherine is a Senior Recruiter who really enjoys the challenge of matching the right applicant for the right position. She brings with her 18 years experience in the Banking/Finance Industry, with an emphasis in Mortgage Lending. Catherine is also a United States Marine Corps veteran.

Jaime Schwartz – Recruiter

jaimes@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Jaime has served in various social services, administrative, and communications roles over the last seven years. As someone who strives to serve others and see needs met, she is motivated about placing candidates where their unique strengths will be most celebrated and appreciated. She joined The Symicor Group because she is convinced that the staff’s professional banking experience gives them advantageous insight and empathy toward clients, resulting in unparalleled, outstanding service.

Fran Mason – Recruiter

fran@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Fran enjoys over 20 years of human resources, sales, marketing experience.  She has worked primarily in the financial services sectors and has over a decade of working in the banking space.  She has worked heavily in the bank lending arena.  Fran has assisted numerous banking candidates to secure a position that complements their long-term objectives.

Heather Cantu – Recruiter

heatherc@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Heather has over 10 years of experience in the sales, marketing, and staffing industry working with major Fortune 500 clients. She is a keen and passionate recruiter with multiple level banking industry experiences. Being a Recruiter is not only a career choice for Heather, but is her life’s passion. The results she enjoys most about recruiting are the challenges of exceeding clients’ expectations with the satisfaction that comes when matching the right candidate to the right career opportunity.

Mike Storey – Recruiter

mikes@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Mike is an accomplished professional with 40 years of experience in Business and Product Development working with both Fortune 500 companies and Entrepreneurial Business Owners. In addition, Mike has an extensive background in Corporate Management, Commercial Finance, Loan Portfolio Management, and Capital Acquisition.

Mike has served as a senior member of several national trade associations in the Financial Services sector. He has also been an educational speaker at business and industry events as well as being published in business journals.

LaQuana Johnston – Recruiter

jobs@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

LaQuana is a talented research analyst/recruiter with a solid record of sourcing qualified banking candidates.  She has the proven ability to identify and select candidates to ensure they meet the qualification of the client.

LaQuana has earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Management and is on her way to a Master Degree.

Jessica Saragovi – Resume Writer

jobs@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Jessica is a Human Resources professional with more than two decades of experience primarily in the financial services industry as well as manufacturing and software. She has also worked for non-profit, public and private companies in New York, Miami, and Philadelphia.

Jessica’s deep insight into how organizations hire, train, manage and develop employees allows her to be a skilled resume writer. She works closely with clients to identify their achievements, accomplishments, and strengths. Jessica partners with clients in developing a resume that fully encompasses who they are, what they’ve done and where they want to go with their career.

Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts in History Education and Spanish from the University of Delaware and a Master of Business Administration /Master of Arts in International Communications from American University in Washington. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

Jaime Wright – Recruiter

jobs@symicorgroup.com

(847) 325-5457

Jaime has over 15 years of human resource management experience in various service industries. She is passionate about the staffing industry within the banking and finance segments. Jamie joined The Symicor Group because she believes in their unique knowledge of the banking, accounting and finance segments and unwavering commitment to each and every client. Jaime also enjoys working with talented and dedicated finance professionals and assisting them as they take that next important step in their career journey.