DRG Search Names CEO
January 18, 2018 – Executive recruitment firms have made a number of top leadership appointments this past year, many focused on strategy, growth, branding efforts and operations.
The latest: DRG Search has appointed Dara Klarfeld as its new CEO. She will be responsible for leading all aspects of DRG’s work with organizations in the non-profit sector.
“Dara has built an impressive executive search practice and has been a valuable thought partner at DRG during her years with us,” said David Edell, president of the firm. “During the past year as managing director she has led an aggressive agenda to enhance DRG’s infrastructure and resources to position us effectively for the future. She has gained the trust of our team and our clients and I am confident she will play an important leadership role in the non-profit sector in the future.”
Ms. Klarfeld worked in the non-profit sector for more than a decade before joining DRG Search. In her search practice she helps non-profit clients to identify and resolve challenges by facilitating complex conversations and building consensus around organizational priorities, DRG said.
Her broad and diverse networks have helped her to find and recruit professionals from diverse fields to meet her clients’ needs. Her executive search practice includes partnerships with the Elmer A. Henderson School, the Hearing Health Foundation, the Weber School, Prizmah, the JCC Association, the New Teacher Center and UJA-Federation of New York.
“DRG Search is at a moment of rapid growth and increased capacity to help serve the needs of our expanding client base,” said Ms. Klarfeld. “We are building on more than 30 years of excellence in executive search in the non-profit sector, and are continually looking for the best ways to serve the nonprofit community.”
This year, the firm will continue to find top senior-level talent, she said. “We will also focus on helping our clients organize their staffing structures, plan for executive leadership transitions, bring diversity to their leadership team, and support their new professionals as they take on these important executive positions,” she added. “We have assembled a strong team with diverse backgrounds and experiences, and increased our ability to harness the power of our collective knowledge on each client assignment.”
DRG Search, founded in 1987, has conducted searches for senior executives at many of the major national charity groups, including the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Hillel International, Birthright Israel, NEXT and the Jewish Funders Network.
Leadership Appointments Rising at Search Firms
Leadership appointments have been gaining traction at executive search firms in recent months. Here’s a look at several taken from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Hong Kong-headquartered search firm Bó Lè Associates announced that Pierre Zhuang has resigned as CEO and the board named David Chan, managing director and its Shanghai office head, as its new CEO. Mr. Chan joined the firm in 2015 and was head of Bó Lè Associates’ Hong Kong office prior to taking on the role as head of Bó Lè Shanghai office in August of this year.
U.K.-headquartered Armstrong Craven, a specialist executive search and intelligence consultancy, has named Tom Mason as its new CEO. Mr. Mason previously served as senior vice president at Pontoon Solutions, part of the Adecco Group. Before that, he was a partner at boutique firm Mason McLoud and managing director for EMEA at Allegis Global Solutions.
U.K.-based executive search and interim firm Holmes Noble appointed Donna Chapman as its CEO. Her experience at board level includes mergers and acquisitions, commercial directorship, HR, talent strategies and growth through successful leadership for listed companies, privately-owned and private equity-backed organizations.
Non-profit executive recruiters Higher Talent appointed Mindy Cohen as president and managing partner. Ms. Cohen has been instrumental in establishing the firm’s dedication to educational institutions and non-profits across the country over the past 15 years. She has recruited senior executives, nationally and internationally, for non-profit organizations…
Lois L. Lindauer Searches (LLLS) named Deb Taft as its new CEO. The carefully planned changeover comes as the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary. Chosen by founder Lois L. Lindauer to lead the firm into the next era, Ms. Taft brings over 25 years senior-level development and executive management experience to the role.
Sales-focused executive recruitment provider TwentyPine has promoted Jamie Coakley to CEO. In her new role she is responsible for leading growth strategy and execution of the company’s long-term vision across operations, sales and marketing. Ms. Coakley has a history of re-energizing growth and profitability for mature recruiting and staffing companies.
Heidrick & Struggles recently named Krishnan Rajagopalan as its new president and CEO. Mr. Rajagopalan has served as acting CEO since Tracy Wolstencroft took a medical leave of absence in April. Based in Washington, D.C., 57-year-old Mr. Rajagopalan also leads the firm’s executive committee. He has been with Heidrick for 16 years.
San-Francisco-headquartered executive search firm O’Rourke & Associates appointed Rebecca Bower as president. Ms. Bower is widely regarded as a top leadership advisor with a career that spans nearly 25 years in human resources, management, training and sales. O’Rourke & Associates specializes in credit union industry recruiting.
Ratliff & Taylor appointed Beth Sweeney as its president, where she now has full profit-and-loss responsibility for each of the company’s three practices: executive search, leadership development and career transition. Ms. Sweeney previously served as market president at the firm.
Executive search firm Cobalt Recruitment tapped James Wakefield as its CEO. Mr. Wakefield joined Cobalt in 2007 coming from the management team at Michael Page in London. In 2009, Mr. Wakefield moved to the UAE to help Cobalt establish a presence in the region, and in 2014 he was promoted to international managing director.
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
