Lindauer Appoints Co-Leader of Higher Education Practice
March 13, 2024 – Lindauer has expanded with the addition of Paula Fazli as senior vice president. She will also serve as co-leader of the firm’s higher education practice along with Faith Montgomery and will expand its executive recruitment, talent management, and consulting services. “Throughout her respected career in executive search, Paula has helped some of the most prestigious institutions in the country navigate periods of change and bring in leaders who shape future generations,” said Deb Taft, CEO. “Her commitment to serving as a trusted client partner in every aspect of an executive search aligns strongly with Lindauer’s own philosophy.”
“Our shared values, overlapping client rosters, and combined networks create energizing opportunities to deepen and expand the services Lindauer offers institutions in higher education and across the nonprofit landscape,” Ms. Taft said. “I am thrilled to welcome Paula as a senior leader of our firm.”
As co-founder of Sage Search Partners, Ms. Fazli has partnered with hundreds of higher education institutions, non-profit organizations, and foundations to recruit individuals for a variety of leadership positions, from provosts, deans, and department chairs to senior leaders in human resources, finance, diversity and inclusion, academic affairs, student affairs, research administration, educational development, and enrollment management.
“In joining Lindauer, Ms. Fazli strengthens the firm’s strategic ability to respond to increasing demand for top nonprofit leaders and talent management solutions that unlock the potential of people and organizations,” the firm said.
“Paula arrives at a moment when the landscape is shifting dramatically for our clients in higher education,” said Ms. Montgomery. “To achieve their goals during this time of dramatic change, educational institutions are doubling down on recruiting high-performing senior leadership teams. With Paula’s arrival, we’re expanding our cross-functional expertise and coordinating our executive recruitment services for a range of roles in higher education, ensuring cohesion within and across the teams we partner with clients to recruit, engage, and develop.”
Exciting Next Chapter
“I’m delighted to carry on the legacy of Sage Search Partners with Lindauer, a firm that I have long admired in the non-profit executive search field,” said Paula Fazli. “Lindauer consultants serve many of the world’s leading causes and offer their personalized, values-aligned solutions to an impressive array of clients. Behind every Lindauer search is an expert infrastructure of research, data, marketing, and administrative support that drives client success. I’m looking forward to bringing Sage Search Partners’ 25 years into this exciting next chapter with Lindauer.”
Lindauer serves higher and secondary education, hospitals, academic research centers, think tanks, research facilities, and foundations, as well as advocacy, public service, social justice and other mission-driven non-profits. The firm has led searches for the Boston YMCA, Center for Applied Special Technology, Healthy Minds Innovations/Center for Healthy Minds, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Cockrell School of Engineering, among others.
Related: Lindauer Places Chief Advancement Officer for Deerfield Academy
Ms. Taft leads Lindauer with over 25 years of executive and senior-level experience across the non-profit sector, from education to healthcare/academic medicine to the youth service and voluntary sectors. Her expertise includes governance, strategic planning, fundraising, program and staff management, strategic marketing, analytics, and constituent engagement, as well as talent recruitment, retention, and development.
New Equity Partners
Last year, Lindauer announced that vice president Maureen Huminik, who co-leads the firm’s healthcare and academic medicine practice and its advocacy, policy, and social enterprise practice, and Ms. Montgomery have become equity partners in the firm. They joined Ms. Taft, senior executive vice president Jill Lasman, and executive vice president Elizabeth Roberts as equity-holding members on the firm’s senior management team and, along with SVP Devin O’Leary, serve as managing directors of Lindauer.
“As respected experts in non-profit leadership and executive talent, Maureen and Faith bring a breadth of knowledge, experience, and passion to Lindauer’s mission of connecting the world’s leading non-profit organizations with transformational leaders,” said Ms. Taft. “They both worked closely with Jill Lasman and company founder Lois L. Lindauer to shape the firm’s search approach in its first two decades. How fortunate we are that they will help lead Lindauer forward as we continue to expand markets and support our client partners in their enormously consequential cause-related work.”
Related: Lindauer Recruits CEO for Solar One
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
