EXECUTIVE SEARCH. ELEVATED.
The Foundation Talent doesn’t just fill positions; we find the people who will define your organization's next chapter.
The Foundation Talent doesn't just fill positions; we find the people who will define your organization's next chapter. Founded by Mark Wayman in 2004, a Las Vegas-based technology executive who built two successful companies before pivoting to executive recruiting, TFT brings unmatched access, hard-won experience, and zero tolerance for bad actors to every search. Integrity isn't a talking point here; it's the foundation of every engagement.
No cold calls. No candidate databases. No online job postings. Every executive we work with is someone Mark or Amelia knows personally or comes directly referred through a trusted professional network. With access to over 10,000 executives and twenty-plus years of knowing who performs, and who doesn't, we don't send you a pile of candidates. We send you the right ones. The result? Placements that last, teams that perform, and a 90-day guarantee backed by over 1,000 successful placements with zero failures.
We invest in long-term partnerships, not transactional placements. And because we believe that success creates responsibility, a portion of every placement is donated to charity. To whom much is given, much is required.
100%
Every executive we work with is someone Mark or Amelia knows personally or comes directly referred through a trusted professional network.
90
Placements that last, teams that perform. 90-day guarantee backed by over 1,000 successful placements with zero failures.
10,000
Access to 10,000 executives worldwide, and 20+ years of experience knowing exactly who's the right fit, and who isn't.
We Know Where the Skeletons Are Buried.
Résumés don't list drug and alcohol abuse, DUIs, terminations for cause, or harassment complaints. After 20+ years, we've built the kind of network where the truth travels fast. We know who the "A" players are, and exactly who to avoid. Every candidate we present has been vetted beyond the paper.
No Quotas. No Pressure. Just Integrity.
We don't submit résumés to hit a number; we submit them because we'd stake our reputation on them. There are no quotas here, no aggressive sales tactics, no shortcuts. Mark owns the company and is involved in every search. This isn't Timex. It's Rolex.
Your Time Is Worth More Than a Resume Stack.
You can get more of almost everything in life, except time. We don't send you a pile of candidates and wish you luck. We send you the three best people in the industry for the role, so you can focus on running your business instead of running interviews.
We Give Back. Every Single Placement.
A portion of every executive placement is donated to a dozen local and national charities. When you work with The Foundation Talent, the impact goes beyond your organization. To whom much is given, much is required.
"Working with Mark is a pleasure. He has a wealth of knowledge; really understands the markets and gives it to you straight. Whenever I spend time with Mark…I come away smarter."
Scott Butera, CEO, Affinity Gaming
"Mark's industry connections and eye for talent can help identify candidates that fit your business goals. It's a pleasure partnering with him."
Bala Ganesan, Managing Director, Oaktree Capital Management
"Mark consistently delivers top-tier talent and helps us build a best-in-class charitable gaming team."
John Gallagher, COO, Arrow International
"Mark has been a real asset for our company. His network of high-quality industry leaders is outstanding. He has a talent for understanding the individual needs of the client and matching the best candidate for that position. He is an incredible community leader, setting an example with his generosity towards philanthropic efforts."
Steve Arcana, EVP/COO, Golden Entertainment
CLIENTS WE'VE WORKED WITH
Trusted by Industry Leaders.
From global resort properties to gaming technology companies, The Foundation Talent has placed senior leaders at some of the most recognized names in gaming, hospitality, technology, and finance. The roster below represents organizations that have trusted us with their most critical hires.
MANAGING PARTNERS
The People Behind the Placements.
The Foundation Talent was built on one belief: the right leader changes everything. Get to know the people who've dedicated their careers to finding them.
Mark Wayman | Founder & CEO, The Foundation Talent
Mark Wayman spent twenty years in corporate America as a technology executive before becoming one of the most trusted names in executive recruiting. His two companies tell the story: Integrated Information Systems, a custom software development firm, went public on the NASDAQ. Systems Research and Development, which built counter-terrorism software for the CIA and FBI and was funded by In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture capital arm, to help search for Al-Qaeda, was acquired by IBM in 2004 for $75 million. Mark retired, bought a racehorse, and lasted two weeks.
A friend called with a request: help find an anti-money laundering specialist. Mark said he was retired. His friend didn't take no for an answer. "If you don't need the money, donate it to charity." That conversation launched The Foundation Talent, and that giving-back philosophy has been part of the firm's DNA ever since. A portion of every placement is donated to a dozen local and national charities.
Today, Mark has access to over 10,000 executives worldwide, none of them reached through cold calls, databases, or job boards. Every candidate is someone he knows personally or comes referred through a trusted professional network. After 20+ years, he knows why everyone got hired, and why everyone got fired. His 90-day placement guarantee, backed by more than 1,000 successful placements and zero failures, speaks for itself.
Mark is also a proud product of working-class roots. His father, a 101st Airborne paratrooper at Normandy on D-Day who came home to work as a shoe salesman, taught him everything that matters: integrity above all else, treat everyone the same from the CEO to the janitor, and never, ever give up. Those lessons are still the foundation of how Mark runs his business.
Amelia Amiri | Partner, The Foundation Talent
Amelia Amiri is a Las Vegas native and a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder. After college, she moved to New York City, where she spent nearly six years building her career at the intersection of technology, fintech, and talent acquisition.
She began her career at a recruiting agency specializing in go-to-market hiring for high-growth technology companies, partnering directly with founders and executives to build commercial teams from the ground up. She then moved in-house at a financial technology company, where she rose to lead the global talent acquisition function and partnered closely with the C-suite to drive executive and senior leadership hiring across the organization.
Today, Amelia is a Partner at The Foundation Talent, where she works alongside founders, CEOs, and executive teams to build high-impact leadership across a broad range of industries. She brings a builder's mindset, deep market knowledge, and a genuine belief that the right hire isn't just a placement, it's a turning point.
BLOG
Leadership Insights.
Executive hiring is as much art as science, and Mark Wayman has spent decades at the intersection of both. Browse his latest writing on leadership, executive careers, hiring strategy, industry trends, and what it really takes to build a team that performs when it counts.
