Meet Charlene Bergman

Whether she’s working, exercising or travelling, Charlene seems to be constantly on the move. There’s an energy here that’s hard to contain. Maybe it’s her love of exercise that spills over into her other activities. “I have a passion for working out, especially running,” she says. She’s completed numerous half-marathons and 10Ks but prefers shorter distances. “I’ve run with marathoners in a running group and watched as people got injured. I know I’m better off with the 10K and my time is more competitive than it is in a marathon anyway.”

Sailing, sight-seeing and savoury foods
“There’s a bit more freedom in my life for travel now,” Charlene explains, given that her three adult daughters have moved on to university and beyond. “My husband and I are off to Croatia for a seven-day sailing trip, which I’m pretty excited about. It’s a small, 10-person boat, though, which makes me a bit nervous,” she admits. For travel destinations, Charlene favours the old cities of Europe, where she finds the sights and culture most interesting. And then there’s the food—seafood, fresh Italian and spicy Middle Eastern cuisine are all on the menu. Having said that, she points out that peanut butter goes with just about anything!

Always time for a book and some tunes
Charlene does take time to relax with a good book, enjoying both fiction and non-fiction. Even so, she’ll have two or three books on the go at any one time. “I read for pleasure and before going to sleep,” she explains, “and I won’t travel without a new book loaded on my e-reader.” These days, she’s particularly fond of exploring the world of historical fictions.

She also has a love of music, which is something she shares with her family. “We always have music playing in the house, it could be anything from jazz to rock—we have pretty diverse tastes.” And if there were a skill Charlene would like to master, it would be singing but admits that there isn’t a lot of potential there. “My grandfather was an excellent singer,” she recalls, “but somehow those genes didn’t seem to make it down to me.”

With IMES from the get-go
Charlene has been in the executive search game for over 20 years. She not only leads Farber’s Interim Management and Executive Search (IMES) practice, but she also launched and integrated the search practice with Farber’s existing Interim practice.

Fast forward almost five years and they’re still providing holistic solutions to both clients and candidates. “This is where I want to stay,” she says. “I love the people here, the culture, and the authenticity of the firm’s leaders.” She subscribes to the principle that a business needs to take pride in the way it treats its clients and its employees. “We have the right DNA here—it’s a culture that’s very collegial and supportive.”

And Farber’s 40-year legacy has been a big asset to the IMES practice, she finds. “It’s great to be a newer business, full of energy and growth, but there’s real value in being part of an established and reputable brand.” Charlene enjoys explaining to clients how IMES has evolved as a natural extension of the larger B. Riley Farber business. “We’re part of a strong multi-service firm, but we’re also unique within the search sector.”

As you can see, Charlene is always on the move, both in the boardroom and in her personal life, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

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