In this exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Jason Murray, Founder and Managing Partner of BES Executive Search Inc., reflects on two decades spent reshaping how organizations identify, assess, and support senior leadership. Drawing from hands-on experience across more than a thousand executive searches, Murray shares candid insights on building a values-led firm, navigating resistance to change, and why inclusive leadership is not a moral add-on but a performance imperative in today’s boardrooms.
Interview By SK Uddin
Jason Murray is the Founder, President, and Managing Partner of BES Executive Search Inc., a Toronto-based executive search and leadership advisory firm. Over his 20-year career, Jason has worked on more than 1,000 executive searches and has delivered equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) advisory services for organizations across Canada.
Before founding BES, Jason built his career across multinational and boutique executive search environments and in management consulting, developing deep expertise in leadership assessment, organizational design, and inclusive talent systems. His work is grounded in a strong community-facing orientation.
Jason is currently Chair of the Board for Business in the Streets (BITS), Former Chair of the Board of the Toronto Fringe Festival, and has collaborated with hundreds of organizations committed to workforce representation. He holds an Honours BA from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in Management from Boston University, with additional training in unconscious-bias decision-making, data analytics, and the ethical use of AI in recruitment.
You’ve built a career leading executive searches and now run your own firm. What have been the biggest hurdles in your business journey, and were there moments you seriously questioned whether to keep going?
Building BES Executive Search has been deeply rewarding—but not linear. One of the biggest hurdles has been operating at the intersection of values and business in a market that often prefers comfort over change. There were moments, particularly during periods of economic and political pushback against equity-focused work, where demand softened and scepticism surfaced—not about our results, but about our purpose.
Despite the pressures and occasional challenges that come with running a business, I never question whether to keep going. What keeps me going is clarity! I know that the work that our firm does really matters. We’re not just offering concepts to our clients—we’re delivering measurable outcomes, exceptional leaders, stronger retention, and healthier cultures.
Entrepreneurship requires sitting with uncertainty without abandoning conviction. Every time a client says to me, “We’ve never experienced a recruitment process like that before,” and every time a candidate says, “I’ve never felt so supported in a recruitment process,” it reinforces why I started BES Executive Search and why it needs to continue.
Working to increase representation at senior tables means pushing against long-standing systems. What kinds of resistance or obstacles have you encountered in trying to change how organizations hire, and how have you navigated them?
Resistance usually doesn’t arrive loudly—it shows up subtly. I’ve encountered hesitation around redefining ‘fit,’ discomfort with expanding networks beyond familiar circles, and concern that processes that intentionally highlight the importance of representation might compromise rigor. None of these concerns are new—but they are often rooted in habit, not evidence.
We navigate this by grounding conversations in outcomes. Inclusive hiring isn’t about lowering standards; it’s about correcting blind spots. When organizations see that broader talent pools—and I like to call them ‘talent oceans’ as we go deep when finding talent—lead to stronger leadership teams, innovation improves as organizations introduce many more levers for growth.
We also focus heavily on process. Bias isn’t just personal—it’s structural. By redesigning how roles are scoped, how candidates are assessed, and how decisions are made, resistance becomes less ideological and more operational.
Change happens when organizations feel supported rather than judged. Our role isn’t to push—it’s to guide, partner, and demonstrate what’s possible when systems evolve intentionally.
As a Black founder in the executive search space, what unique challenges have you faced around access, credibility, or expectations—and how have those experiences shaped the way you lead and serve clients today?
As a Black founder in executive search, one of the most persistent challenges is the weight of consequence. There is an unspoken view that any shortcoming—real or perceived—may be attributed not only to me as an individual, but to an organization’s decision to partner with a Black-led firm or to the values that our firm represents. This creates a narrower margin for error that other firms wouldn’t experience in the same way. Within Black communities, this reality is well understood: if you want to build something that endures, excellence is not optional.
The context that we’re working under shapes how we serve clients, which ultimately benefits them as excellence has become ingrained in us. I run a search practice that is evidence-based, disciplined, and outcomes-driven. It’s also really important to me to help organizations expand how they define “ready” and/or “qualified” when considering candidates. My leadership is intentional and grounded in accountability, and I find that clients come to my team and me for helpful advice, clarity, and the confidence that the right leader—sometimes people who are overlooked elsewhere—will be found and supported.
With February being Black History Month, what message would you most like to share with Black entrepreneurs who are building businesses within existing power structures, yet trying to transform those structures from the inside?
To Black entrepreneurs building within existing power structures: your clarity is your anchor. You don’t need to become smaller, quieter, or more palatable to succeed—but you do need strategy and community.
Transformation from the inside takes time as systems respond slowly to disruption—especially when long-held assumptions are challenged. There will be moments when progress feels invisible, but do what you can to keep going as change to structures and systems is happening. Black History Month reminds us that progress has always been driven by people who persisted even when the path wasn’t clear. Your work matters—not just for today, but for those who will build upon what you do after you.
For Black founders specifically, what practical advice would you offer about networking, positioning, or resilience—and what do you wish more organizations understood about the value of truly diverse leadership at the decision-making table?
For Black founders, I’d offer three pieces of practical advice. First, be intentional about proximity to decision-makers, not just networks—focus on relationships where influence and accountability sit. Second, position your work through outcomes, not effort; lead with results, insight, and the value you create, even when others underestimate your expertise. Third, treat resilience as a strategy, not a reaction. Build systems of support, protect your confidence, and don’t internalize barriers that were never yours to carry.
Finally, what I wish more organizations understood is that diverse leadership isn’t about representation—it’s about performance. Homogeneous teams miss signals, misjudge risk, and overestimate their own assumptions. Leaders with different lived experiences don’t just add perspective; they change the quality of decisions. But that advantage only materializes when inclusion is operational, not rhetorical.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Our platform is dedicated to fostering dialogue and sharing insights that inspire and empower small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
