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

Buffkin / Baker

Find a Recruiter

30

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

University of West Georgia Retains Buffkin / Baker to Find New President

Partner-led executive search firm Buffkin / Baker has been selected by the University of West Georgia to lead in its search for a new president. Partner Ann Yates and associate Dinah DeWitt are leading the assignment. The presidency is an excellent opportunity for an engaging, visionary leader who is inspired to advance the university’s mission to enable students, faculty, and staff

Fort Lewis College Taps Buffkin / Baker to Find Next President

Partner-led executive search firm Buffkin / Baker has been retained by Fort Lewis College to lead in its search for its next president. Partner Ann Yates and associate partner Pelema Ellis are leading the assignment. Reporting to the board of trustees, the president is responsible for shaping the college’s vision and strategic direction. The new president will assume the role at

Partnering with an Executive Search Firm to Recruit Higher Education Leaders

Executive search consultants continue to tell Hunt Scanlon Media that the competition for superior, senior leadership talent is fierce. With the general shortage of executive talent, exacerbated by the pandemic, higher education institutions appear highly motivated to retain effective current leaders making counteroffers more prevalent than ever, and in some instances, extreme in their composition

Buffkin / Baker Recruits Chief Lending Officer for Three Roots Capital

Chief lending officers play a crucial role in managing and overseeing an organization’s lending strategies and operations. They ensure that lending practices align with regulatory requirements and risk management standards while maximizing profitability. Craig Buffkin and Ryan Baggett of partner-led executive search firm Buffkin / Baker recently assisted in the recruitment of Keith Hickey as senior vice

Buffkin / Baker

Press Releases

Stormont Vail Health Hires Mark Slyter as the Next President & Chief Executive Officer

Stormont Vail Health, a Topeka, Kansas based nonprofit integrated health system, has appointed Mark Slyter as President & Chief Executive Officer, effective May 15, 2025. Stormont Vail Health partnered with Buffkin / Baker on the executive search. In his role as President & CEO, Mark will be responsible for overseeing all strategy and operations across

Lighthouse Behavioral Health Solutions Hires Rachel Donovan as Vice President of Marketing & Client Access

Lighthouse Behavioral Health Solutions, an organization dedicated to supporting substance use recovery and mental well-being, has appointed Rachel Donovan as Vice President of Marketing & Client Access. Lighthouse partnered with Buffkin / Baker on the executive search. In her role as VP of Marketing & Client Access, Rachel will be responsible for building the market

Buffkin / Baker Acquires Gallagher’s U.S. Executive Search Practice

BRENTWOOD, Tenn., February 13, 2025 – Buffkin / Baker, a national retained executive search firm based in Brentwood, Tennessee, announced today the acquisition of Gallagher’s U.S. Executive Search Practice, including Frederickson Partners. Terms of the transaction remain undisclosed. Gallagher’s executive search advisors have been leaders in executive search services for more than 40 years. From

Chris Durham Named Vice President of Service Desk Operations at HCTec

Congratulations to Chris Durham on recently being named Vice President of Service Desk Operations. Buffkin / Baker was pleased to partner with HCTec on this search led by Jen Coleman and Ben Williams. Chris has over 25 years of leadership experience, specializing in operations management. He recently served as the Senior Director of Customer Support

Ann Gansemer-Topf Named Director of Iowa State University School of Education and Frances S. and Arthur L. Wallace Professor in the College of Human Sciences

Ann Gansemer-Topf was recently named as the Director of Iowa State University School of Education and Frances S. and Arthur L. Wallace Professor in the College of Human Sciences. This announcement follows a comprehensive national search led by Martin Baker and Pelema Ellis. A successful leader and nationally recognized scholar, Dr. Gansemer-Topf will oversee all

Buffkin / Baker

Multimedia

Videos

Talent Acquisition from an In-House Perspective
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
Your Trusted Partner for Your Senior Leadership Talent Needs