DSG | Koya Retained by Gilda’s Club Chicago for CEO Search
July 2, 2026 – DSG | Koya has been tapped by Gilda’s Club Chicago to lead in its search for a new CEO. The search is being led by Cheryl Stevens and Claire Hunt. The next CEO will have the chance to build on Gilda’s Club Chicago’s strong foundation while leaving a lasting mark—expanding its reach, deepening community and healthcare partnerships, elevating its visibility across Chicagoland, evolving legacy structures and ways of thinking, and strengthening the financial resources necessary to sustain and scale its impact for years to come. The next CEO will be charged with leading that evolution and helping unlock the organization’s next level of impact.
Working closely with the board, staff, volunteers, members, and community partners, this leader will guide the development of the organization’s next strategic plan, establishing a clear vision for growth and ensuring Gilda’s Club Chicago remains a vital resource for individuals and families impacted by cancer for decades to come.
This is a highly visible and hands-on leadership role. The successful candidate will be an inspiring strategist, fundraiser, and relationship-builder who is equally comfortable serving as the organization’s chief ambassador, cultivating partnerships, engaging directly with members and staff, and rolling up their sleeves to address organizational opportunities and challenges. The next CEO will need to balance long-term vision with operational execution, bringing the leadership, discipline, and entrepreneurial mindset necessary to help the organization achieve its aspirations.
For more than 25 years, Gilda’s Club Chicago has been a trusted source of support, connection, and hope for individuals and families navigating the impacts of cancer. Named in honor of the late comedian Gilda Radner and an affiliate of the Cancer Support Community, Gilda’s Club Chicago believes that no one should face cancer alone and that community is an essential part of healing.
DSG Global is a family of recruiting firms serving specialized sectors. The firm was founded almost five decades ago by Judith M. von Seldeneck for the express purpose of placing diverse candidates in client organizations. It is today the largest U.S. female-owned and founded firm in the executive recruitment industry. It is comprised of a combination of specialty practices with deep industry expertise under industry recognized brands, including Alta Associates, BioQuest, Koya Partners, Grant Cooper, and Storbeck Search.
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Ranked as a top 10 U.S. executive search firm, with a presence across 36 countries through its partnership with AltoPartners, DSG Global combines global scale with local insight to deliver people-centered solutions that propel clients forward. With a team of dedicated experts across sectors like healthcare, education, and non-profits, DSG Global harnesses industry-specific expertise, functional depth, and market foresight to address today’s most complex challenges. In 2019, Koya was acquired by DSG. With the combination of revenues and resources, they now represent one of the largest non-profit and higher education practices in the executive search industry.
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Ms. Stevens is a managing director in the non-profit and social impact practice at DSG | Koya, where she also serves as co-head of the firm’s Chicago office. She brings more than decade of experience helping organizations identify and place transformative leaders. Ms. Stevens has led CEO, president, executive director, board, and senior-level searches across a wide range of non-profit, philanthropic, and social impact organizations. Her work spans private and corporate foundations, human services organizations, environmental and conservation nonprofits, associations, and major cultural institutions.
Ms. Stevens’ philanthropic clients have included the Walton Family Foundation, the Builders Initiative, M&T Bank Charitable Foundation, Clif Family Foundation, and the Oishei Foundation. In the environmental space, she has partnered with organizations such as the National Audubon Society, Patagonia’s Home Planet Fund, Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy, and the Biomimicry Institute. She has also partnered with mission-driven institutions including Feeding America, the Museum of Science & Industry, the National Academy of Public Administration, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and American Public Media Group.
As a managing associate, Ms. Hunt collaborates with search teams to recruit senior executives to mission-driven clients. She supports the search process through candidate identification and development, project management, and client engagement. At DSG Global, Ms. Hunt has been involved with national CEO, president, executive director, and other senior-level searches for a broad range of clients including community and economic development organizations, foundations, environmental organizations, cultural institutions, and other non-profits. She has partnered with a range of clients including Call2Recycle, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, Child Care Aware of America, Main Street America, Holden Forests & Gardens, Clif Family Foundation, Driehaus Museum, Biomimicry Institute, and TransitCenter.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
