I first met Pavel Kotov in 2004 when I was Artistic Director of Cirque du Soleil's production "O" at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. At the time, he was in Las Vegas from Montreal, acting in his position as casting scout. I vividly recall his care, attention, professionalism and profound knowledge in the area circus arts. Little did I know then that we would work together as close partners and colleagues in the casting department under the vice-presidency of Casting & Performance of Cirque du Soleil for the next six years from 2008-2013 where Pavel became Director of Casting for all CdS touring shows, based in Montreal, and I became Director of Casting for all CdS resident shows, based in Las Vegas. I consider my partnership with Pavel to be one of the most valuable, fruitful and satisfying partnerships in my professional career. Along with another area of casting (CdS's new creations), Pavel and I were tasked to build our teams with the ultimate goal of identifying elite circus talent around the world and, then following, recommending the right artist to the right position at the right time. Casting elite, rare talent across the globe can be immensely challenging, especially when there are 20 shows requiring it, often simultaneously, and often urgently. What surfaces immediately is Pavel's extraordinary talent in listening intently to the needs and concerns of others - without any ego whatsoever. He displays a tremendous degree of empathy and critical thinking, which consistently resulted in him recommending his position with great articulation, calmly and convincingly. It is important to mention his recommendations were not only in line with 'his' needs; rather, he understood and advocated for the 'right' placement for a particular artist's unique profile and talents even if that recommendation was for a production outside his direct responsibility. Pavel was also a rockstar in strategic thinking during the time we worked together - I turned to him often to help me see the bigger picture which helped me grow in my own role. At the same time, Pavel is not only a thinker in the clouds: he is pragmatic, never afraid of fire, and can pivot quickly (brilliantly, I would add), when needed. What rises to the top is the immense sense of TRUST Pavel cultivates in his professional relationships - not only with our partnership but within a complex entertainment company of thousands of employees around the globe working under extremely high stakes. He looks you in the eye and speaks with sincerity and a backbone. After over 20 years of knowing Pavel and working alongside him, we remain strong friends. I mention this not to get in the way of a professional recommendation but to highlight that after 30 years working in the entertainment industry, one discovers there are few people with whom you can dance in the fire AND share laughter and good times. Pavel is one of those. I can't express enough superlatives.