Scott Staelgraeve

President

I built Retriever Talent Group for industries where credibility is earned, not claimed. In outdoor recreation and sporting markets, performance matters, trust matters, and reputation is built over time. Too much executive search today feels rushed and transactional. That doesn’t work in industries where leaders must understand product, people, seasons, and the realities of the field.

The retriever metaphor is intentional. In hunting and sporting culture, a retriever is loyal, disciplined, and dependable. It waits, watches, and delivers exactly what’s needed. That’s how we approach leadership search.

Career Highlights:

Prior to launching Retriever Talent Group, Scott spent over two decades in leadership and management in outdoor retail, state government and higher education.  Across those roles, he built a consistent track record in identifying and developing top talent – designing recruitment strategies that expanded and diversified candidate pipelines, creating selection models that elevated “fit” and performance, and developing people systems that helped teams thrive. He has hired, trained, and advanced large frontline and professional teams, built mentorship and leader-development programs that improved bench strength, and replaced traditional performance management with a strengths-based coaching model that increased engagement and accelerated development. Just as importantly, he ties talent decisions to measurable business outcomes—improving customer experience, operational performance, and long-term organizational capacity.

During his time at Cabela’s, Scott built and led teams that consistently exceeded expectations in sales and customer service through a servant-leadership approach. He coached and mentored direct reports into leadership opportunities, developing strong benches and confident managers. Grounded in respect for the dignity of every person, he has helped create highly engaged, high-performing cultures across multiple organizations.

Beyond his professional work, Scott is deeply committed to service and community. He currently serves a three-year term with the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation and has held a range of volunteer leadership roles, including board member for a local YMCA, president of the board for a Catholic primary school, chair of his parish council, and Grand Knight of his local Knights of Columbus council. Across every setting, his leadership is anchored in developing others, leading with integrity, and building cultures that perform with both purpose and heart.

A summa cum laude graduate of Michigan State University, Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology & Management with a concentration in upland ecosystems, and an MBA in Finance from Baker College for Graduate Studies. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, he has taught hunter, outdoor, and environmental education for more than 40 years. On any given day, you might find him in an ice-fishing shanty, in a treestand, drifting in a canoe, or enjoying a backyard camping adventure with his granddaughter—passing along a love of the outdoors to the next generation.