ON Partners Recruits Director to ADTRAN

September 27, 2016 – Executive search firm ON Partners has recruited Jacqueline Hourigan Rice as a new member of the board of directors at NASDAQ-listed ADTRAN, Inc. Partner Matthew A. Mooney led the search on behalf of ON Partners.

Ms. Hourigan Rice is executive vice president and chief risk & compliance officer at Target. At Target, she is responsible for managing enterprise and vendor risk, corporate security and corporate compliance and ethics to protect Target and its stakeholders. Prior to joining the company, she served as chief compliance officer and legal counsel for General Motors.

With over 19 years of legal and compliance experience, Ms. Hourigan Rice has expertise in all aspects of global compliance, including anti-corruption, export controls, data privacy and ethics.

“We are happy to have Jackie join our board. She brings a wealth of experience in compliance, vendor management, corporate security, and managing corporate risk,” said Thomas Stanton, chairman and chief executive officer of ADTRAN. “Her perspective will be welcome as we continue to scale manufacturing, sales and operations around the globe.”

Several months ago, ON Partners placed Anthony J. Melone as a member of ADTRAN’s board. Mr. Mooney also led that assignment. Mr. Melone has 32 years of telecommunications experience, including operations and engineering positions of increasing responsibility. He served as EVP of Verizon Communications since 2010 and served as its chief technology officer from 2010 to 2014 where he was responsible for Verizon Communications’ global technology roadmap. “Tony brings tremendous technical and operational experience from his impressive career in the communications industry, and I believe that ADTRAN will benefit greatly from his leadership and vision,” said Mr. Stanton.

ADTRAN is a global provider of networking and communications equipment. Its products enable voice, data, video and Internet communications across a variety of network infrastructures. The company’s solutions are currently in use by service providers, private enterprises, government organizations, and millions of individual users worldwide.

With a primary focus on technology, energy / clean tech and the life science sectors, ON Partners recruits C-suite, board directors and senior executive talent for public and private companies, as well as venture capital and private equity firms. The firm currently has consultants working from offices in Atlanta, Baltimore / Washington, D.C., Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Minneapolis, Portland, and Silicon Valley.

Backed by two decades of executive search experience, Mr. Mooney has completed board and senior executive positions for public and private companies of various sizes across the technology sector. His clients include top brands in the global technology community with emphasis on wireless, digital media, and enterprise services / cloud computing.

Top Directors In Short Supply

Director recruiting has grown markedly more challenging in recent months, according to recruiters with board practice emphasis. According to Egon Zehnder, heightened expectations now placed on boards have elevated both the professional standards and personal commitment required of all directors.

At the same time, many boards find that the supply of independent-minded ‘board experienced’ directors – especially those who can add vital forms of specialized skills and expertise – is limited, as such candidates are both widely sought after yet sometimes hesitant to take on the intensive responsibilities now required of board service.

As a result, companies continue to turn to executive search firms to help them lure new board members. Most in demand, recruiters report: women, senior leaders with global experience, ethnically diverse professionals, and Millennials. Here is a brief look at just a small selection of search firms and their recent board work taken from the Hunt Scanlon Media newswire archives:

• Epsen Fuller Group placed Anita Allen as a member of the board of directors at Tingley Rubber Corporation. The company sought a director that would bring diversity of thought and a strong financial background. Ms. Allen, founder and CEO of Allen Advisory Group, a boutique management consultancy, formerly was a consulting partner at KPMG;

• Diversified Search recruited Frederic Cumenal, chief executive officer of Tiffany & Co., to serve as a member of the board of directors at Constellation Brands. Charles King, a managing director in Diversified’s New York office, led the search;

• The Onstott Group assisted A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies in the recruitment of Leslie E. Greis to serve on the company’s board of directors. Joe Onstott, managing director, led the assignment. Ms. Greis is the founder and managing member of Perennial Capital Advisors, LLC;

• Greenwich Harbor Partners placed Liz Ritzcovan as a member of the board of directors at The New York Pops. She is the sixth director to be placed on the Pops board by the Greenwich, Conn-based search firm;

• Harvard Group International (HGI) has been selected by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to recruit six new board members. Chuck Cain, a senior partner active in the firm’s non-profit practice, is heading the search;

• Heidrick & Struggles tapped Mary Dillon as a member of the board of directors at Starbucks Corp. Ms. Dillon is chief executive officer of Ulta Beauty;

• Boutique recruiting firm Barton Executive Search recruited Chris Neugent as a member of Welch’s board of directors. Mr. Neugent was recently president and CEO of Post Consumer Brands.

Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media