Catalyst Advisors Elects Partner; West Coast Office Expands With New Hires

January 6, 2016 – Executive search firm Catalyst Advisors has named Sara Hagar as a partner. In addition, the firm has added Amy Bottoms as director and Steve Aeby as senior associate in its Los Angeles office.

Ms. Hagar joined Catalyst in 2008 as a director in charge of recruiting board directors, CEOs and other senior executives for a range of biopharma organizations. Her previous executive recruiting experience included six years as a member of the healthcare practice at Russell Reynolds Associates.

“Board members and CEOs rely on Sara for her insight and advice, particularly regarding a candidate’s cultural fit,” said John Archer, the firm’s founder. “Her understanding of issues from the perspective of both companies and candidates has won her respect from both sides of the table. Sara is an important leader at Catalyst Advisors and we are delighted to recognize her as a partner of the firm.”

Ms. Hagar said: “It has been an honor to be with the firm since its beginning as it has grown from a small group of dedicated people to a truly global organization. I look forward to working with my colleagues to build the leadership teams biopharma companies need to succeed at a time when investor expectations are high and the pace of the market is unrelenting.”

Ms. Bottoms joins the firm from Heidrick & Struggles, where she spent 17 years in the firm’s life sciences practice, most recently as an engagement manager. Prior to that, she gained search experience at both Ward Howell International and Korn Ferry.

Mr. Aeby has spent two decades as an independent senior executive search consultant for a variety of innovative healthcare companies in the Bay Area. He has completed searches in the biopharmaceutical, medical device and green technology industries.

“Amy and Steve bring a wealth of experience to Catalyst Advisors at a time when competition for transformative leadership in the biopharma industry has never been higher,” said Stephen J. Williams, Ph.D., a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

With offices in New York, London and Los Angeles, Catalyst Advisors is focused on finding C-suite leaders and board directors for biopharma companies ranging from established global enterprises to start-ups backed by leading venture funds.

Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media