Recruiter crawfordconnect Finds CEO for Canadian Community Foundation
August 17, 2017 – Executive search firm crawfordconnect has placed Elizabeth Heald as president and chief executive officer of the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) in Ontario. Past CEO Rosemary Smith stepped down this spring. Senior search consultant Liz Latimer led the assignment.
The foundation sought an individual with a history of success in a senior executive role with an innovative, outcomes-oriented organization, be it in the private or public sector, not-for-profit or fundraising environments. The group also wanted someone with a commitment and involvement in community work through significant volunteer leadership roles.
The Right Leader
A seasoned senior executive in both the corporate world and the non-profit sector, Ms. Heald spent the last 25-plus years in diverse leadership roles with Scotiabank. Her most recent position with the bank was as director and head of the Scotia Private Client Group, where she stewarded high net-worth client fund holders in the Kitchener and Waterloo region, managing a multi-million dollar growth plan. In 2014, Ms. Heald co-founded and launched a national charity, Kawasaki Disease Canada. She led the organization, served on the board, and took on the role of spokesperson.
“Elizabeth’s background and expertise aligns with the board’s vision for a new innovative focus for the KWCF,” the organization said in a statement. “Our national search for a new CEO yielded a number of very impressive candidates, and Elizabeth emerged as an extraordinary match for the KWCF. She brings the ideal combination of visionary leader and collaborative partnership builder that will help take The KWCF to the next level.”
Established in 1984, the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation is a leading independent public charitable foundation that connects philanthropy to community needs and opportunities. The group’s mission includes building community endowment, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues.
Non-Profit Focus
Recruitment firm crawfordconnect specializes in the non-profit sector. It describes its mission as striving to strengthen Canadian charities and non-profits by connecting them to highly qualified professionals seeking to make a difference. Its clients include: Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Aid Foundation, World Wildlife Foundation, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, York Central Hospital Foundation, Canadian Association for Community Living Foundation, SickKids Foundation, and the Heart & Stroke Foundation, among others.
Ms. Latimer, who spearheaded the assignment, is an executive search researcher and consultant with a strong background in the public and not-for-profit sectors. She has been involved in professional recruitment for over 20 years. An expert in candidate development and fit analysis, she has developed a comprehensive interviewing process that assists in aligning client needs with candidate goals.
Ms. Latimer has conducted searches for such roles as CEO, executive director, COO, vice president, and clinical and medical leaders across Canada. She has also worked and partnered with boards and search committees to help them navigate the search process.
Foundations Turn to Recruiters
A number of charitable foundations have turned to executive search firms in recent months to find new leaders. Here’s a look at some, taken from the Hunt Scanlon Media newswire archives:
Executive search firm Elinvar placed Scott Levitan as CEO of the Research Triangle Foundation, which manages an eminent North Carolina research park known as Research Triangle Park. He succeeds Bob Geolas, who left the organization last September. Elinvar’s president and CEO, Patti Gillenwater, led the search.
The Chason Group recruited Sarah H. McKinney as president and CEO of the Athens Area Community Foundation. Tim Chason, the firm’s president, led the assignment. As a public grant making community foundation, the Athens Area Community Foundation partners with donors, non-profits, and community institutions to build, distribute and preserve philanthropic assets.
Diversified Search placed Stacey D. Stewart as president of the March of Dimes Foundation. The search was led by Andrew Wheeler, managing director and practice leader of the firm’s education and not-for-profit practice. Ms. Stewart most recently served as the U.S. president of United Way Worldwide.
Koya Leadership Partners recruited Margaret Huang as executive director for Amnesty International USA. Managing partner Molly Brennan and principal Sam Simmons led the search. Amnesty is a global movement of seven million supporters, members, and activists who campaign for internationally recognized human rights to be respected, protected and fulfilled.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
