DHR Global Recruits Chief People Officer for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
December 12, 2024 – Talent acquisition strategies at many large companies have become as complex as their balance sheets. And while chief human resource officers play a vital role in overseeing an organization’s broad-based workforce, the chief people officer typically goes beyond overseeing its people policies. The focus instead is on building talent as a key competitive advantage, with more emphasis on culture, which includes values, ethics, and mission. They are responsible for championing an organization’s talent through the development and execution of a comprehensive people strategy and employee experience.
As companies look to build internal brand awareness and set their sights more on establishing and driving their own unique cultures, CPOs are coming more into vogue. And executive search firms have been stepping up their efforts to assist companies across the nation to find new chief people officers.
Talent advisory firm DHR Global recently assisted in the recruitment of Orlando Ashworth as executive vice president and chief people officer for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Peter Blau led the assignment and was supported by Kim Taylor. A 20-year veteran of the Marine Corps, Mr. Ashworth has served in a range of human resources and other senior leadership positions around the globe and is a thought leader in people strategy, people management, organizational design, and growth. He brings decades of leadership, HR, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) experience to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society from his roles as VP of HR consulting with AARP and chief people officer of the National Association of Community Health Centers.
In his new position, Mr. Ashworth will leverage his vast postgraduate education and professional certifications to oversee The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s people organization, as well as sustainability and DEI. In this role, he will work collaboratively across all levels of the organization to align staff and practices to the organization’s values of collaboration, commitment, compassion, and curiosity. He will be a critical force to ensure The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is an industry leader in the training, compensation, and engagement of talent.
With over 1,100 employees, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the largest non-profit dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has invested over $1.7 billion in groundbreaking research, pioneering many of today’s most innovative approaches.
Since 1989, DHR Global has been a leading, privately held provider of executive search solutions with more than 50 wholly owned offices spanning the globe. The firm’s consultants specialize in all industries and functions, providing senior-level executive search, management assessment, and succession planning services.
Mr. Blau is managing partner, global healthcare services & solutions at DHR Global. He has over 25 years of experience recruiting C-Level and other senior executive leaders across the healthcare industry, including roles in physician and nurse leadership, finance, operations, information technology, and regulatory affairs and compliance. Mr. Blau has led searches for health systems, academic medical centers, managed care plans, and healthcare start-ups. He has successfully recruited and placed executive leaders for roles across the healthcare industry, including finance, operations, information technology and management.
Ms. Taylor is senior search associate at DHR Global, healthcare division, which specializes in retained executive search for healthcare executive searches. She has extensive recruiting experience spanning more than 15 years in managed care, hospital systems, and large physician practices. Ms. Taylor has led searches for medical directors, nurse leaders, executive finance, marketing, and network contracting executives. She has recruited and placed mid-level and senior-level leaders at managed care plans and hospital systems nationwide.
Finding Chief People Officers
A number of search firms have been called in to find chief people officers. Here is a sampling from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives.
NU Advisory Partners has placed Deborah DeVerna as the new chief people officer of Allvue Systems. “With your wealth of expertise in organizational development and talent strategy, we’re confident your leadership will elevate team cohesion and drive impactful results as the organization grows,” said Nada Usina, co-founder and CEO of NU Advisory Partners. Thank you to Marc Scheipe, Deborah Mason Lefkowitz, Alana Zell, Alexandra Millett, and Vista Equity Partners for your continued partnership.” With over 20 years of experience as a strategic human resources leader, Ms. DeVerna brings a robust track record of enhancing organizational effectiveness through collaborative partnership with global leadership teams. Her expertise spans talent development, culture building, and change management, making her a fantastic addition to Allvue’s executive team. Previously, she served as chief people officer at Qontigo and Octave Group, where she led impactful initiatives that fostered dynamic, people-centered workplaces.
Arlington, VA-based DRiWaterstone Human Capital was recently retained by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to lead in its search for a chief people officer. Doug Trout, CEO of DRiWaterstone, is leading the assignment. The chief people officer is responsible for developing and executing human capital strategy in support of the organization’s plan and strategic direction, specifically in employee relations, talent management, change management, performance management, training and development, compensation, and succession planning. In collaboration with the Union of Concerned Scientists’ leadership, the chief people officer will implement policies and practices to build and maintain a unified work culture that exemplifies UCS values, thereby positioning the organization to effectively carry out its mission.
CarterBaldwin Executive Search has assisted in the recruitment of Arturo Towns as the chief people officer of Central States, a provider of metal building components, roofing, and building systems. The search was led by partner Andrea McDaniel Smith and search consultant Ted Wieber. “Arturo’s appointment marks a pivotal moment for Central States Inc. as we reinforce our commitment to fostering an inclusive, high-performing culture,” said Jim Sliker, CEO of Central States. “He brings an exceptional blend of strategic vision and a genuine people-first approach to Central States. We are thrilled to welcome him to our leadership team and look forward to the positive impact he will make.” With a career spanning more than 25 years in human resources, Mr. Towns brings a wealth of experience in strategy, talent acquisition, and development to Central States as the 100 percent employee-owned company focuses on engaging employee-owners and advancing success.
Related: The Christopher Group Recruits Chief People Officer for Mintz Group
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
