Hunt Scanlon’s Top 10 Search Assignments for 2024
December 20, 2024 – 2024 brought challenges across many sectors, but it also showcased the resilience and innovation of top recruiting leaders who rose to meet the moment. Across the board, from non-profits, the Fed, sports teams, research organizations, to start-ups, the Fortune 500, and PE-backed companies, top leaders were in high demand to help steer organizations through significant challenges and economic uncertainty. Adding to the complexity, recruiters continue to highlight persistent talent shortages across industries. Executive search firms stood ready to help, and Hunt Scanlon Media now takes a look back at the top 10 searches of 2024.
Federal Reserve Bank president searches are also some of the most coveted assignments to take on among executive recruiters, and a number of leading search firms have gotten in on the action. The Philadelphia Fed turned to Spencer Stuart to help find its next CEO to succeed Patrick T. Harker. A committee composed of eligible members of the Philadelphia Fed’s board of directors has been formed to conduct the search, consistent with Federal Reserve policies and the Federal Reserve Act. Meanwhile, Egon Zehnder assisted in the recruitment of Murray Auchincloss as the permanent CEO of BP. Mr. Auchincloss, who has been interim CEO since September 2023, will continue as a member of the BP board.
Washington, D.C.- based Vetted Solutions recently helped to place James Edmund Datri as the new president and CEO of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC). He was selected following a rigorous global search led by a committee of senior AESC members chosen from a cross-section of global and regional member firms around the world.
Recruiters have also told Hunt Scanlon Media that the demand for general counsel has been growing. TurnkeyZRG recently assisted the New York Jets in the recruitment of Andrew Lee as its new general counsel. Len Perna and Shelly Scott led the assignment. He is returning to the Jets after more than 15 years away from the franchise and replaces Jill Kelley, who left the Jets in July.
Non-profit leaders also always seem to be high in demand. Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, recently assisted in the recruitment of Elliott Gaskins as the new chief development officer for the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, non-profit dedicated to building a stronger, more equitable America through literacy. John Strackhouse and Bethany George of Toronto-based Caldwell also assisted in the recruitment of Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli as CEO of the ONE Campaign in Washington, D.C. Last but not least, within the non-profit space NU Advisory Partners recruited Alicia Zhou as the new CEO of the Cancer Research Institute (CRI).
As companies look to build internal brand awareness and set their sights more on establishing and driving their own unique cultures, chief people officers continue to be sought after. The Christopher Group (TCG), a boutique HR executive search and business solutions recruiting firm, has placed Cynthia Cherry as chief people officer for Mintz Group, a global provider of investigative services, specializing in uncovering the truth for corporations, law firms, and other organizations. “We are thrilled to have partnered with Mintz Group on this critical search for their chief people officer,” said Pam Noble of TCG.
Within the private equity/venture capital space, Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor and Sarah Scheer of Artico Search have assisted in the placement of Vivian Cheng as Next47’s newest partner. “A big thanks to the team at Next47,” Artico Search said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to help build a team that will invest in early and expansion-stage enterprise companies and continue to support and partner with founders.”
Over the past year, a number of organizations have turned to executive search firms to help them find top flight CIOs. In one such search, JM Search, a senior-level talent provider serving private equity investors, portfolio companies, and Fortune 1000s, recently helped to recruit Aurelian Sin as the new chief information officer of Subaru of America. “With more than 20 years of experience in IT leadership roles, Aurelian has developed successful IT strategies and roadmaps aligned with the business goals of each venture, making him the perfect fit for this position,” JM Search said.
Let’s take a closer look at this year’s Top 10 selections:
The Philadelphia Fed Taps Spencer Stuart to Find New President and CEO
The Philadelphia Fed recently retained Spencer Stuart to lead in its search for a new president and CEO to succeed Patrick T. Harker. A committee composed of eligible members of the Philadelphia Fed’s board of directors has been formed to conduct the search, consistent with Federal Reserve policies and the Federal Reserve Act. By law, only directors not affiliated with regulated banks or financial institutions are eligible to help select a Federal Reserve Bank president. The choice must be approved by the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. The committee will be chaired by Anthony Ibargüen, CEO of Quench USA, Inc., and chair of the Philadelphia Fed board of directors. The president and CEO should be an engaged, collaborative, and inspirational leader who champions the Bank’s culture of growth, innovation, and public service while guiding the bank in fulfilling the System’s mission of fostering the stability, integrity, and efficiency of the nation’s monetary, financial, and payment systems, according to Spencer Stuart. To fulfill this duty, the president and CEO should be a visionary and strategic leader with a business development mindset who can provide a clear vision for the Bank to amplify its impact, importance, and vitality in the Third District as well as within the Federal Reserve System. They will have a strong commitment to community outreach and engagement across the Third District and will be a skilled relationship builder and communicator across a highly diverse set of stakeholders throughout the District and System.
