accelHRate Partners with the National Association of Corporate Directors

June 18, 2021 – The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 21,000 board members, has enlisted search firm accelHRate to help grow its board director search practice. NACD Board Search will leverage the membership (including NACD certified directors), partners, and ecosystem of NACD to expertly match qualified candidates to available board seats for client companies. The predecessor to NACD Board Search, NACD Recruitment Services, had a track record of 83 percent diverse director placements. NACD chose to partner with the woman-owned firm accelHRate due to their outstanding reputation and strong relationships in the corporate world and both organizations’ commitment to advancing diversity.

The focus will be on board searches for small- to mid-cap public companies and private companies that have up to $1 billion in revenue, as well as on board searches for large, non-profit organizations. NACD Board Search will service clients who are among the 21,000-plus members of NACD, as well as nonmembers, and NACD members will have an opportunity to upload their resumes for consideration.


2021 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Recruiting Report:
Building a Balanced and Diverse Workforce

Hunt Scanlon Media’s latest market intelligence recruiting report – this time focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – will be available later this fall! The nation’s top executive recruiters are resetting expectations and looking for new ways forward to build balanced and diverse workforce teams for their clients.

According to executive recruiters, DE&I should not just be a priority, but an integrated part of every company’s leadership goals. Some companies have even tied DE&I metrics to executive compensation. But it’s more than that.

Part of building strong, diverse hiring teams means asking yourself: “Who is my company culture going to attract – and how will it engage people who are here?” This question can be very difficult to answer if you assume everyone feels welcome already just because you do. Fostering diversity, equity and inclusion within organizations is more than just the right ethical decision. “It is one of the best business decisions a company can make,” said Keri Gavin, a partner with Hanold Associates and leader of the search firm’s Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practice. Hanold Associates is a proud sponsor of this year’s report. This report will help organizations prioritize DE&I as a business imperative that drives greater competitiveness, innovation and business results. Get it now! 


“NACD is committed to creating long-term value for boards, and that includes having the right people around the table,” said Peter R. Gleason, CEO of NACD. “As the preeminent organization advancing directors, the time is right for us to expand our capability in board search.”

“accelHRate has built a reputation on helping companies address key strategic business and talent challenges,” said Kim Shanahan, co-founder and CEO of accelHRate. “We understand the special needs of companies and how to build boards with the right mix of executives to ensure exceptional business strategy, governance, diversity, culture and impact. We are thrilled to be working with NACD, the preeminent organization for board excellence.”

The National Association of Corporate Directors empowers more than 21,000 directors to lead with confidence in the boardroom. As the recognized authority on leading boardroom practices, NACD helps boards strengthen investor trust and public confidence by ensuring that today’s directors are well prepared for challenges. Global boards join NACD to elevate performance, gain foresight and instill confidence.

Proven HR Recruiters

Headquartered in Herndon, VA, accelHRate is focused on placing chief human resources 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.


accelHRate Recruits Chief People Officer for U.S. Humane Society
accelHRate placed former Washington Nationals HR executive Alexa Herndon as the first chief people officer of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Ms. Herndon was most recently was vice president of HR for the Washington Nationals baseball franchise where she established a strategic HR function as the franchise emerged from its start-up phase to become World Series champions in 2019.


Ms. Shanahan brings more than 25 years of business and executive search experience to the organization. She has partnered with hundreds of CEOs, board members and CHROs across multiple industries and geographies to place HR, CEO and board of director talent. Previously, she spent eight years with Korn Ferry, where she led the HR center of expertise as senior client partner and simultaneously served as managing partner for the Northern Virginia office. She was also an active member of the CEO and board practice.

Kelly McPherson is co-founder and managing partner of accelHRate. She 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, heads 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.

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

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