You’ve passed them in the halls, seen their faces on Zoom calls, and exchanged e-mails. You know their job title and department and might even know their extension by heart. But do you truly know who you are working with? Get to know our Executive Vice President of Professional Services, Cheri Ehrlich Eisen.
Who are you?
I was born and raised in New Jersey. I went to Indiana University for college and after I graduated, I came back to the Greater New York City area to begin my career. In 2003, my husband and I decided to move down to Florida. We visited his sister a lot down there and wanted to get away from the Northeast. We lived in Florida for about five years before we decided to come back up to New York when I got a job with Disney. It seemed like we were going to stay up North for good, but then Disney merged with Fusion and I was asked to lead HR and move back to FL. My career has obviously evolved a lot over time, but I don’t see us leaving Florida anytime soon. I’m enjoying it with my husband, our two kids Zach and Reese, and our dog Pauly – named after Yankees great Paul O’Neill.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Surprises. I absolutely hate surprises. My husband threw me a big surprise party for my 40th, and he’ll be the first to tell you it didn’t go over well! I guess it’s because I like being in control. Even in business, I tell my team no surprises. I always strive to be transparent with my team and ask them to be transparent with me.
Who were your inspirations / mentors growing up?
My dad for sure. He was a girl-dad, as I’m one of three girls, and he was always there for us growing up— while also making a living and supporting the family. Whether it was as a spectator, a coach, an assistant coach, or even an assistant to the assistant coach, you could always count on him to be at my or my sisters’ games. He was that dad who showed up at the bus early and handed out gum, Gatorade and all types of snacks. Not just for us, but for the entire team and bus! He’d even come to our away games and travel to see us. Everybody knew him. He was that type of guy, the best.
If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
Funny you ask that question. Our Executive Leadership team recently had a retreat and we all had to choose our own theme songs. I picked Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger.” The song resonates with me on so many levels: as a female, as an entrepreneur, as an executive. You have to perform three times as well as anyone else. I’ve overcome a lot of adversity in my life, and I think that’s a great theme for me.
How did you get into the recruiting industry?
I’ve been in talent acquisition and HR for over 25 years. I started off my career working in production for Maury Povich. It’s a tough industry. You’re either in it for life or you get out quickly. When I wanted to leave the industry, I went to a bunch of recruiting firms to help me figure out what I wanted to do. I knew I had a bunch of different skills, but I needed to figure out how to transfer them over to a different career path—and those companies really helped me out. Eventually, I interviewed with Moviefone; they needed someone to help revamp their recruitment strategy for their call center. I took that job right before they merged with AOL, so I got in right at the perfect time. From there, I just dove right in and have been in the HR space ever since.
If you had to live your life experiencing only one season, which would you choose – spring, summer, fall, or winter?
It’s definitely not summer because those are brutal in Florida. I think it’d be fall or spring. It’s a tough choice between those two. I gravitate towards fall a bit more because I like to ski. And now that I think about it, some of my favorite things revolve around fall. The leaves are changing, the holiday spirit is in the air, the tree at Rockefeller Center. Spring can be beautiful, but there’s too much rain. Let’s go with fall.
Did you find Tandym or did we find you?
When I was working for Disney, I brought Tandym onto their radar and formed a working partnership between the two companies. After Disney when I started working for Bumble, I reconnected with Tandym as we needed some help with contractors and I felt they were the best in the business. Eventually, the Senior Leadership team at Tandym reached out to me. We had such a great working relationship that it was a no brainer. And now I’m here!
What is your hidden talent?
I don’t know if it’s a hidden talent, but I’m a really good tennis player. I played tennis in high school and did varsity doubles. Here in Florida before Tandym, I played Aiola A2 and USTA tennis. Unfortunately, now I can’t play as much as I’m on the road often. It’s something I truly miss because not only do I enjoy playing, but I love the team aspect of it. I do manage to squeeze in some time for cardio tennis on the weekends. It’s great, but not as strategic or challenging as a real match.
What’s the best rom-com of all time?
That’s easy: Pretty Woman! It’s my favorite movie of all time. I can watch it 100 times, and never get sick of it. You know what’s another great one that many people don’t know about? Cutting Edge. It’s kind of like Dirty Dancing, but on ice. It has D.B. Sweeney who I loved back then. I’ve got a soft spot for that movie. Oh man, what about Father of the Bride?!? That’s such a classic too. But no, it’s definitely Pretty Woman. As you can tell, I like to watch mindless content—I can just sit back and relax.
What are your goals for Tandym heading into 2023 and beyond?
The goal is to build and scale Tandym on a national level. We want to keep the momentum we have going in the NYC Metropolitan area and expand it to the Central and West regions of the country. We need to be the best partners to our candidates and clients, especially in an evolving market. We need to be able to help people at every moment in their careers, including their highest of highs and their lowest of lows. Preparing our team and company to be able to do that for our clients and candidates is vital to who we are as a company.
You are informed that your house and all your possessions will be destroyed by an upcoming storm. Which three items (not people or pets) will you choose to save?
We’ve actually had to do this quite often because we’re in Florida. First, my phone because it has all my important pictures/videos, information, etc. Next, all of my family’s documents, like birth certificates, passports, and stuff like that. And then lastly, my jewelry and other heirlooms that have been passed down from my parents and other sentimental pieces that I wouldn’t want to lose. Best part about this: I literally have all that stuff packed up in travel cases so I can just grab it and go!
