Diversified Search Adds Renowned Physician as Senior Advisor
September 29, 2017 – In recent months, executive search firms have been plucking talent from the corporate ranks in a wide array of sectors. The latest: Diversified Search has brought aboard a renowned physician-leader, Dr. Steven Altschuler, as senior advisor.
Dr. Altschuler will specialize in work in academic medicine within Diversified’s healthcare services search practice, the firm said. He is expected to provide insights into client challenges and candidate fit for CEO, dean, and department chair roles, as well as for senior-level positions in the life sciences.
The healthcare services practice is the largest at Diversified Search, one of the top 50 search firms in the Americas by Hunt Scanlon Media. Founded in 1974, it is headquartered in Philadelphia.
“We are so gratified to have someone of Steve Altschuler’s caliber and deep experience on our team at Diversified, as we continue to identify and place leaders at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the nation,” said Judith M. von Seldeneck, the firm’s founder and chairman. “Having known Steve personally for years, I cannot think of anyone who better represents the high quality and professionalism of our healthcare services practice, and I am delighted to welcome him into the Diversified family.”
Veteran Physician
Dr. Altschuler is a globally renowned physician, researcher, entrepreneur and academic medicine chief executive officer. Most recently, he was CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Before that, he was the executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Miami, and CEO of UHealth, the University of Miami health system.
In the Philadelphia area he is best known for his work at Children’s Hospital, where he served from 2000 to 2015. During that time, he helped transform the hospital from a traditional academic medical center and specialty hospital into a global leader in pediatric healthcare, research, education and advocacy for children. Under Dr. Altschuler’s leadership, Children’s Hospital experienced the largest growth in its history, and consistently ranked at or near the top of U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the nation’s top children’s hospitals.
Dr. Altschuler’s career started with a pediatric internship and residency at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston, and a fellowship in gastroenterology and nutrition at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He also served as a faculty member and chair of the pediatrics department at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is on the board of Weight Watchers International, and is also chairman of the board for Spark Therapeutics, a gene therapy company spun off of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“Joining Diversified Search is an exciting opportunity for me,” said Dr. Altschuler. “Living and working in Philadelphia, I was always impressed by the reputation of the firm, and more recently I have had the opportunity to work closely with managing director Lyn Brennan [who joined Diversified Search in the spring] as our consultant on several critical searches. The caliber of her work and the opportunity to partner with such talented people made this a compelling and easy decision.”
Tapping Outside Talent
In recent weeks, search firms have been recruiting talent from outside the industry to serve as advisors within their respective areas of expertise. Here’s a look at a few recent appointments from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Brenda Gumbs, former executive vice president of people and culture of Perfetti Van Melle, has joined Cincinnati-based executive recruitment firm Centennial Inc. as executive strategist. Ms. Gumbs has been a human resource practitioner for 30 years, chiefly as a senior executive.
Haydee Ortiz Olinger, who most recently served as global chief compliance officer for McDonald’s, has joined the advisory and coaching division of BarkerGilmore, a New York-based boutique executive search firm specializing in building corporate legal and compliance teams. Ms. Olinger joins BarkerGilmore’s team of former Fortune 500 general counsel and chief compliance officers.
Philip Tang has joined executive search firm Witt/Kieffer in its education practice. He brings to the job nearly 15 years of university administration experience at one of the nation’s leading universities. Mr. Tang previously served as vice provost for academic services at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
SRi named former Manchester City technical director Mike Rigg as global football advisor. He will focus on working with the firm’s growing list of football clients in North America, Europe, the U.K. and Asia. Mr. Rigg has been at the forefront of global football for more than 30 years at both youth and senior international and domestic levels.
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
