Katalyst Group Appoints COO & Chief Talent Officer

March 4, 2019 – Katalyst Group, a boutique talent advisory firm that serves the digital, retail, consumer, media and technology sectors, recently named Le Anne Harper to a dual role as chief operating officer and chief talent officer.

Ms. Harper is responsible for optimizing the firm’s retained search execution and business development efforts, with a focus on developing the team’s talent and subject matter expertise to support its clients’ goals. She is charged with bolstering business development efforts to grow revenue and scale the company. Ms. Harper will also be expected to expand the firm’s talent advisory offerings to include leadership assessment and development; talent and organization mapping; diversity and inclusion consulting; market insights; and onboarding, engagement and retention.

“I’m thrilled to get the band together again and have Le Anne on my leadership team,” said Wendy Doulton, founder of the firm. “I have seen her drive best practices around business execution, talent development and operational excellence at industry leading companies. Katalyst Group just completed our strongest year to date, and we’re excited about working with Le Anne to reach new heights.”

Ms. Harper previously ran recruiting, operations and talent for McDermott & Bull, a search firm that achieved 100 percent employee retention and 4X revenue growth during her tenure.  Additional prior roles include executive director of global recruitment and inclusion at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where she oversaw daily operations of the department, and various talent acquisition, human resources programs, and internship program leadership roles at Earth Tech (now AECOM) and DreamWorks SKG.

“It’s been 12 years since we worked together at DreamWorks and Earth Tech, and I’m excited to help take Katalyst group to the next level,” Ms. Harper said. “We’re a formidable team driven by complementary strengths and values. We’re proof that the ‘whole is greater than the sum of its parts,’ and I’m honored to support our iconic clients and their innovative work.”

Other New Addition

In addition, Katalyst Group named Jennifer Haley as the new managing director and leader of its marketing practice. She will assist in strategic business development initiatives and cultivating long-standing relationships with innovative companies focused on attracting high caliber talent.

“Jennifer is a terrific addition to our team,” said Ms. Doulton. “Her real world experience launching iconic brands and building high performance teams brings a fantastic connect the dots point of view that we value and are known for at Katalyst Group. A critical aspect of executive search is acting as an extension of our clients’ brands in the talent market – Jennifer’s marketing expertise adds tremendous value enabling us to do that even more effectively. We’re thrilled to have her on board.”

Previously, Ms. Haley was a founding member of Spanx Inc. where she served as the head of international marketing. During her tenure, she worked closely with founder, Sara Blakely, creating breakthrough marketing and branding campaigns that helped launch a new category and established Spanx as a modern, billion-dollar success story. Before that, Ms. Haley was an advertising agency executive and consultant working with blue chip brands such as Visa, NFL, Kodak and McDonald’s.

“I am eager to add to the prestigious client roster at Katalyst Group and look forward to facilitating business transformation for Katalyst Group’s clients through our deep leadership talent acquisition, assessment and consulting expertise,” Ms. Haley said.

Founded by Ms. Doulton in 2006, Katalyst Group’s past and present client companies include Google, NBA, Amazon, Discovery, Samsung, Yahoo Media Group, Twitter, Nike Digital, the Gap, Otterbox, Activision, Benchmark Capital, TPG, Sony and Fox to name a few.The firm is headquartered in Greater Los Angeles.

Ms. Doulton has an extensive background in executive search focusing on consumer, technology, digital and innovation. With a focus on industry specialization over functional expertise, she has conducted numerous searches for senior leaders and functional heads across technology, eCommerce, digital, new product development, sales, marketing and business development, content/programming, product, mobile, payments and operations.

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