Burke • Gillis • Juliano Group Forms Executive Search Practice
December 16, 2015 – Burke • Gillis • Juliano Group (BGJ), a management consulting firm focused on providing solutions for the extended retail value chain, has expanded its practice into executive search with the appointment of Len Okyn as senior search consultant.
Mr. Okyn joins BGJ from Lawrence James Associates, where he was president and CEO in charge of managing a wide variety of clients including Fortune 500, mid-cap public, private equity and venture-backed companies in the retail and food industries.
“Len is an outstanding addition to our team and the executive search consulting practice we are starting. The combination of his skills, network and previous human resources and industrial relations experience at leading industry companies ensures that our clients will receive the highest quality service, which is the hallmark of BGJ,” said Jim Gillis, a BGJ principal.
During his 25 years of supermarket industry experience, Mr. Okyn has served as vice president of human resources for a major supermarket chain, director of industrial relations for a national wholesaler, and director of manpower planning and organizational development for a national mass merchandiser.
Based in Naples, FL, Burke • Gillis • Juliano Group is a global consultancy focused on the supermarket, mass, convenience, drug and specialty retail channels. Founded by retail and consumer products industry veterans Vince Burke, Jim Gillis and Rich Juliano, the firm offers executive management, market strategy, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, business development, product marketing, trade relations, executive search and related services to leading retailers, suppliers and vendors.
A number on search firms have launched this year, offering an array of specialty recruiting services:
Appointed Partners, a leadership advisory solutions firm, was launched in last month by Marci Nigro. The firm was created to connect private equity and Fortune 1000 companies with qualified board director and C-level leaders. The new firm plans to focus on board diversity, next generation leadership, and cross-functional board expertise.
In October, executive search firm Extract Talent was launched by veteran recruiter Nancy Newman. The firm, whose clients range from Fortune 100 companies to startups, concentrates in the downstream sector of the oil, gas, chemicals, and catalysts industries. The firm’s executive team includes Suzanne Kochevar, the founder and president of En-visioneering Incorporated, dedicated to identifying and strengthening the linkage of organizational vision, organizational culture, and organizational conversations.
Jeremy Hare also launched Apollo Search Partners LLC in October to focus on recruiting accounting, finance, professional services, HR, and banking & administrative professionals. The firm is based in Philadelphia.
Bay Street Advisors, LLC, an executive search and consulting firm focused on the financial services industry, launched Eastward Search Partners, LLC, a professional recruitment and staffing firm dedicated to the middle and back-office segments of the financial services industry.
In September, David McCormack has launched executive search firm DMC Partners. Headquartered in New York City, the firm’s core practices are focused on recruiting in the capital markets, infrastructure, investment management, and technology sectors. With 14 years of executive search experience, Mr. McCormack most recently served as a partner with Westwood Partners LLC, an executive search and advisory recruiting boutique focused predominantly on financial services.
In June, executive search firm Zolowicz Group was launched by David Zolowicz to serve the search and recruitment needs for the legal sector. With over 20 years of experience in litigation support and intellectual property, Mr. Zolowicz has developed and nurtured a professional network that positions him to reach and influence key decision makers and top-level candidates. Prior to founding Zolowicz Group, he worked with Shepard’s, Manning & Napier (IP), Westlaw (Gov), Lexis (IP), and IP.Com, after which he served as an executive recruiter for the industry.
Also in June, executive search firm Seeking Alpha Search International was launched to provide search and recruitment services for quantitative risk professionals. The firm is led managing director Lin Watson, a seasoned professional in banking and finance. Ms. Watson previously served as practice lead of banking & financial services for the Eastern U.S. at Johnson Search Group (JSG).
Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media