Meet Our Leadership Team

Refine Search was founded by talent acquisition veterans who sought to become the partners they wish they’d had in their previous roles. Learn more about our dedicated leadership team below.

Mike Whillock

 

Mike Whillock is a Partner and Co-Founder of Refine Search. He has over 20 years of recruiting and search experience, both in-house and as an external consultant. Over time, Mike realized that the external recruiters he was working with weren’t true partners who cared about the company’s goals. Refine Search was born to place client needs at the forefront.

 

Before Refine Search, Mike thrived in oil and gas, creating hands-on recruiting strategies for SM Energy, a Denver-based exploration and production company. Prior to SM, Mike served as the Vice President and Managing Search Consultant for a national HR-focused search firm and also led recruitment for Coors Brewing Company, Hitachi Consulting, and Accenture.

 

On every search, Mike strives to understand an organization’s needs so he can find candidates who go beyond the job requirements and align with the culture. Delivering the professionals who drive client companies forward keeps him energized.

 

In his downtime, you can find Mike mountain biking, skiing, and spending time with his daughters, Kate and Greer.

Mike Whilock
Mason Smith

Mason Smith

 

Mason Smith is a Partner and Co-Founder of Refine Search. With over 20 years of experience recruiting in both corporate and agency settings, he is an industry veteran with a valuable and diverse skill set.

 

Prior to Refine Search, Mason was the Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition and a human resource business partner for engineering at DCP Midstream, a leading oil and gas company, where he created a talent acquisition division. Before his time with DCP, he led the contract staffing business for a national recruitment firm and was a talent acquisition lead with Coors Brewing Company and ACS, Inc.

 

Like Mike, Mason struggled to find a recruiter who could meet his expectations and shared the desire to create a client-centered search firm. At Refine Search, Mason’s ability to understand the full scope of a client’s needs allows him to deliver the most suitable employees to their organization.

 

Outside of work, Mason enjoys spending time with his five kids, playing golf, and volunteering with numerous organizations.