DRiWaterstone Human Capital Names CEO

June 26, 2024 – Arlington, VA-based DRiWaterstone Human Capital has appointed Doug Trout as its new CEO succeeding Jennifer Dunlap, who has served as president and CEO since the organization opened its doors in 2001. Ms. Dunlap will continue to serve as an advisor to the CEO and to work with a limited number of clients until her retirement from the organization in January 2025. She will serve on the board of directors as founder and vice chair. “DRiWaterstone is in excellent hands with Doug Trout,” said Ms. Dunlap. “His extensive experience in, and passion for, the nonprofit industry coupled with the relationships he has built throughout his four years as a senior consultant and most recently a managing director, make Doug the right person to drive the company’s growth and success moving forward. I’m confident that DRiWaterstone, its clients, and its team will thrive under Doug’s leadership.”

Mr. Trout joined DRiWaterstone in 2020 and has led the non-profit search practice since 2022. His practice areas for the firm have focused on the clean energy sector, public policy centers, research and cultural institutes, and higher education. Before joining DRiWaterstone, Mr. Trout served as acting president and executive vice president at The Montpelier Foundation. Previous roles include executive director at the Miller Center Foundation, director of the graduate fellowship program for the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, and director of development at the UVa Center for Politics. He currently sits on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Washington, D.C. Chapter, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, and the James Madison University Center for Civic Engagement.

“I am excited about the future of our company and about working with the DRiWaterstone team to grow the organization, and to support the human capital needs of the nonprofit and social impact sectors,” said Mr. Trout. “Our two co-founders, Jennifer Dunlap and Nancy Racette, built an incredible company – one that is solely committed to purpose and mission-driven organizations and partnering with them to build high-performance teams. I look forward to continuing that vision and expanding DRiWaterstone’s partnerships in the industry.”

Created through a recent merger between DRi and Waterstone Human Capital, DRiWaterstone Human Capital is a culture-centric executive search, leadership advisory, and human capital firm focused on helping mission and purpose-driven organizations across the U.S. build high performance teams and cultures. The firm’s team of talent management professionals has placed over 1,000 exceptional executives since it opened in 2001.

The firm offers executive search services focused on helping clients achieve sustainable organizational and cultural growth by finding leaders who align to the organization’s purpose, and who can help take the organization and its culture to the next level. DRiWaterstone Human Capital also offers a full portfolio of cultural talent management and leadership advisory services (including culture assessment, culture measurement, and culture curation) – to help organizations put culture at the center of strategy and drive success.

Leadership Appointments at Search Firms

Top leadership appointments have made headlines in recent months. Here’s a look at several examples taken from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Life sciences recruiting specialist Coulter Partners has announced a strategic leadership transition and the reorganization of its senior leadership team. Effective immediately, Bianca Coulter, co-founder and current CEO, will assume the full-time role of executive chair; Nicholas Green will take up the reins as CEO; Joe Coulter, co-founder, will take a broadened chief operating officer role; Charlotte James becoming chief of staff and operations; and James Bichener will serve as chief financial officer. “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together at Coulter Partners over the last 20 years,” said Ms. Coulter. “With extraordinary growth opportunities ahead for the next decade, and as we continue our drive into new markets and innovation sectors, it’s an opportune time to enhance our SLT, to help us achieve our ambitious goals.”

DeWinter Group, a provider of temporary and permanent staffing solutions with expertise in finance, accounting and information technology, has appointed Derek DeWinter as its new CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome Derek as our new CEO,” said Judson Samuels, board member. His vision, leadership, and industry acumen make him the ideal person to lead the DeWinter Group into the future. We are confident that under Derek’s guidance, the DeWinter Group will continue to excel in delivering top-tier staffing solutions to our clients nationwide.” Mr. DeWinter is a founding partner of the DeWinter Group and previously served as CEO from 2000 to 2019. In 2019, he stepped aside into the role of president to elevate the role of the company’s previous CEO, Shane Oberg. Mr. Oberg stepped down from the position in May of 2024 after a great five-year stint as the organization’s leader.

Cornerstone International Group, a global executive search and leadership development firm, has appointed Dan Heiman as its new president. His appointment is effective January 1, 2025. “This strategic move is part of our leadership succession plan, initiated in 2021, and marks a significant milestone in our 35-year history,” Cornerstone said. “Mr. Heiman’s extensive experience and proven track record make him the ideal candidate to lead us into the future.” Simon Wan, chairman and CEO of Cornerstone, extends his heartfelt gratitude to Larry Shoemaker for his transformative leadership. “Larry’s unwavering dedication and visionary approach have been instrumental in establishing Cornerstone as a global enterprise,” he said. “In recognition of his invaluable contributions, Larry will assume the role of vice chairman, effective January 1, 2025, supporting our marketing and member development initiatives for the next three years, ensuring a seamless transition and continued growth.”

Leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder has appointed Francesco Buquicchio as its new CEO, effective November 1. He succeeds Edilson Camara, following a strategic leadership transition and succession planning process. Mr. Buquicchio will be the seventh person to serve as CEO in Egon Zehnder’s 60-year history. The process to appoint a new CEO was headed by chair Michael Ensser with the support of the board and an advisory committee. It also included input from the entire partnership. “We thank Ed for his leadership over these past six years—he laid a strong foundation that enabled the firm to accelerate its growth. We are pleased to share that he will continue with the firm, returning to client work,” said Mr. Ensser. “As we begin our seventh decade, Francesco will leverage our expertise in discovering leaders, developing leadership, unlocking transformations, shaping successions and advancing governance to craft more distinct client and candidate experiences, prioritizing innovation, sustainability and long-term value creation.”

Chicago-based Ferguson Partners has appointed Graham R. Beatty as president. “As president, Graham is the ideal candidate given his deep expertise in the real assets industry, unwavering commitment to exceptional client service, and great respect by clients and colleagues alike. We are thrilled to have him on board,” said William J. Ferguson, co-chairman and CEO of the firm. “With a track record of success and unique understanding of today’s complex market, Graham is fully prepared to lead our company into the future by building upon Ferguson’s current strengths and further expanding our proven talent management solutions.”

Related: Search Firms Bolster Their Own C-Suites to Broaden Push Into Talent Ecosystem

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media

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