Centerstone Executive Search & Consulting Launches Aerospace, Defense and Security Search Practice
May 22, 2018 – Arlington, VA-based Centerstone Executive Search & Consulting has expanded its services with a new vertical practice focused on the aerospace, defense and security industries. The firm has tapped Jim Donnelly, a federal contracting industry veteran with more than 25 years of talent acquisition experience in this sector, as managing director of the new practice.
“Expanding our offerings to the D.C. region brings a unique and specialized search process to a highly competitive and thriving market-a process that underpinned our company’s impressive double-digit growth throughout the past three years,” said Kim Villeneuve, CEO of Centerstone. “To spearhead the efforts for the new aerospace, defense and security practice, we knew it was imperative to have the right person on the ground and are pleased that Jim has accepted this endeavor to extend the firm’s portfolio.”
Aerospace Roots
Dr. Villeneuve’s own executive search and development career had roots in the aerospace sector prior to her subsequent focus on the retail and services industries, said the search firm. “This insight, combined with Mr. Donnelly’s extensive background, create a strong foundation to help federal contractors and corporations in aerospace, defense and security find and secure top-level leadership,” said the firm.
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Mr. Donnelly is an active member of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and the Society for Human Resource Management. He is a veteran search executive who has conducted senior-level, executive searches for a diverse portfolio of clients in the defense, intelligence and federal civilian markets. His career in talent acquisition has covered functional areas such as operations, business development, engineering and corporate leadership with an emphasis on the cyber, defense, intelligence and federal healthcare sectors.
Previously, Mr. Donnelly was vice president with Dinte Executive Search and before that was executive director, talent acquisition for ManTech. Over the course of his career he has led talent acquisition functions for numerous organizations including Dynamics Research Corp., High Performance Technologies Inc., and SAIC.
D.C. Market
“I’m excited to help the Centerstone team bring its high-touch, boutique-style approach and philosophy to D.C.,” said Mr. Donnelly. “The fast-paced, competitive aerospace, defense and security markets demand top talent that immediately impacts the success of an organization.”
Defense and aerospace make for one of the fastest-growing industry sectors in the Washington, D.C. area, which is already home to some of the biggest names in the business, including Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. One reason is the instant access to leading customers in the federal government and Pentagon as well as business-to-business partners. Other major defense and aerospace companies with headquarters or a significant presence in the Washington, D.C. area include Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC, CSRA, Leidos, ManTech, Engility, Vencore, Harris, Raytheon, HP, CACI, MITRE Corp. BAE Systems, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Salient CRGT and the Aerospace Corporation.
IIC Partners Appoints Leader of Aviation, Aerospace & Defense Practice
IIC Partners Executive Search Worldwide has named Paul Dinte as the new leader of its aviation, aerospace & defense practice. Mr. Dinte is founder, chairman and CEO of Dinte Executive Search and has over 20 years of experience in executive search.
While the D.C. practice will drive the focus on aerospace, defense and security, Centerstone’s national network of offices will continue to provide search services to clients in the retail, wholesale, digital/e-commerce, hospitality and healthcare sectors, offering executive search at the C-suite level, leadership consulting and a range of board services. The firm has additional offices in Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Seattle and Los Angeles.
Dr. Villeneuve founded Centerstone in 1998 after serving as a managing partner in a boutique executive search firm that was acquired by Korn Ferry. She has placed CEOs and executive teams and built boards for companies ranging from new ventures to Fortune 500 firms. Some of her clients include Nordstrom, ULTA, Warnaco, DISH, Au Bon Pain, Jamba Juice, Sodexo, Bright Now! Dental, Johnson & Johnson, Redbox, Calvin Klein, Brooks, Starbucks and CIGNA.
