Eastward Partners Appoints Managing Director
July 29, 2025 – New York-based Eastward Partners has expanded with the addition of Brian Ippolito as managing director, strengthening the firm’s focus on placing go-to-market leaders across private equity and venture capital-backed portfolio companies. Mr. Ippolito joins the firm as it continues to scale its consultative model through ECHO—Eastward’s proprietary intelligence platform. “ECHO integrates market data, human capital trends, and performance insights into one unified lens, enabling partners like Brian to guide clients with greater precision on org design, leadership composition, and talent strategy,” the firm said. “Rather than automating away human judgment, ECHO enhances it—bringing clarity, confidence, and shared understanding to every search engagement.”
“ECHO isn’t just a platform—it’s a strategic osmosis between data and human insight,” said Joe Carbone, CEO of Eastward Partners. “By inviting clients into the decision-making process from day one, ECHO transforms recruiting into talent underwriting—bringing together predictive insight, client collaboration, and human judgment to build leadership that truly scales. Brian’s deep advisory mindset and experience make him the perfect partner to amplify this strategic model.”
Mr. Ippolito brings over 17 years of executive search experience across growth-stage VC and PE-backed companies, specializing in GTM and C-suite roles. He has held leadership roles at Artico Search, Caldwell Partners, and CTPartners, where he developed a reputation for high-quality execution, long-term client relationships, and repeat success in sectors like SaaS, fintech, consumer, and digital.
At Eastward, Mr. Ippolito will lead searches for revenue-generating and customer-facing leadership positions—including chief revenue officers, chief marketing officers, and heads of sales and customer success. He will also play a key role in mentoring junior talent and contributing to the continued evolution of Eastward’s tech-enabled platform.
“ECHO was a big part of what drew me to Eastward,” said Mr. Ippolito. “It empowers deeper, more strategic conversations with clients—not just about who to hire, but when, why, and how to structure teams that scale. That’s the kind of work I want to be doing.”
Eastward Partners is a venture backed, retained executive search, and human capital consulting firm with offices in New York City, Miami, Chicago, and London. It was founded with a focus on delivering talent acquisition solutions that lead to immediate and sustainable results within PE, PE backed, and privately held organizations. Approached through the lens of strategic human capital management, the firm partners with clients to optimize core business functions essential to long-term value creation.
Related: Eastward Partners Names Equity Partner
Eastward Partners’ portfolio of work is focused on retained mandates for leadership positions as well as the building of high performing teams. They are focused on building capabilities for clients within private equity, professional services and corporates.
Recent Additions
Eastward Partners recently expanded with the additions of Jessica Ern as a director and Kristi Kamesch as an associate. Ms. Ern is a talent acquisition professional with over eight years of experience across executive search and internal recruitment, with a focus on high-growth technology and professional services firms. She has experience with mapping talent markets, refining hiring processes, and advising on best-in-class candidate engagement strategies.
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Ms. Ern previously served as director of executive recruitment with Genpact, responsible for executive recruitment and hiring for the company’s organization in North America & Europe, across industries including consumer goods & retail, life sciences/healthcare, hi-tech, manufacturing, media & entertainment, insurance, and banking & financial services. Before this, she was an executive recruiter with TritonExec, an executive search firm specializing in experience-led executive search.
With three years of human capital experience, Ms. Kamesch has worked extensively with private equity funds investing in manufacturing, retail and CPG, fintech, healthcare, and software. She has a track record in placing operating partners and board directors at both the firm and portfolio company levels, helping clients build high-impact leadership teams. Prior to joining Eastward Partners, Ms. Kamesch served as manager, human capital and management solutions – financial services – with GLG.
Related: Eastward Partners Names Head of Deal Advisory Practice
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
