BoardWalk Consulting Appoints CEO
October 3, 2025 – Executive search firm BoardWalk Consulting has named Crystal Stephens as managing director and CEO. She succeeds Sam Pettway, who founded BoardWalk in 2002 and will continue to serve as founding director. Mr. Pettway will remain active in market development, select client engagements, and the continued growth of the firm’s reputation. “For 23 years, BoardWalk’s focus has been simple but absolute: finding leaders that matter for missions that matter,” said Mr. Pettway. “Crystal Stephens has been central to our success for over half that time. Her thoughtful, creative, and collaborative leadership with clients and colleagues alike makes her a sterling example of our vision in action. I’m thrilled she will be guiding our firm to its next level of impact.”
Over the past 13 years, Ms. Stephens has led many of the firm’s most complex and high-profile searches, earning the trust of such national organizations as Earthjustice, ACLU, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Trust for Public Land, and Year Up United. Her impact in Atlanta is evidenced in the leadership of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Gateway Center, and the Betty & Davis Fitzgerald Foundation.
Ms. Stephens joined BoardWalk in 2012, bringing extensive sales, marketing, and recruiting experience with top-tier organizations such as IBM, where she concluded her 18 years as a vice president managing a team of 1,000, and later worked in the for-profit recruiting space at Monster.com and Russell Reynolds Associates. Ms. Stephens has a personal affinity for causes supporting children, education, and emerging leaders. She has been a long-time board member of Breakthrough Atlanta. For the past several years, she has also championed a cohort of non-profit leaders of color, providing a space for collaboration and support.
“It is a privilege to lead BoardWalk into its next chapter,” Ms. Stephens said. “The stakes for non-profit leadership have never been higher, and I am proud to build on the foundation that Sam Pettway and our extraordinary team have laid. Our work is about strengthening communities through leadership, and I look forward to expanding the ways we help non-profits and foundations across the country discover and embrace the leaders who will shape their future—and ours.”
“BoardWalk Consulting has consistently been the most rewarding chapter of my career in executive search, and my colleagues and I are deeply grateful for the privilege of serving such compelling causes across the country,” Mr. Pettway said. “With Crystal Stephens as CEO, the support of our extraordinary team, and the confidence of our clients, I am certain the best is yet to come.”
BoardWalk Consulting, based in Atlanta, is a national executive search firm that recruits CEOs and senior leadership for mission-driven non-profit organizations. Founded in 2002, the firm leads executive searches for clients from across the non-profit sector with global, national, regional, and local missions. Many of the firm’s team members have previously served as non-profit executives, grant makers, and board leaders. BoardWalk Consulting is also an active partner in Panorama, the global network of independent executive search firms.
Leadership Appointments at Search Firms
Top leadership appointments have made headlines in recent months. Here’s a look at several examples taken from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Talent advisory firm DHR Global has appointed Priya Taneja as CEO, effective September 1, 2025. She will succeed Geoff Hoffmann, who will transition to the role of chairman of the board. This milestone marks a historic moment for the firm, as Ms. Taneja becomes the first non-family CEO in DHR’s 36-year history signaling a deliberate step forward as the firm accelerates into the next era of growth. She also becomes the third woman and first of color to run a top 10 executive search firm. Founded in 1989 by the family patriarch David Hoffmann, DHR last saw a leadership transition in 2012 when Geoff succeeded David as CEO. “Priya is a dynamic, trusted, and forward-thinking leader,” said Mr. Hoffmann. “She brings a rare ability to lead a global firm while staying deeply connected to our people, our culture, and our stakeholders. This transition has been thoughtfully considered for some time, and I couldn’t be prouder to see her step into this role. She’s the ideal leader for our next chapter, and I’m confident to know that the firm is in exceptionally capable hands.”
Global hospitality consulting firm HVS Executive Search has appointed Alice Sherman as CEO, beginning January 1, 2026. After more than 35 years in the retained executive search industry—including 12 years as CEO of HVS Executive Search—Court Williams will be retiring from his role. To ensure a seamless leadership transition and continued support for the company’s clients and team, Mr. Williams will remain actively engaged with the firm as chairman emeritus, providing strategic guidance and mentorship over the coming years. “Court has played a pivotal role in shaping HVS Executive Search into the respected global brand it is today,” said Stephen Rushmore, president and CEO of HVS. “His steady leadership and deep client relationships have had a lasting impact on our organization and the broader hospitality industry. We are fortunate to have Alice Sherman step into this leadership role—her energy, experience, and vision position her perfectly to lead the firm into its next chapter.”
Odgers Berndtson Canada has appointed Brad Beveridge as chief executive officer. The appointment follows a four-year period during which Mr. Beveridge served as president and led the firm’s transition from an executive search firm to an integrated leadership advisory firm. In addition to his CEO responsibilities, he will continue to serve on Odgers Berndtson’s global and U.S. boards of directors. “Brad assuming the role of chief executive officer recognizes the contributions that he’s made over the last four years,” said Carl Lovas, chairman and CEO of Odgers Berndtson. “Since 2021, with his strategic leadership the firm has implemented a new vision and purpose, attracted the industry’s best talent to broaden and deepen its expertise, facilitated greater alignment between its North American businesses, and introduced a people and culture strategy that has increased colleague engagement and development. All these contributions have positively impacted the client experience and the firm’s performance, while reinforcing that with Brad’s leadership as CEO, we are perfectly poised for our next phase of growth.”
Related: Odgers Berndtson Names President in Canada
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
