DHR International Adds Partner in Financial Services Practice
October 22, 2018 – Chicago-based search firm DHR International has named Edward Merhige as a partner in its financial services practice group.
He will specialize in global banking, markets and private equity.
Mr. Merhige has more than 20 years of experience recruiting financial services professionals, completing hundreds of searches at all levels, industry coverage and product areas within investment banking. His clients range from bulge bracket and global investment banks to boutiques and regional firms across all geographies.
In addition, Mr. Merhige works with private equity and alternative investment firms, as well as corporate clients, said DHR International. He has also developed a niche working with companies in the financial technology and insurance sectors.
Most recently, Mr. Merhige was managing director at D.S. Wolf Group International, a retained executive search boutique in New York, where he spearheaded searches primarily in investment banking and private equity. He began his career in executive search at E.J. Lance Management Associates, and was a founding member of Resnick Search Group. Mr. Merhige holds a bachelor’s degree in in economics from Franklin & Marshall College.
Other Additions
The firm also recently announced that it had brought aboard Mateja Forstnaric as a partner working throughout the firm’s Vienna, Frankfurt and Amsterdam offices. Ms. Forstnaric, who has more than 10 years of executive search experience, focuses on senior-executive search and board assignments throughout Europe.
Ms. Forstnaric specializes in recruiting for positions into life sciences, pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices, medtech, diagnostics, consumer healthcare and e-health companies and start-ups. This includes both international and local searches and across the full functional range.
“We are very happy to have a proven international life science executive such as Mateja join our global life science team,” said Frank Smeekes, European managing partner. “Her insight, years of experience across Europe and collaborative attitude will benefit our clients and our European organization. We are proud to welcome Mateja to the team.”
Top Recruiters
Ms. Forstnaric previously worked for both life science boutiques and large international executive search and talent management companies. These include: the RSA Group, Odgers Berndtson and Heidrick & Struggles. Throughout her career, she has worked internationally, regionally and locally. She has had a particular focus on Europe and emerging markets, where she conducted numerous executive search talent development and leadership advisory assignments.
Before entering the executive search field, Ms. Forstnaric spent 11 years in the executive leadership and development industry. One of her last positions was heading executive MBA marketing, sales and admissions at one of the leading executive development institutions in the CEE, the IEDC. Ms. Forstnaric is a frequent speaker at various business events, conferences and roundtables on the topics of leadership, talent management and diversity.
Ms. Forstnaric holds an MBA and a master’s degree from IEDC-Bled School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Ljubljana. She has completed numerous educational programs from several other educational institutions including Yale University and Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. Besides her native Slovenian language, Ms. Forstnaric speaks English, German, Croatian and Serbian.
DHR International also recently announced that it had named Christopher J. Knipp as managing partner in Dallas. He joins the human resources practice, leveraging more than 30 years of experience across the energy, industrial, consumer and healthcare sectors.
A Search Leader
Prior to DHR, Mr. Knipp served as partner and head of the human resources practice at Acertitude. Prior to that, he was chief human resources officer for AccentCare, a post-acute care organization providing the full spectrum of home health, therapy, hospice and personal care services. Mr. Knipp spent more than 30 years as a human resources executive, building best-in-class HR functions, shaping high-performing cultures and leading organizational transformations for a variety of blue-chip companies, from the top of the Fortune list to private-equity funded high-growth and turnaround organizations, said DHR International.
Since 1989, DHR International has been a leading, privately held provider of executive search solutions with more than 50 wholly-owned offices spanning the globe. DHR’s consultants specialize in all industries and functions, providing senior-level executive search, management assessment and succession planning services tailored to the qualities and specifications of its client base.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
