Boyden Expands Presence on West Coast

August 7, 2020 – Boyden has expanded with the addition of Liesl Forve, who will serve as a partner and attend to clients throughout California. Boyden has seen strong growth in the U.S., particularly on the West Coast. The firm has doubled the number of partners there in the last six months.

“Liesl is a major asset for Boyden and our clients, bringing geographic reach into other markets and networks in the Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest,” said John McCrea, managing partner of Boyden United States in California. “In today’s environment, Boyden can make a big difference. Understanding regional markets and how to blend different capabilities into a new leadership profile for each client is where we excel.”

Joining Boyden’s global industrial, social impact and human resources practices, Ms. Forve has a strong track record in enabling clients to acquire C-suite and senior-level executives. She covers finance, human resources, marketing, sales and operations leaders. Ms. Forve also serves on boards and committees for cultural, charitable and community organizations, including 10 years serving on the Guthrie Theater board. She holds a degree in psychology from Macalester College, Minnesota. Previously, Ms. Forve was a consultant with Williams Executive Search, a Minneapolis, MN-headquartered retained executive search firm.

“We are in a challenging market, but one full of potential and opportunity,” said Ms. Forve. “A consequence of crisis is that it highlights leaders who are able to step up, defines gaps in the leadership team and brings clarity to fill those gaps with new talent. I look forward to leveraging Boyden’s very strong brand in supporting and fulfilling the needs of both clients and candidates.”

In addition to marquee hires in Atlanta, California, Pittsburgh and Washington, Boyden recently welcomed an exceptional team of 12 in Asia-Pacific, covering China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, with more partners joining in Europe.

“Companies in every region of the world are re-evaluating their C-suite and board profiles, as turbulence demands a shift in leadership capabilities,” Boyden said. “Private equity investors, already holding record levels of capital, are seeking incisive market understanding and leadership due diligence, another strong area at Boyden, led by John McCrea.”

“We feel honored that clients are reaching out to us to bring in transformational leadership at C-suite and board levels to chart the course going forward,” said Jeff Hodge, managing partner of Boyden United States in California. “Clients have been extremely active, seeking counsel and solutions across our business and Liesl is an ideal partner, for us and for our clients.”

Expansion Plans

Boyden, headquartered in Purchase, NY, is a leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 65 offices in over 40 countries. It continues to expand and add talent across several global regions. Here are some related news items from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Boyden has added executive search and leadership advisory firm Stones International to the organization expanding the firm’s presence in Hong Kong, China and Singapore. The new 17-member team includes 12 partners and principals with expertise that aligns with Boyden’s global practices in financial services, consumer and retail, industrial, technology, professional services and healthcare and life sciences, further ramping up the firm’s regional leadership position in these sectors. The new team will be led by managing partners Giuseppe Milito and Neil Morrison.

Boyden recently added Fanny Gimenez and Koen Vandenberghe as managing partners in Belgium and Luxembour as well as Paul Maertens as a partner to further build the firm’s market leadership in Europe. Ms. Gimenez, a member of Boyden’s industrial practice and private equity and venture capital practice, brings to the firm over 20 years’ management and consulting experience. Mr. Vandenberghe, a member of Boyden’s consumer and retail practice and professional services practice, is an advisor who has conducted numerous senior management engagements in finance, operations, sales and marketing, and technology. Mr. Maertens, a member of Boyden’s CEO and board services practice and technology practice, leverages his 30 years in corporate and public affairs, public policy and corporate governance to provide clients counsel on leadership, political, regulatory and audit committee requirements.

In a series of key leadership decisions, Boyden will largely be staying the course as it looks to continue its growth moving forward. Jörg Kasten has been re-elected to a third term as chairman and Trina Gordon won another term as president CEO, through 2021, the firm said. Three new members, meanwhile, are joining Boyden’s global board. Ms. Gordon has been in her role since 2011.

Boyden has created a new global private equity and venture capital practice and named Anita Pouplard, a managing partner of Boyden France, as its leader. Ms. Pouplard, a trusted advisor to the C-suite and boards, has completed numerous international search assignments over the past 20 years. A large share of her client work is in fast-growing sectors with large volumes in investment by PE and VC firms in technology, digital transformation, SaaS, internet of things, fintech and cleantech/greentech.