Daversa Partners Names First Chief Marketing Officer
March 14, 2024 – Daversa Partners, which helps build leadership teams for growth and venture-backed companies, has appointed Nicole Daversa as the firm’s first chief marketing officer. “I am thrilled to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Nicole on her well-deserved promotion to Chief Marketing Officer,” said Laura Kinder, president at Daversa Partners. “Nicole’s dedication, innovative strategies, and leadership have been instrumental in driving our firm’s success. She has not only conceptualized but also meticulously built our marketing function from the ground up.”
“From the initial vision to the seamless execution of our marketing initiatives, Nicole has consistently delivered outstanding results, significantly contributing to our firm’s growth and reputation, Mr. Kinder said. “Her adeptness in creating and leading a dynamic team from scratch showcases her exceptional leadership qualities and unwavering commitment to excellence. We are immensely proud of Nicole’s achievements and are confident that her vision and expertise will continue to propel our firm to new heights.”
In 2021, Ms. Daversa was promoted to vice president of marketing and communications, after leading a three-year global rebrand that significantly elevated the firm’s market presence. Her responsibilities encompass marketing, brand strategy, public relations, and corporate communications, highlighting her versatility and innovative mindset.
Ms. Daversa’s career in marketing began in entertainment and experiential marketing, later transitioning to a pivotal role at Live Nation Entertainment in Los Angeles. There, her involvement in business strategy, corporate communications, and public relations paved the path for her eventual return to her tech based roots. Since then, she has led Daversa’s marketing efforts, driving the firm’s growth and earning accolades within the industry.
Under Ms. Daversa’s leadership, Daversa Partners has achieved milestones, including numerous features in publications such as Forbes, Fortune, and Hunt Scanlon Media, showcasing the firm’s expertise and contributions across the founder and funder community. Additionally, her leadership resulted in the successful launch of the “Dare To Be Legendary” podcast, which garnered acclaim as one of the ‘Top 100 Entrepreneur Podcasts’ in the U.S. According to the firm, her initiatives also have led to the publication of insightful case studies and white papers, establishing Daversa as a thought leader in the industry and emphasizing its role as more than just a search partner. Daversa Partners currently ranks as a Top 50 executive search firm, according to Hunt Scanlon Media.
Related: A New Twist on Recruiting Diverse Teams Across the Technology Ecosystem
“I am truly honored by this promotion and immensely grateful for the steadfast support from both Laura and the entire leadership team at Daversa Partners,” said Ms. Daversa. “Building the marketing function from the ground up has been an incredibly rewarding journey, one that allowed us to create, set new benchmarks, and significantly impact our firm’s trajectory. My aim has been to lead with innovation and cultivate a culture steeped in excellence. This achievement is a testament to our team’s relentless dedication and hard work. I am thrilled to continue to spearhead our strategic endeavors, aiming to further elevate our brand and affirm our standing as an industry leader in executive search.”
Talent Will Decide Who Wins in Today’s Tech Revolution
Technology has always been a major disruptor of business. Historically, innovations like electricity, the telephone, the typewriter, and of course computers have all resulted in work getting done more quickly and efficiently. In recent years, however, technological change has been faster and more expansive than ever before, reaching beyond just the tech giants and impacting all kinds of businesses. It has been so swift, in fact, that many leaders were caught short, only now grasping its significance and what it will mean for the future of their companies. So it is that finding talent in data, artificial intelligence, and software-defined products, among other areas, has become imperative across virtually every sector. And executive search firms that have been quick to capitalize on this need and develop expertise and establish deep relationships have become key players in ushering in this new era and helping determine what businesses will ultimately win the day.
“What’s happened is that there has been a seismic change in industry, but there has not been a seismic change in process,” said Paul Daversa, founder and chief executive officer of Daversa Partners, which helps build leadership teams for growth and venture-backed companies. “The executive search industry was founded in 1926. It’s almost a 100 years old. It’s $12 billion dollars in annual TAM and the parochial processes by what has been evolved for traditional companies has rarely if ever been changed.”
Daversa Partners was founded in 1993. Its global footprint spans two continents and eight offices, giving its teams visibility into the entirety of the market. Daversa is dedicated to developing meaningful relationships with entrepreneurs, executives, and investors across consumer and enterprise businesses. In addition to its primary location in Westport, Conn., the firm has offices in New York; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Orlando, FL; London; and Waterford, Conn. where the firm maintains a data and people analytics facility.
New Partner
Last month, Daversa Partners named Will Brewster as the firm’s newest partner. “With a track record spanning over a decade in executive recruiting, Brewster’s promotion to the company’s partnership indicates a significant milestone for the company,” Daversa Partners said. “The elevation of Will to our partnership is a pivotal moment for this firm,” said Peter Baiocco, partner at Daversa Partners. “It’s been an honor to guide Will over the past ten years, and witnessing his steadfast dedication, unwavering pursuit of excellence, and exponential growth has been nothing short of inspiring. His ability to face difficult challenges head-on coupled with his relentless drive for innovation has played a key role in propelling our firm’s fintech practice forward. With his wide-ranging expertise and visionary approach, there is no doubt that he will continue to sculpt the future success of our firm.”
Since joining Daversa Partners in 2013, Mr. Brewster has been instrumental in shaping the executive teams for global technology companies. His primary focus is searches for Daversa’s fintech practice, an internal initiative he helped cultivate and leads. Mr. Brewster’s portfolio spans clients across a broad spectrum of the fintech landscape, from digital banking and payments to blockchain and lending, and financial infrastructure and security. He has helped recruit leadership teams at companies such as ConsenSys, Alloy, Blockdaemon, At-Bay, Upgrade, Stash, and Varo. Throughout his career, Mr. Brewster has worked across numerous functions including sales, product, marketing, finance, and operations. These placements range from VP to C-level positions for businesses at all stages – from those in their ideation phase to those commanding multi-billion dollar valuations on the public markets. His work extends from San Francisco to New York, and to London as well.
Related: Meet the New Female Powerbrokers in Tech Recruiting
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
