Cowen Partners Executive Search Launches Steward, Family-Office Practice
November 25, 2025 – Vancouver, WA-based Cowen Partners Executive Search has launched Steward, an advisory practice dedicated to serving family offices and private enterprises across generations. Jacob Gamble, principal at Cowen Partners Executive Search, leads the practice and specializes in identifying senior executives for family offices.
“Family offices operate on a generational horizon, which demands leadership that can balance operational excellence with cultural intelligence and discretion,” said Mr. Gamble. “At Steward, we pair families with leaders who not only manage complexity but also enhance continuity and protect legacy for future generations.”
Steward is designed to meet the unique needs of family offices, helping families place exceptional leaders who not only bring technical expertise but also align with the family’s values, culture, and long-term vision. The practice combines decades of institutional search experience with a values-based methodology to ensure that each placement advances both the enterprise and the family’s legacy.
Steward by Cowen Partners Executive Search partners with families to place leaders who operate with discretion, sound judgment, and long-horizon focus. From newly formed family offices to established multi-generational enterprises, Steward calibrates each search to family governance, investment philosophy, and cultural priorities—ensuring leadership supports both performance and continuity.
With a background that includes leadership at Fisher Investments, overseeing a $ 3.3 billion business line, and serving as managing director at Paulson Investment Company, Mr. Gamble brings both deep industry experience and a meticulous, values-driven approach to executive search.
Cowen Partners serves both small and large, publicly traded, pre-IPO, private, and non-profit organizations. Its clients are typically $50 million to multi-billion-dollar revenue Fortune 1000 companies or have assets between $500 million to $15 billion. Placements span the entire C-suite and include VP and director-level leadership roles. Cowen Partners has placed hundreds of candidates in industries including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, financial services, and private equity.
Shawn Cole is a co-founder of Cowen Partners. He is a serial entrepreneur and executive leader with over 15 years’ experience founding and running companies. His business career has been centered on value creation for both turnarounds and start-ups. Mr. Cole helps find executive talent, such as a CEO, CFO, COO, chief revenue officer, and chief marketing officer. Clients are both small and large, publicly traded, pre-IPO, private, and non-profit organizations, typically $50 million to multi-billion dollar revenue Fortune 1000 companies or have assets between $1 billion and $15 billion.
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As a founding partner of Cowen Partners, Ash Wendt has drawn on his career experience in sales and executive recruiting. As a founding partner and practice leader for Cowen Partners sales and marketing division, Mr. Wendt has placed high-quality executives in positions such as chief revenue officer, chief marketing officer, vice president of sales, and vice president of marking, among others.
Recent Search Assignment
Cowen Partners Executive Search recently assisted in the recruitment of John R. Reeves as the new CEO of United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII). This follows a national executive search led by Cowen Partners in partnership with UAII’s executive search committee, which included board members, staff, and community stakeholders. Sam Torres, managing director, led the assignment. “We are proud to have partnered with UAII in this important appointment,” said Mr. Torres. “John Reeves exemplifies the leadership, integrity, and vision needed to carry UAII’s mission forward.”
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“Torres brings extensive experience recruiting for Native American Tribal Corporations and understands the unique leadership needs of sovereign and urban Native organizations,” UAII said. “His culturally informed approach and commitment to diversity ensured a thorough process rooted in community alignment.”
UAII is a community-based organization dedicated to enhancing the well-being of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian populations in urban centers. With a mission centered on promoting high-quality, culturally integrated services, UAII works to reconnect individuals and families with their language, culture, and traditions while responding to the ever-changing needs of the communities it serves.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
