Kirby Bates Associates Acquires Tyler & Company

July 12, 2021 – As consolidation continues in the executive search industry, Orlando, FL-headquartered healthcare-focused search firm Kirby Bates Associates (KBA) and Tyler & Company have merged business operations. The unified organization will operate under the Kirby Bates Associates brand.

“Tyler & Company offers an exciting opportunity for Kirby Bates to strengthen its service and scope in healthcare executive leadership,” said Melissa A. Fitzpatrick, president of Kirby Bates Associates and Tyler & Company. “With its range of high-profile clients and service expertise, Tyler & Company’s complementary offerings are highly aligned to Kirby Bates’ strategy to lead the market by expanding services throughout the C-suite and across the continuum of care.”

“The merging of Tyler & Company into Kirby Bates presents a major growth opportunity for both businesses,” said Shane Jackson, president of Jackson Healthcare, the parent company of Kirby Bates Associates and Tyler & Company. “By combining the organizations into one, we will be able to effectively meet even more of our clients’ existing and emerging needs, benefiting healthcare leaders and care delivery organizations across the country.”

Tyler & Company has provided healthcare executive search services for over 40 years. The firm joined the Jackson Healthcare family of companies in 2013. The firm specializes in recruiting leadership talent for healthcare, academic medicine, and health and life sciences organizations. Since 1978, its recruiters have placed thousands of C-suite executives, physician leaders and healthcare administrators health systems, hospitals, physician group practices and academic medical centers.

Founded in 1988 as Bates & Associates by two leading nurse entrepreneurs, Kirby Bates Associates has been continuously owned and operated by nursing executives. The firm offers portfolio of leadership services including interim leadership, executive search, leadership coaching and operations consulting. Ms. Fitzpatrick was named president of Kirby Bates in 2020. In 2017, the company became part of the Jackson Healthcare family of companies.

Recent Acquisitions

Acquisitions and consolidations continue to make news in the recruiting industry, with a number of notable purchases in recent months. Here is a sampling from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Executive search firm ZRG has acquired Walking the Talk, a consulting and advisory firm focused on culture transformation. Hunt Scanlon Ventures facilitated the introduction and transaction between both organizations. Walking the Talk, headquartered in Amsterdam, specializes in enhancing performance results by aligning culture with strategy. Since the company was established 11 years ago, culture has landed firmly on the agenda of most executive teams and boards of directors.

A group of private investors led by majority partner CTR Group, a Virginia-based, family-owned employment services firm, has completed its acquisition of RM Nephew & Associates, an executive search firm headquartered in Boston, MA. Hunt Scanlon Ventures facilitated the introduction and the transaction. RM Nephew and Associates, with offices in Boston and New York, offers partnership-driven solutions to business leadership and recruitment challenges for a premier list of clients, primarily in the healthcare, technology, and professional services sectors.

Riviera Partners, a recruitment provider specializing in C-level engineering, product and design leader placements, has acquired Arete Partners. The Arete Partners team will form the foundation of Riviera Ventures and build upon its focus on Seed-to-B stage VC-backed startups. Eóin O’ Toole, co-founder and CEO of Arete Partners, will lead the new Riviera Ventures unit. Over the course of the past six years, Arete Partners has placed executive talent for Seed-to-B stage companies with “an understanding that the earliest leadership hires are of critical importance if startups are to reach their full potential,” Riviera Partners said in a statement.

Caldwell has signed an agreement to acquire IQTalent Partners. “For 50 years, Caldwell has been connecting clients with transformational talent. With this merger, we are setting our sights on transforming the world of talent,” said John Wallace, chief executive officer. “IQTalent Partners’ unique service model and innovative use of technology, paired with Caldwell’s expertise, network and resources will allow us to serve our clients in a more integrated fashion and allow us to have a greater impact on their long-term success, which remains our primary mandate.” Founded in 2009, IQTalent Partners provides talent acquisition solutions to 300 corporations from Fortune 500s to startups across a wide range of industries and functions throughout North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and South America.