Buffkin / Baker

About Us

Buffkin / Baker is a partner-led executive search firm specializing in Healthcare, Higher Education, Private Equity, Technology/Digital, Consumer, and Non-Profit sectors. Each partner, a leader in their field, brings over a decade of retained search experience, contributing to a collective total of more than 300 years in search and over 400 years in industry and operational expertise. The firm operates from multiple locations, including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Cleveland, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Simons Island, Tampa, Washington, DC, and Winston-Salem. Buffkin / Baker is a member of Panorama, a global community of over 400 leadership experts working together in 70+ office locations to promote a diverse perspective on leadership, embracing creative thinking, and sharing our expertise and experience to bring our clients the very best results.

Achievements

RECENT PLACEMENTS

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At Buffkin/Baker, its partners are experts in the verticals in which they specialize. This is one secret to their success in finding the right talent for clients’ organizations. The firm possess firsthand knowledge and understanding of the industries in which they work, and know what it takes to be successful in each of its domains. This understanding, partnered with their extensive network and proven process, allows the firm to effectively help clients with their important hiring decisions.

For them, success means not just finding a leader for our client companies but finding the right leader. The firm carefully evaluates clients’ company culture, specific organizational needs, and leadership talent to ensure they place an individual who is not only capable of excelling at the position, but who also is an ideal fit for that specific company culture and environment. At the end of the day, their 99% completion rate for their searches speaks for itself.

Buffkin / Baker

Solutions And Expertise

Buffkin / Baker is a retained, specialty boutique search firm composed of industry leaders. Each partner in the firm has been a leader in their respective fields and each has over a decade of retained search experience.

Combined, its partners have more than 300 years in search and over 400 years in industry and operational expertise.

Solutions
  • Assessment
  • Board Services
  • Executive Search
  • Succession Planning
Industries
Functions
  • Board/Governance
  • CEO/President
  • Data/Analytics
  • Finance/Accounting
  • GM/Operations
  • Information/Digital
  • Legal/Compliance
  • Marketing & Sales
  • Medical/Clinical

Buffkin / Baker

News Briefings

Buffkin / Baker Assists the Blues Foundation with CEO Search

Executive recruitment firm Buffkin / Baker recently assisted in recruiting Patricia Wilson Aden as the new president and CEO of the Blues Foundation, which is dedicated to honoring, preserving and promoting the musical form known as the blues. She succeeds Barbara Newman who recently retired. Nat Sutton and Tom Truitt, partners from Buffkin / Baker, executed the search. “On

Buffkin / Baker Expands Higher Education Practice

Executive recruitment firm Buffkin / Baker has expanded its higher education practice with the addition of veteran search consultants Ken Carrick and Janny DeLoache. “We are thrilled to have these exceptional leaders join our growing higher education practice,” said Martin Baker, the firm’s managing partner. “I have long admired Ken and the superb search practice he has

Buffkin / Baker Seeking Chief Diversity Officer for University of San Diego

Executive recruitment firm Buffkin / Baker has been called in by the University of San Diego (USD) in California to assist in its search for a chief diversity officer for diversity, equity, inclusion and access. Leading the assignment are managing partner Martin M. Baker and principal Chelsie Whitelock. “The chief diversity officer for diversity, equity, inclusion and

Recruitment Firms Land Big West Conference Commissioner Using Virtual Technology

As the coronavirus pandemic alters the way executive recruiters conduct business, collegiate athletics consultants College Sports Solutions (CSS) and Buffkin / Baker have teamed up to place Dan Butterly as commissioner of the Big West Conference. He will start on June 1 to transition alongside Dennis Farrell, who will officially step down one month later. Mr. Farrell is retiring after

Buffkin / Baker

Press Releases

Buffkin / Baker Taps Ken Carrick, Janny DeLoache to Bolster Higher Education Practice

(Sept. 9, 2020) Buffkin / Baker, a leading national retained search firm, is pleased to announce that Ken Carrick and Janny DeLoache, veteran executive recruiters, have joined the firm to bolster its thriving higher education practice. Carrick will serve as partner and DeLoache will be a principal at Buffkin / Baker. “We are thrilled to

Buffkin/Baker Places Larry Scott as Head Football Coach at Howard University

February 11, 2020 – Howard University Director of Athletics Kery Davis announced the hiring of Larry Scott as the football program’s new head coach. His first game coaching for Howard will be at the second annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic vs. Central State at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Sunday, September

Buffkin Baker Partner Places Chief Medical Officer: Unity Health Care Announces New Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jessica Henderson Boyd

Washington, D.C. – October 24, 2019 – After a lengthy national search, Unity Health Care (Unity) is pleased to announce the hiring of Jessica Henderson Boyd, MD, as its new Chief Medical Officer (CMO) effective November 18th. Dr. Boyd comes to Unity with a wealth of experience in the delivery of health care to medically

Buffkin/Baker completes search for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Director for Dalton School.

NEW YORK, N.Y., May 22, 2019 – The Dalton school has announced the appointment of Domonic Rollins as their new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. His appointment is the result of an intensive and thorough search, led by Buffkin/Baker Partners Nat Sutton and Faye Wattleton. After reviewing the credentials of more than 60 extremely

Buffkin Baker/College Sports Solutions Place New Women’s Head Coach at Georgia Tech

ATLANTA, GA, April 10, 2019 – The partnership of Buffkin Baker/College Sports Solutions placed the new women’s basketball coach at Georgia Tech. Nell Fortner has been named the sixth head coach in Georgia Tech women’s basketball history, director of athletics Todd Stansbury announced on Tuesday. One of the most successful coaches in women’s basketball history, Fortner has compiled

Buffkin / Baker

Multimedia

Videos

Women in Leadership
Women in Private Equity
Bufkin / Baker and Panorama
Bufkin / Baker and the History of Our Firm
Buffkin / Baker and Why We Keep Going
Bufkin / Baker and the Traits of Our Firm
Buffkin / Baker and the Vision for the Future
Buffkin / Baker: Empathy in the Workplace

Insights:

Good Governance, Succession, and Why External Validation Matters—Even for Internal Candidates
Private Equity Compensation Trends for 2026: Precision, Performance, and Pay for Value Creation
Relationship‑Driven Executive Search in the Age of AI: Insights from Partner Tom Wilson
Introducing our New Series: The Modern CHRO
Challenge: PE Investment in Founder-Led Healthcare Businesses
“Junior” Executives—Executive Search at the Director Level
Remote Work vs On-Site Work. Which is the right direction?
The Critical Role of HR Leadership During Private Equity Transitions
Enhancing Business Outcomes: The CHRO & CFO Alliance
Start Ups & Unicorns
Interim HR Consulting: A New Strategy for Agile Leadership
What is Talent Acquisition?
What is Total Rewards?
Expand Your Network Today for Tomorrow’s Opportunities
Creating A Relationship With A Retained Executive Search Firm
Strengthening Your Hiring Process: Why Building Company Brand Matters
Partnering with an Executive Search Firm to Recruit Higher Education Leaders
Recruiting And The Love Language
Rising Importance Of Chief Data Officer In Tomorrow’s Successful Enterprises
The Impact of a Down Market on Executive Placements
Finding a Signal, In a World Full of Noise
Leveraging The Chief Data Officer In Healthcare Organizations
2020 Trends for Higher Education Institutions
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