Vetted Solutions Assists the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants with CEO Search
Washington, D.C.- based Vetted Solutions has helped to place James Edmund Datri as the new president and CEO of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC). He will start his new position at the beginning of 2025. An accomplished leader with a track record of transforming and elevating professional organizations, Mr. Datri was selected following a rigorous global search led by a committee of senior AESC members chosen from a cross-section of global and regional member firms around the world. Karen Greenbaum will step down when her current contract expires, effective December 31, 2024. She will close her tenure as president and CEO after 10 years at AESC. “With experience spanning executive roles in trade associations, law, and government, Jim Datri brings a unique blend of vision and expertise to his leadership approach,” said Sophie Wigniolle, AESC vice chair and Paris-based partner with Eric Salmon Partners. “I am confident Jim will bring the association to new heights, building on Karen Greenbaum’s decade of transformative leadership.” Mr. Datri currently serves as CEO of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), where he built the organization’s first corporate membership program, launched a global photo competition with TIME, and has grown the organization’s revenue, membership, and reach internationally. Before that, Mr. Datri served as president and CEO of the American Advertising Federation (AAF). “AESC is profoundly grateful for Karen Greenbaum, and the impact she has had on the association and our profession, raising the bar in quality standards and innovation, especially in the area of DE&I globally,” said Julian Ha, AESC board chair and a Washington, D.C.-based partner with Heidrick & Struggles. “Jim Datri is an innovative and collaborative executive who brings a fresh perspective to AESC. He is the right leader to build on our successes.”
TurnkeyZRG Assists the New York Jets with General Counsel Search
TurnkeyZRG recently assisted the New York Jets in the recruitment of Andrew Lee as its new general counsel. Len Perna and Shelly Scott led the assignment. He is returning to the Jets after more than 15 years away from the franchise and replaces Jill Kelley, who left the Jets in July. Mr. Lee is a veteran sports and entertainment attorney. He was previously with the Jets from 2005-09, and later served as general counsel to the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee. Mr. Lee also ran his own private practice and, since 2020, he has been of counsel with Foley & Lardner in Manhattan. In this position, he served as an outside general counsel and trusted advisor to various high profile firms in the sports, PR/communications, and entertainment fields. In his new role with the Jets, Mr. Lee will lead and manage the team’s legal affairs department and serve as a partner to key stakeholders inside the organization and at the league office. Reporting to the team president, he is a key member of the Jets leadership team and will be looked on to provide experienced and sound business judgment and legal advice to the organization. Founded in 1996, TurnkeyZRG is a specialized talent recruitment/executive search firm filling C-level, senior-level and mid-management-level positions throughout sports, media and entertainment. Over the past 25 years, the firm has filled more than 1,400 positions. TurnkeyZRG helps teams, leagues, stadiums, arenas, theaters, college athletic departments, events, sponsors, agencies, media companies, private equity companies and other clients identify, recruit, and hire the best management talent.
Egon Zehnder Assists BP with CEO Search
Leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder has assisted in the recruitment of Murray Auchincloss as the permanent CEO of BP. Mr. Auchincloss, who has been interim CEO since September 2023, will continue as a member of the BP board. His appointment has been made following a robust and competitive search process, carried out by the board over the past four months with support from Egon Zehnder. This included detailed consideration of a range of candidates, including external to BP. “Since September, BP’s board has undertaken a thorough and highly competitive process to identify BP’s next CEO, considering a number of high-caliber candidates in detail,” said Helge Lund, chair of BP. “The board is in complete agreement that Murray was the outstanding candidate and is the right leader for BP.” Before becoming interim CEO in September 2023, Mr. Auchincloss had been BP’s chief financial officer since July 2020, at which time he also joined the board. He had previously served as CFO, deputy CFO and head of business development for BP’s Upstream segment. From 2010-2013 Mr. Auchincloss was head of BP’s group chief executive’s office, working directly with Bob Dudley. He joined Amoco Canada in 1992. “Many already know Murray well, and few know BP better than he does,” said Mr. Lund. “His assured leadership, focus on performance and delivery, and deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the energy transition will serve BP well as we continue our disciplined transformation to an integrated energy company.”
Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, has assisted in the recruitment of Elliott Gaskins as the new chief development officer for the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. The assignment was led by Gerard F. Cattie Jr. “Over the course of his mission-driven career, Elliott has worked with national nonprofits to address some of today’s most pressing problems, from equity and environmental issues to public health and childhood hunger,” said Andrew Roberts, president of the Barbara Bush Foundation. “We’re so pleased that he will now channel his wealth of expertise and deep passion for improving lives into advancing our work to build a more literate America.” Prior to joining the Barbara Bush Foundation, Mr. Gaskins worked to impact the lives of children and families through his service at some of the nation’s premier non-profit institutions, including Share Our Strength, the Aspen Institute, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Nature Conservancy, and America’s Promise Alliance. A national public charity based in Washington, D.C., the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy is dedicated to building a stronger, more equitable America through literacy. Since the Foundation’s establishment in 1989 by First Lady Barbara Bush, it has supported evidence-based family literacy programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Diversified Search Group is a family of firms serving specialized sectors. The firm was founded almost five decades ago for the express purpose of placing diverse candidates in client organizations. Koya Partners is a part of the Diversified Search Group and is dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Koya works broadly at the senior-most levels of the mission-driven field in philanthropy, social services, arts and culture, and social justice, among others.
The Christopher Group Recruits Chief People Officer for Mintz Group
The Christopher Group (TCG), a boutique HR executive search and business solutions recruiting firm, has placed Cynthia Cherry as chief people officer for Mintz Group, a global provider of investigative services, specializing in uncovering the truth for corporations, law firms, and other organizations. Managing partner Pam Noble and recruiting director Kristen Perez led the assignment. “We are thrilled to have partnered with Mintz Group on this critical search for their chief people officer,” said Ms. Noble. “Cynthia Cherry is a dynamic leader whose expertise and vision will significantly impact the organization’s growth and HR strategy. This role is pivotal in supporting Mintz Group’s expansion and in shaping a cohesive and forward-thinking HR function across its global operations. We look forward to seeing Cynthia drive Mintz’s HR initiatives and build a strong foundation for future success.” Ms. Cherry is an accomplished HR leader with experience across fintech, SaaS, publishing, media, and professional services industries. Most recently, as CHRO at MarketWise, she played a pivotal role in scaling the company from 300 to 1,000 employees and positioning it as a NASDAQ-listed public company. “Working with Pam Noble and Kristen Perez at The Christopher Group was an exceptional experience during my executive placement process,” said Ms. Cherry. “They were highly professional, extremely communicative, and offered invaluable, candid advice. Their approach went beyond simply making connections—they genuinely represented my interests, ensuring I was matched with the right executive role, not just any position. Their responsiveness and commitment to aligning candidates with opportunities where they can excel and add value made all the difference.” Mintz Group is a global investigations firm with more than 280 people and 12 offices worldwide.
Caldwell Assists the ONE Campaign with CEO Search
After an extensive global search, John Strackhouse and Bethany George of Toronto-based Caldwell assisted in the recruitment of Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli as CEO of the ONE Campaign in Washington, D.C. She succeeds Gayle Smith. “I’m most thrilled to welcome Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli to The ONE Campaign,” said Tom Freston, board chair. “Ndidi is an incredibly accomplished professional, a passionate and successful leader with over 25 years of international development and advocacy experience. Throughout her life and career, Ndidi has been a steadfast advocate for the world’s poor, bringing great passion and expertise to everything she’s done.” Ms. Okonkwo Nwuneli is an expert on food ecosystems, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and philanthropy. She has over 25 years of international development experience and is deeply involved in fostering impactful solutions in the global social innovation landscape, with a focus on Africa. Ms. Okonkwo Nwuneli is the founder of LEAP Africa, a non-profit committed to developing dynamic, innovative and principled African leaders and African Food Changemakers, which provides support for African entrepreneurs to start and scale resilient and sustainable agribusinesses. “ONE could not be getting a better present for its 20th birthday than Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli taking charge as its next president and CEO,” said Bono, co-founder of ONE. “An organization that focuses on Africa should be led by an African, that’s always been our dream, and Ndidi is the right person to take ONE into the future. She’s multilingual in the broadest sense; it’s not just languages she speaks across, but geographies and sectors too. She’s an entrepreneur and a policy wonk, an activist and a business leader who knows governments and business need to work together if we’re going to solve the biggest challenges facing our planet. I can’t wait to see what she and ONE’s brilliant policy wonks and political arm twisters are able to accomplish. In a world battling multiple fires, figuratively and literally, we need them now more than ever.”
