LHH Knightsbridge Names Healthcare Practice Leader

March 19, 2021 – Toronto-based LHH Knightsbridge has announced that Jack Penaligon has been named partner and practice lead for the firm’s growing healthcare practice. An LHH veteran of 15 years, Mr. Penaligon focuses on executive-level searches in healthcare and the broader public sectors. “Healthcare is a rapidly changing and expanding industry that requires specialized knowledge to service its crucial staffing needs – especially now,” said Robert Hosking, senior vice president, managing director for the search practice. “Jack was instrumental in helping us build this expertise and will now take on a bigger role as the face of the practice. We are extremely fortunate to be able to rely on his extensive experience to support our ongoing work in this area.”

As a senior search executive with a proven track record, Mr. Penaligon has successfully developed governance frameworks and leadership teams for many clients. “Well-recognized and respected, he is a dedicated search consultant, who combines a sense of urgency and creative solutions to address recruitment challenges and understands the changing environment affecting Canada’s healthcare sector,” said LHH Knightsbridge. “His experience spans the full spectrum of the industry, including hospitals, charities and foundations.” Having served on several boards, including Cystic Fibrosis Canada, CNIB Ontario division and the Dorothy Ley Hospice, and as a consultant on governance, Mr. Penaligon is well-versed in recruiting for boards, said the firm. He is passionate about recruiting transformative leaders as organizations move toward post-COVID-19 recovery and growth.

Strong Experience

Mr. Penaligon will be joining the focused healthcare team, including members of the firm’s executive search, recruitment solutions, executive interim management and board advisory teams, each of whom brings diverse sector expertise and strong consulting and client relationships.

Prior to LHH Knightsbridge, Mr. Penaligon was a search practice leader at another large global search firm. Earlier in his career, he was a senior healthcare executive in both the private and not-for-profit sectors, including serving as a hospital president and CEO.

He has a post graduate degree in health administration and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Toronto. He  holds a certified health executive designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Four Search Practice Areas

A subsidiary of LHH—the leading global provider of talent and leadership development, career transition and coaching—LHH Knightsbridge delivers expertise in four search practice areas: executive search and recruitment, interim executive management, board of directors search and recruitment solutions. The firm assists organizations in finding new talent, as well as helping their employees navigate change, become better leaders, develop better careers, and transition into new jobs.

Earlier this year, LHH Knightsbridge was included on Hunt Scanlon’s Canada Recruiter Ranking. The list, compiled by Hunt Scanlon Media – the most widely referenced, single source for information in the human capital sector – ranks the top executive recruiting firms in Canada and acknowledges the most prominent leaders in the search and recruitment practice across the country.

Over the past year, LHH Knightsbridge has continued to find innovative and bespoke ways to support its clients through the strategic, tailored search and recruitment of talented senior executives, despite challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, LHH Knightsbridge helped fill 195 executive positions in 129 organizations. Since its inception, LHH Knightsbridge has placed more than 3,072 professionals in 1,180 organizations and has successfully completed 95 per cent of all search mandates. The practice has completed 95 per cent of search mandates successfully, due to its team of experts, tailored approaches, and close relationships with clients and their business needs.

“Having the right leaders in place is essential for organizations navigating times of uncertainty, which has become evident to many companies over the last year,” said Mr. Hosking. “It’s always been clear to LHH Knightsbridge that the best organizations start with exceptional talent at all levels of business and therefore the search and recruitment team sources diverse, qualified and committed candidates for roles in executive and senior management full time and interim roles as well as for boards of directors.”

“Our tenured, industry specialized team of recruitment experts have helped countless organizations find the best talent to lead their business through both proactive and reactive transformation, and we will continue to innovate our practices to best serve the changing needs of our valued customers,” said Mr. Hosking.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media