Modern Executive Solutions adds Partner to Lead Growth of M1 Talent Community
August 11, 2026 – Atlanta-based talent consultancy Modern Executive Solutions has appointed Bria Bass as as partner, where she will lead the continued growth and expansion of the M1 Talent Community across North America and Europe. “Bria brings a rare combination of executive advisory, deep community-building experience, and an exceptional ability to connect leaders in meaningful ways,” said Mark Oppenheimer, CEO of Modern Executive Solutions. “As we continue investing in the growth of M1, her experience creating trusted executive communities will help us strengthen the value we deliver to our members while expanding our reach across North America and Europe. We’re thrilled to welcome her to Modern.”
“Known for her ability to cultivate trusted relationships and spark novel insights, Bria has built a career around bringing influential leaders together to solve complex challenges, exchange ideas, and accelerate organizational success,” the firm added.
Ms. Bass brings more than 15 years of experience partnering with CEOs, CHROs, general counsel, and executive leadership teams. In her role at Modern, she will focus on leading and expanding the M1 Talent Community by broadening member engagement and creating exceptional experiences that connect senior executives with one another and with the ideas shaping the future of leadership.
Prior to joining Modern, Ms. Bass spent nearly a decade at World 50, where she built and led executive communities serving chief human resources officers, general counsel, divisional CEOs, presidents, and other C-suite leaders from Global 1000 organizations and leading private equity-backed companies.
“I’ve always believed that great leadership is strengthened through meaningful relationships and shared learning,” Ms. Bass said. “Modern has built something truly differentiated with M1, and I’m excited to help grow a community where senior executives can connect, challenge one another, and navigate today’s leadership opportunities together.”
Mr. Oppenheimer launched Modern Executive Solutions in 2021. He co-founded the search outfit with his wife, Michelle Domanico, who serves as chief financial officer. Modern’s purpose, according to Mr. Oppenheimer – who serves as chief executive – is to improve “diverse representation within leadership teams.” The firm has spent months collecting, tracking, and analyzing feedback from hundreds of C-level executives before launching recently.
Modern bills itself as “an innovative executive search and integrated advisory solutions firm,” underpinned with market intelligence and assessment capabilities – strong points of Mr. Oppenheimer’s while serving in various leadership capacities at Marlin Hawk over a 12-year career with the London-based recruitment provider. As he did with Marlin Hawk, Mr. Oppenheimer addresses client talent needs with a customizable service approach. “We are determined to set a new benchmark for the search industry,” he said.
Related: Modern Executive Solutions Names Leader of HR Practice
Modern offers executive search, ‘nouvelle’ assessment – a proprietary methodology designed by the firm that delves into a leader’s personality, motivators, and leadership style to investigate cultural alignment, potential, and a leader’s ability to succeed in new organizations or more complex roles; talent pipelining; succession planning; and executive research.
Newly Appointed CFO
Modern recently appointed Apostol Nikolov as its new CFO. “Apostol brings a powerful combination of strategic insight and operating experience,” said Mr. Oppenheimer. “His background advising on complex transactions and then leading finance functions within high-growth environments gives him a unique perspective that will be invaluable as we continue to scale Modern. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the team.”
Modern Executive Solutions Expands Technology Practice
Modern Executive Solutions has expanded with the addition of Moises Velilla as managing director in its technology practice. He brings deep experience advising organizations on senior leadership hiring and talent strategy across technology and transformation. Mr. Velilla specializes in advising clients on executive talent strategy and recruiting transformative technology and professional services leaders. He has expertise in executive search, market intelligence, and leadership assessment, partnering with organizations to identify and attract senior executives across enterprise technology, digital transformation, go-to-market, consulting, and technical delivery functions.
Mr. Nikolov brings more than 20 years of experience across advisory and operating roles. He spent 17 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he advanced to managing director in M&A transaction services, advising corporate and private equity clients on complex transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures spanning middle-market to multibillion-dollar deals.
Mr. Nikolov subsequently held senior finance leadership roles within private equity-backed organizations, including serving as VP of finance at WilliamsMarston and CFO at Noble Fueling Solutions. Across these roles, he built and scaled finance organizations, led acquisition activity, and supported a successful exit.
In his new position, Mr. Nikolov will oversee the firm’s finance and legal functions and serve as a strategic partner to leadership in shaping Modern’s growth and long-term financial strategy.
Related: How to Kick Off an Executive Search the Right Way
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
