Kincannon & Reed Strengthens Search Staff
July 11, 2022 – Executive recruitment firm Kincannon & Reed, which exclusively focuses on food, agribusiness, and the related life sciences, has expanded with the addition of Aidan Connolly as a managing director. “Aidan is well known in the industry, with a reputation as a relationship builder who gets to the root of the problem and develops a practical solution,” said David Turner, president. “These qualities are tremendously valuable as a managing director with Kincannon & Reed as our clients look to us for solutions to their leadership needs.”
A global executive and entrepreneur, Mr. Connolly has been developing people for more than 30 years. “Aidan knows the foundation of organizational success is rooted in having the right human capital strategy in place, and finding the right leaders, not just for now, but also for future organizational needs,” the search firm said.
Prior to joining Kincannon & Reed, Mr. Connolly’s executive leadership experience was across the food-ag value chain, including as CEO at Cainthus as well as chief innovation officer and other VP roles at Alltech. Mr. Connolly holds an master of business studies degree in international marketing from University College Dublin.
“Our industry has a big challenge to feed a hungry world. Future leadership will be critical for all of us to overcome this challenge,” said Mr. Connolly. “I’m excited to join Kincannon & Reed and be able to seek out leaders and ensure the right individuals are placed within organizations where they can make a difference in feeding the world in the future.”
Mr. Connolly joins 70 other principals, associates, and staff at Kincannon & Reed, where he will work closely with clients to understand leadership needs, build search strategies, and assess candidates.
Founded in 1981, Kincannon & Reed serves clients throughout the world from locations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Kincannon & Reed is based in Arlington, VA.
Other Additions
Kincannon & Reed also recently added Lloyd Le Page as managing director. “Lloyd’s extensive background across the value chain paired with his demonstrated business and market development skills – both domestic and international – will provide our clients with an unmatched level of insight and strategy,” said Mr. Turner. “He is a collaborative relationship-builder, something our team and our clients will find tremendously beneficial when working with him.”
With more than two decades of industry and functional expertise, Mr. Le Page’s experience spans the breadth of the food-ag value chain. His history in the ag and food sectors is multifaceted with consulting and advising roles held at organizations such as the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and The World Bank as well as founding his own Agribusiness consulting firm, Heartland Global Inc. Prior to founding his firm, Mr. Le Page held several positions with Pioneer Hi-Bred International before accepting the CEO role at CGIAR Consortium, where he led the head office and 15 member centers across the globe.
Late last year, Kincannon & Reed added veteran food value chain executive Jared Spader as managing director. “We were thrilled when Jared indicated he was interested in working for Kincannon & Reed,” said Mr. Turner. “His service industry experience, combined with his passion for people will be a strong asset both inside the organization, with our clients and any prospective candidates he works with in the future.”
Mr. Spader has 18 years of experience consulting across the food value chain, working with senior-level leadership and C-suite executives developing solutions that advance business. With Kincannon & Reed, he joined a group of 24 global principals working with clients to identify leadership needs, assess talent and build strategies to recruit top executives. “His network across the food and agriculture industries is broad, and his connections outside the industries are also very valuable as he continues to work with clients to advance business,” the search firm noted.
Related: Kincannon & Reed Recruits President for the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media