accelHRate Assists Venture Global LNG in CFO Search

July 9, 2020 – HR executive search and management consulting firm accelHRate has placed Jack Thayer as the new CFO of Venture Global LNG Inc.

“We are delighted to welcome Jack to our experienced leadership team,” co-chief executive officers Bob Pender and Mike Sabel jointly stated. “He has an outstanding record of accomplishment as chief financial officer at two Fortune 500 energy companies, and we are confident in his ability to lead the company’s finance organization as we grow our low-cost LNG business.”

Mr. Thayer has over 15 years of finance leadership experience. Prior to joining Venture Global, he served as chief financial officer of Exelon Corp., a utility, power marketing and generation holding company, and CFO of Constellation Energy Group, an integrated energy company, with power generation, gas and electric distribution and energy management services. He has also held roles in investment banking, first with SBC Warburg and subsequently with Deutsche Bank Securities. Most recently, Mr. Thayer served as vice chairman, corporate operations and CFO of Woodward Inc.

“I am excited about joining Venture Global LNG and contributing to its future, as Venture Global expands its presence in the LNG industry during an important period of transition for international energy markets,” said Mr. Thayer.

Venture Global LNG is a long-term, low-cost provider of liquefied natural gas to be supplied from resource rich North American natural gas basins. It is currently constructing or developing 50 MTPA of production capacity in Louisiana.

Proven HR Recruiters

Headquartered in Herndon, VA, accelHRate is focused on placing chief human resource officers, financial officers and boards of directors. The firm’s team has placed hundreds of high impact HR executives across all industries and geographies. The firm was established in 2014.

Kimberly Shanahan is founding president and CEO of the firm. She brings more than 25 years of business and executive search experience to accelHRate. She has partnered with hundreds of CEOs, board members and CHROs across multiple industries and geographies to place HR, CEO and board of directors talent. Prior to co-founding accelHRate, she spent eight years with Korn Ferry, where she led the firm’s HR center of expertise as senior client partner and simultaneously served as managing partner for the company’s Northern Virginia office. She was also an active member of the CEO and board practice.

Kelly McPherson, partner and co-founder of accelHRate, brings close to 20 years of recruiting and management experience to the firm. In her role at accelHRate she focuses on chief human resources officers, head of total rewards and heads of talent roles. Her clients range from Fortune 500 organizations to private equity portfolio companies across a range of industries, including technology, healthcare, B2B services, financial services, defense, industrial, retail and consumer services.

Earlier this year, accelHRate launched a new board services and CFO practice. The firm also expanded with the additions of experienced executive search veterans Mark Mulvanerty and Melissa Schmidt as managing partner and principal, respectively. “Since launching accelHRate five years ago, our board, CEO and CHRO clients have asked Kelly McPherson and I to expand into board services and chief financial officers offerings,” said Ms. Shanahan. “We are thrilled to announce the additions of Mark and Melissa, who have extensive work in each of these areas. Our successful CHRO practice will continue as we look forward to helping our clients meet additional business and diversity challenges with our new offerings.”

Mr. Mulvanerty has over two decades of executive search and coaching experience. He has served as a strategic business partner to corporate boards and the C-suite leading high-profile, mission-critical search engagements across a wide aperture of industries. He is an advisor to a multitude of ownership structures from the Fortune 500 to non-profit organizations, family-owned businesses and private equity backed entities. Prior to joining accelHRate, he served as managing director at Diversified Search as leader of the firm’s private equity practice and member of the firm’s board of directors and chief financial officer practices.

Ms. Schmidt joins accelHRate from Heidrick & Struggles, where she spent seven years, most recently serving as a principal in the firm’s financial officers and education, non-profit and social enterprise practices.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media