Diversified Search Group | Koya Partners Recruits Chief Development Officer Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

January 27, 2025 – Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, has assisted in the recruitment of Lauren Stakias as chief development officer at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in New York City. The assignment was led by Gerard F. Cattie Jr. “We are delighted to welcome Lauren as our new deputy director, chief development officer,” said Mariët Westermann, director and CEO of the Guggenheim Foundation. “Her expertise in fostering meaningful relationships and her passion for the arts will be critical as we grow our global network of supporters, connect in new ways with those who share a commitment to our mission, and expand our funding initiatives. With Lauren’s leadership, the Guggenheim will continue to thrive as a uniquely global and local organization that connects people, art, and place.”
Ms. Stakias joins the Guggenheim with years of philanthropic and development leadership in the arts and culture sector. As director of institutional advancement at the Morgan Library & Museum from 2016-2024, she oversaw the museum’s development staff and led fundraising efforts – including the 2023 launch of the $50 million Centennial Campaign and the successful completion of a $13 million campaign in 2020 for the exterior renovation of the museum’s historic library and the addition of the new Morgan Garden. Ms. Stakias previously held a range of roles at the Museum of Modern Art, finally serving as director, exhibition and program funding, spearheading new international fundraising initiatives and major corporate, foundation, and individual sponsorships for exhibitions, education, and other special programs at the museum.
In her position with Guggenheim, Ms. Stakias will focus on implementing new, innovative methods to expand the institution’s philanthropic base. She will lead the foundation’s 30-person development department, which includes individual giving, corporate partnerships, institutional giving and government affairs, membership, special events, and development operations.
“I am thrilled to join the Guggenheim at such an exciting moment in its history,” said Ms. Stakias. “I look forward to working together with Mariët, the staff, and the Board of Trustees to achieve the Guggenheim’s ambitious goals for the future and serve its wide and ever-growing audiences.”
Founded in 1937, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of art, architecture, and other manifestations of visual culture, primarily of the modern and contemporary periods, and exploring ideas across cultures through dynamic exhibitions, programming, initiatives, and collaborations. The Guggenheim is a unique institution, with a constellation comprised of four architecturally and culturally distinctive museums on three continents that exists to engage local and global audiences with the transformative and connective power of art and artists.
Family of Firms
DSG is a family of firms serving specialized sectors. The firm was founded almost five decades ago for the express purpose of placing diverse candidates in client organizations. Koya Partners is a part of DSG and is dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Koya works broadly at the senior-most levels of the mission-driven field in philanthropy, social services, arts and culture, and social justice, among others.
In 2019, Koya was acquired by DSG. With the combination of revenues and resources, Diversified Search and Koya now represent one of the largest non-profit and higher education practices in the executive search industry. Koya’s specialization in mission-driven search, primarily with non-profit and higher education clients, complements DSG’s own major education, non-profit, and arts and culture practices, as well as the firm’s healthcare services, board of directors, life sciences, industrial, and digital, media, entertainment, and sports practices.
Mr. Cattie is managing director and practice leader, DSG fundraising and advancement, based in New York. His practice focuses on searches for senior leadership positions within prominent higher education institutions, non-profit organizations, global NGOs, foundations, associations and membership societies, healthcare providers, as well as arts and cultural entities. He serves as the leader of the firm’s development and philanthropy practice, along with the arts and culture sector of the firm’s education, nonprofit, and arts and culture practice.
Philanthropy Leaders
The field of advancement is an extension of philanthropy/development/fundraising. Over the past two decades, educational institutions and charitable groups have shifted toward more integrated models of collaboration between communications, marketing, branding and development. Advancement represents the full integration of these functions under a single leader, the chief advancement officer.
According to recruiters who specialize in the non-profit sector, fundraising talent is being groomed all around the field and within organizations that understand the direct connectivity between messaging and contributed revenue. The function is only relevant to the non-profit and education sectors. In a corporate setting, such executives are commonly referred to as chief development officers or a chief business development officer.
In general, the best training for such roles is experience. Industry conferences and summits can also help one learn benchmarking and best practices. And while the best fit for these roles ultimately depends on the culture of the organization, recruiters say that “tenacity and drive” are two traits always necessary for successful advancement and development officers.
Related: Diversified Search Group | Koya Partners Recruits CEO for Philanthropy Massachusetts
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media