Professional Services | Leadership

Steve Olsen

Sydney • Tokyo • London • New York

What I Do

I’m Zensho’s Co-Founder and COO, and I headhunt lawyers. Since our founding in 2003, I’ve (discreetly) recruited attorneys for some of Tokyo’s most prominent in-house legal and compliance positions.

Ask me about

Navigating logjams and fly fishing the upper Chilikadrotna River for Alaskan King Salmon, soaring on currents with sharks above Blue Corner while suspended from a reef hook in Palau, and winning ‘Most Outstanding Design’ at the Independent Publisher Book Award competition.

And for the rest of the story

We founded Zensho in 2003 to recruit attorneys (for law firms and for corporations). We’ve grown. Now Zensho covers six industries: Legal, Life Sciences, Technology, Consumer & Advertising, Industrial & Manufacturing, and Financial & Professional Services.

In all these industries, achieving win-win hiring outcomes begins when we ask, “Why?” Understanding why clients need to hire, and why candidates want to move, tells us the story behind job descriptions and the purpose that motivates people. After we know why, we can see who will thrive in our client’s open position (and who won’t). Then we can introduce candidates who have goals that are aligned with the client’s. That’s key to hiring the right people. That’s headhunting. Let’s talk!

Ayni Programs

Recruitment brought us extraordinary opportunities, so our recruiters donate a small percentage of their earnings to our charity, called Ayni. Each year, Ayni funds programs at Shisei Gakuen, an orphanage in Tachikawa City, Tokyo. Two of our favorite programs are Speakout and Careers in Nature.

Speakout is an event that provides the kids with career mentorship, something every Zensho recruiter knows is vital to a person’s chances of living a full life. What makes it so special is that every one of the speakers also grew up at Shisei Gakuen. Returning as big brothers and sisters, they share their practical work experience with the next generation of graduates. And since it’s held as a business lunch at a hotel, Speakout offers a double benefit: encouraging the kids to think seriously about their futures, and reminding them that proper table manners are a powerful asset when trying to make a good first impression!

Careers in Nature is our scholarship program for kids at Shisei Gakuen who are specifically interested in careers related to nature. To qualify for a scholarship, they write essays about their plans for work in farming, fishing, forestry, conservation, marine biology and veterinary medicine. They have dreams, but, without the sort of education and training that parents usually finance, might have difficulty realizing them. These scholarships are our way of helping these youngsters get started on the good foot while doing our bit for Mother Earth.

Ask the Zensho tribe what it means to close a deal. When we succeed, our clients get the talent they need, our candidates make the career change they wanted, our Partners move a step closer to achieving their personal ‘why,’ and we all participate in this magical dance of reciprocity called Ayni.

How does that feel? Energizing.