August Leadership Expands in Colombia
February 3, 2026 – August Leadership has appointed Santiago Silva Betancourt as a partner, based in Colombia. With 37+ years of experience, he advises boards and high-growth organizations on C-suite and board appointments, primarily within financial services, and also across energy & natural resources and retail. “His work is defined by placing leaders who drive strategic change in complex environments,” August Leadership said in a LinkedIn post. “Please join us in giving him a warm welcome!”
Mr. Silva Betancourt is an executive search leader with more than three decades of experience advising high-growth organizations and boards on building world-class leadership teams. He specializes in placing C-suite executives and board members, primarily in financial services, and also across oil & gas and retail-prioritizing leaders who drive strategic change in complex, fast-evolving environments.
Previously, Mr. Silva Betancourt was the CEO and founder of ProfileP Executive Search, a leading firm in Colombia. Prior to that, he served as head of Ecuador for Korn Ferry International. Earlier in his career, Mr. Silva Betancourt gained experience with Banco Popular and Arthur Andersen.
Colombia’s economy, the fourth-largest in Latin America, is undergoing a gradual recovery with projected growth of 2.8 percent in 2026. While facing high inflation and reliance on hydrocarbon exports, it is diversifying through services and agriculture, navigating political uncertainty.
Bogotá is the main economic and industrial center of Colombia. The financial sector has grown favorably because of good liquidity in the economy, the growth of credit, and the positive performance of the Colombian economy. The Colombian Stock Exchange through the Latin American Integrated Market (MILA) offers a regional market to trade equities. Colombia is now one of only three economies with a perfect score on the strength of legal rights index, according to the World Bank.
Founded in 2020, New York City-based August Leadership’s clients range from global multinationals to mid-size fast-growth organizations to pioneering start-ups. Its team includes those who have been in search for their entire careers. Others joined after holding leading roles in start-ups or large corporations. A number are considered among the more influential search executives in the world.
Related: August Leadership Expands Search Team
Asad Haider is founder and CEO of August Leadership. He is a trusted advisor with deep global experience and knowledge of emerging markets, high growth companies, and high-potential diversity candidates. Mr. Haider has worked across the globe and within a wide range of industries. His career highlights include his various turnaround projects with Procter & Gamble as well as helping PepsiCo achieve record market share in international markets. His search career began as an entrepreneur, building one of Asia’s largest region-wide search boutiques.
Expansion in Dubai
In December, August Leadership expanded with the addition of Shazeaa Ingar as a partner, based in Dubai. “Shazeaa is an experienced organizational psychologist and leadership advisor with a strong track record supporting boards, CEOs, and senior executives across global markets,” August Leadership said in a LinkedIn post. “She brings deep expertise in executive assessment, board effectiveness, and leadership development, helping organizations make confident and evidence-based decisions about their talent.”
August Leadership Expands in Singapore
August Leadership has expanded with the addition of Melvin Lee as a partner in Singapore. Mr. Lee is a seasoned leadership advisor with more than 20 years of experience across Asia Pacific and North America. He specializes in senior executive and board appointments in the industrial, semiconductor, and technology sectors, bringing deep expertise in manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, and engineering leadership. Mr. Lee draws on a career that spans global consulting firms, Fortune 50 corporate leadership roles, and entrepreneurial ventures, giving him a balanced perspective on the leadership and organizational challenges faced by multinational corporations, high-growth enterprises, and family-owned businesses alike. Prior to August Leadership, he served as senior client partner at Korn Ferry.
Ms. Ingar is an organizational psychologist working with clients on enhancing board effectiveness and leadership capabilities, strengthening ESG strategy/ oversight and supporting clients in achieving long term sustainable growth. She is an advocate for women in leadership and actively seeks out opportunities where she can add real value to the people agenda.
Ms. Ingar has worked for 15 years as an executive coach and leadership consultant and has consulted government and private entities on leadership development and assessment strategies for their organization. Her experience spans across industries from oil and gas, financial services and hospitality where she has worked closely with executive level stakeholders and the C-suite to deliver on human capital and ESG related consultancy projects.
Ms. Ingar previously served as head of board and executive advisory /corporate governance at Aon. In this role, she led the board and executive advisory and corporate governance advisory practice in the Middle East developing thought leadership and services specifically for the Middle East region and implementing solutions to meet client needs to enable long term sustainable growth.
Related: August Leadership Adds Diversity Search and Leadership Consulting Practice
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