Artico Search Fills Position for Next47
Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor and Sarah Scheer of Artico Search have assisted in the placement of Vivian Cheng as Next47’s newest partner. “A big thanks to the team at Next47,” Artico Search said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to help build a team that will invest in early and expansion-stage enterprise companies and continue to support and partner with founders.” Based in Palo Alto, Ms. Cheng joins the team with over a decade of experience in the tech industry as both a global operator and venture investor. Her primary areas of investment focus are SaaS and AI. “She is known for her judgment and conviction-based investing, her true intellectual curiosity, and her commitment to partnering with founders,” Artico Search said. “We are so excited to see her continue to shine.” Ms. Cheng was previously a principal at CRV (Charles River Ventures), an early-stage venture capital firm that has backed over 500 startups in its 50-year history, including Airtable, Doordash, Drift, Dropbox, HubSpot, Postman, Twitter and Zendesk. Next47 is the U.S.-based corporate venture capital arm of German industrial conglomerate Siemens. Launched in 2016, Next47 backs software-as-a-service, enterprise and artificial intelligence technology developers. The unit focuses on companies in the U.S., Europe and Israel from series A to C rounds. With offices in San Francisco, New York, and Austin, TX, Artico is off to one of the fastest starts among boutique search firms in recent memory. Given the billions of dollars flowing into venture capital and private equity investments, as well as the ever-present threat of cybersecurity breaches, the founders expect continued growth ahead. Ms. Chatfield-Taylor has completed over 75 CEO searches as well as partner, principal, and other CXO level assignments for the world’s most successful global investors. Her team focuses on executive-level search for scale-up venture capital and private equity-firms and their portfolio.
NU Advisory Partners Recruits CEO for Cancer Research Institute
Executive search firm NU Advisory Partners has recruited Alicia Zhou as the new CEO of the Cancer Research Institute (CRI). She succeeds Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, who led CRI with distinction since 1993. CRI’s board of trustees, with the help of NU Advisory Partners, led a sustained and comprehensive search to identify the organization’s new CEO. Nada Usina, Meredith Rosenberg, and Tara Ryan led the assignment. “With a career grounded in public health initiatives, cancer biology research, and organizational leadership, we are confident that under Dr. Zhou’s guidance, CRI will continue to revolutionize cancer treatment by continuing to push new boundaries in cancer immunotherapy,” said Paul C. Shiverick and Andrew K. Tsai, CRI co-chairmen of the board. “Dr. Zhou’s dedication to advancing the frontiers of cancer biology aligns perfectly with CRI’s strategic focus on leveraging bioinformatics, machine learning, and AI to enhance cancer immunology research. We are looking forward to CRI enhancing its reach and impact to propel innovations in cancer care under her leadership.” In her most recent role as chief science officer at Color Health Inc., Dr. Zhou led groundbreaking initiatives that brought together academic institutions and industry leaders to ensure equitable access to cancer prevention and treatment. Since its founding in 1953, CRI has been at the forefront of the fight against cancer, driven by a mission to save lives through the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all cancers. Last year, NU Advisory Partners was launched by former Russell Reynolds Associates recruiters Mar Hernandez, Libby Naumes, Ms. Rosenberg, and Ms. Usina. The firm is focused on senior executive, operating, and board positions.
JM Search Recruits CIO for Subaru of America
JM Search, a senior-level talent provider serving private equity investors, portfolio companies, and Fortune 1000s, recently helped to recruit Aurelian Sin as the new chief information officer of Subaru of America. Partners Bill Hogenauer and Ben Millrood led the assignment. “With more than 20 years of experience in IT leadership roles, Aurelian has developed successful IT strategies and roadmaps aligned with the business goals of each venture, making him the perfect fit for this position,” JM Search said. “Congratulations to Aurelian on his new role. We are excited for the continued success of Subaru and Aurelian.” Mr. Sin is a seasoned, IT and business executive noted for building high-performing teams and a talent for quickly understanding business needs to design and implement IT-based transformations. He has in-depth experience in ERP/SAP platforms, analytics, and cloud/SaaS technologies with hands-on operations and performance management experience. Most recently, Mr. Sin served as vice president of IT at Tenneco. Headquartered in Camden, NJ, Subaru of America SOA is a subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. The company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers throughout the United States. JM Search is an advisor to CEOs, investors, and boards of directors in recruiting, assessing, and delivering high performance leaders and transformational leadership teams. Its clients include private equity firms and portfolio companies, venture capital-backed businesses, and publicly held companies across North America. Founded in 1980, the JM Search recruiting team brings together former operating and financial executives, investors and experienced search professionals with deep industry specialization, functional expertise, and proven access to talent spanning multiple industry sectors.
Related: Predicting Talent Acquisition Trends for 2025
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
