Most recently sole recruiter for the U.S. launch of AFEELA at Sony Honda Mobility of America | 48 hires, about $1.5M in agency fees avoided, 98% offer acceptance. 1,000+ career hires across EV, AI, autonomy, and automotive.
Most recently, I served as the sole recruiter for the U.S. launch of the AFEELA platform at Sony Honda Mobility of America | a 50/50 joint venture between Sony and Honda. In 12 months of active hiring I built the U.S. recruiting function as its first dedicated recruiter, replacing an agency-led hiring model with direct sourcing and delivering 48 strategic hires across 9 functional categories that more than doubled U.S. headcount, with a 98% offer acceptance rate and about $1.5M in agency fees avoided through direct sourcing alone.
Honda’s corporate decision to exit the North American EV market closed that chapter. I leave with 10 formal reference letters from the VP of People Operations, VP of Engineering, VP of Marketing, VP & General Counsel, and senior operational leaders | every one written independently, every one arriving at the same conclusion.
That’s the most recent chapter. The career arc behind it runs from founding a national automotive recruiting consultancy in 2012, to building Gurley Leep’s entire function across 36 franchises (782 hires in 31 months), to scaling Fisker’s global workforce from 300 to 1,700+ employees at 17 hires per month. Along the way I built and led a 30-person team with 3 team leads and was promoted to Corporate Recruiting Director, so I can run the desk solo or build the layer underneath it. Known for eliminating agency dependency, building direct sourcing pipelines that consistently outperform search firms, and designing hiring strategies tied directly to business outcomes.
Built the U.S. recruiting function as its first dedicated recruiter during the U.S. launch of the AFEELA next-generation AI-integrated electric vehicle platform. Delivered 48 strategic hires across nine functional categories in 12 months of active hiring, with a 42-day average time to fill, 98% offer acceptance rate, and about $1.5M in agency fees avoided.
Supported global workforce scaling from under 300 to 1,700+ employees across North America, Europe, and China. Averaged 17 hires per month with peak months of 50+ placements. Tapped by C-suite to own the most mission-critical roles, including VP-level recruitment from Hyundai, Volkswagen, and Land Rover.
Recruited directly by Gurley Leep after delivering exceptional results as their outside recruiting consultant. Built the entire corporate recruiting function from scratch as sole recruiter. Delivered 782 hires in 31 months at about $268 in recruiting spend per hire, with 90% retention on my hires against 75% company-wide in the window Indeed measured.
Left a successful career as a top-performing automotive Business Development Director to found a national recruiting consultancy. Grew the firm almost exclusively through repeat and referral business, achieving 30% client retention growth and 25% year-over-year business growth.
Every letter below was written independently. Not one person was coached on what to say. Yet every single one arrives at the same conclusion | remote or onsite, Larry Sherwood delivers results that no unknown recruiter can match.
“From the beginning, he exceeded every expectation we had for the role. Any organization looking for someone who can build, scale, and elevate a recruiting function from the ground up would be fortunate to have him.”
“He brought credibility, enthusiasm, and momentum to the recruiting process. In competitive hiring environments, that ability to keep strong candidates interested and moving forward is incredibly valuable, and Larry did it exceptionally well.”
“Larry’s ability to quickly understand exactly what kind of engineers we needed in a very competitive autonomous and ADAS talent market, then deliver strong candidates with remarkable speed and accuracy.”
“Larry demonstrated strong judgment, attention to detail, and an understanding of how talent decisions affect risk, performance, and long-term organizational health. The individuals he helped us hire were productive from day one.”
“I have worked with Larry across two separate organizations, Fisker and Sony Honda Mobility of America, where he built out my team on both occasions. Larry delivered superstars both times.”
“Larry successfully filled three highly specialized positions in approximately one month each. The candidates were coming from well-established automotive OEMs with stable, long-term roles and strong compensation.”
“In my experience, he doesn’t just fill seats; he attracts top-tier talent and has a keen ability to hone in on the specific technical and cultural requirements that matter most for a growing organization.”
“In practice, working with Larry remotely was indistinguishable from having him onsite. Proven results, trust, and execution matter far more than physical proximity, and Larry delivers on all three.”
“Larry played a critical role in rapidly scaling and building our team from the ground up. Within approximately one year, he successfully helped us hire around ten highly qualified professionals.”
“He did an excellent job understanding our needs and adjusting quickly as priorities evolved. Trust, execution, and proven results matter, and Larry delivered on all three.”
Read each letter in full
From candidates placed at entry level to VPs who hired entire teams, the verdict is consistent across 15+ years, two major startups, and hundreds of placements.
“Truly the best recruiter I have worked with in my 20+ years in the automotive industry. Larry does an awesome job keeping the hiring manager updated on every step of the process.”
“Larry is by far the best recruiter I have ever worked with. His enthusiasm for the company sold me. His passion for what the company is working on in the EV space is contagious.”
“THE. BEST. RECRUITER. HANDS DOWN. I haven’t met another person who can source candidates as efficiently, get them pumped to work for a company, and close them like Larry.”
“A 5-star recruitment experience! Larry is the best recruiter I have known in my 30+ years career managing more than 100 high performing team members.”
“He is a strong and trusted partner to have in the growth of one’s team. He builds rapport with candidates and identifies the small details not always found on paper.”
“Larry is a rare recruiting professional who combines strong operational instincts, genuine relationship-building ability, and the energy needed to attract exceptional talent.”
“Each candidate always lets me know that Larry was a pleasure to work with and one of the primary reasons they took the job.”
“Larry is more than just a recruiter; he is a true career partner who invests deeply in his candidates’ success. He is an invaluable asset in every sense of the word.”
“Larry does not give up on you! He saw the potential in my skill set and worked hard to get me into SHMA. He reached out and secured my position in record time!”
“Working with Larry felt less like dealing with a recruiter and more like having a trusted advisor in your corner. Genuinely gifted at understanding people.”
“Larry is the definition of what a true recruiter should look like. Professional yet truly personable. Exceptional communication and follow through.”
“Larry is the best recruiter I have ever worked with. His friendliness put me at ease. His genuine positive personality makes him a great recruiter for any company.”
“His tenacious competitiveness along with his hunger for more undoubtedly makes him an asset to any organization. He exemplified what it means to be a recruiter.”
“Coming from a recruiting background, I have always been aware of what great recruiters are. Larry exceeded every expectation. He made me feel as though I was the only person he was working with.”
“I can’t speak highly enough of Larry. Changing jobs after 10 years was extremely stressful. Larry was the friend I needed to make this transition easy.”
“Larry’s energy and passion for his work shines through in all that he does. A true professional that sincerely enjoys what he does day in and day out.”
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Read the News →Open to principal and lead talent acquisition roles across EV, AI, autonomy, aerospace, robotics, cybersecurity, and high-growth technology. If you are building something ambitious and need someone who will carry the requisition load personally while building the pipelines, process, and employer story behind it, let’s talk.