JBK Associates Names Transformational Growth Leader as Managing Director
September 27, 2018 – New Jersey-based JBK Associates International has expanded with the addition of Paul Stefunek as managing director.
During his 25 years in executive search, Mr. Stefunek has helped drive transformational growth for global industry leaders, venture-backed start-ups and other companies by placing candidates across the C-suite, board of directors and VP levels.
He has expertise in the manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, food and facility services, and technology industries, among others.
Mr. Stefunek most recently was vice president of sales for PreTrax, a provider of customized and comprehensive background and drug screen solutions.
Previously, he was managing director at ZRG Partners and before that served as managing director at DHR International. Prior to that, he was chairman and managing partner of paul-lawrence associates. Earlier, he was one of the co-founders of StratfordGroup, and ran the firm’s technology practice. Before StratfordGroup, Mr. Stefunek was a consultant with Christian & Timbers, where he served as director of the company’s interactive media division.
“Paul’s extensive experience has helped drive transformational change with client companies that represent global industry leaders to private equity and venture-backed startups,” said Julie B. Kampf, JBK Associates International CEO, chief possibilities officer & board talent champion. “His passion, skill and reputation will accelerate JBK’s ability to bring our diversity expertise to companies across sectors.”
Growing Search Firm
JBK Associates conducts executive-level searches across multiple functional areas in a broad array of industries, including consumer, retail, luxury, life sciences, healthcare, legal, finance, financial services, not-for-profit and academia. The firm has long served clients in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia as well as Europe through its U.S. offices in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, New York and West Palm Beach, FL.
Mr. Stefunek’s appointment highlights a year in which JBK also launched its board practice, celebrated its 15th anniversary and earned recognition as one of the NJBIZ Best Places to Work in New Jersey.
How JBK Associates is Setting a New Path for Boutique Firms
Increasingly, specialist boutiques are coming into the viewfinder of major companies who are looking at options outside of the large, generalist players to recruit top talent. No firm epitomizes this trend more than JBK Associates. In the following interview firm founder and CEO, Julie Kampf, discusses the firm’s key position in the marketplace.
JBK Associates also added former Bayer executive Timothy Hayes as managing director of consumer and leadership services. He oversees the firm’s executive search business in the consumer sector and heads leadership consulting services in areas including but not limited to executive coaching, talent evaluation and succession planning, employee motivation and retention, and leadership development. Previously, Mr. Hayes spent 15 years as president of North America for Bayer’s consumer healthcare division, helping the organization achieve strong growth.
“At the end of the day, we have hired professionals into JBK Associates from large firms and small firms and different industries,” said Ms. Kampf. “Our team comes from a whole variety of different backgrounds. We have really interesting people working on our team and, what I absolutely love and even encourage is that all voice their opinions in our staff meetings.”
“Whether they are right or wrong, or if there are experienced or not, their different perspectives are valued,” she said. “Sometimes it opens your mind to thinking about things that you may not have thought about, and I firmly believe this approach just makes you better as a company.”
Last year, JBK Associates joined Amrop, a retained executive search partnership, as the leader in providing U.S. searches in the life sciences and consumer products industries. “Under Julie Kampf’s leadership, JBK has established a robust track record and reputation,” said José Leyún, CEO of the Amrop. “Julie’s experience and vision, together with the firm’s ambition to become the leader in its areas of expertise, are valuable assets for our joint future. The entrepreneurial spirit of the whole team is a seamless fit with Amrop’s culture and growth strategy. We look forward to supporting JBK in their next chapter.”
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media