NU Advisory Partners Expands Search Staff
January 16, 2024 – Executive search firm NU Advisory Partners has expanded with the addition of three experienced executive recruiters. Jay Hussey joins as a partner who will focus on C-level executive searches for public and private capital-backed companies in the media, technology, and data/analytic services industries. He has spent more than 20 years in executive search, most recently as the president of global search at SRI, a search and talent consultancy focused on media and entertainment, sports, fashion, and sporting goods sectors. Before that, Mr. Hussey has spent more than 15 years in marketing, including as president of the West Coast division of Digitas, a digital development and marketing agency. Mr. Hussey is based in Boston, MA.
Ben Dewar joins NU Advisory as a partner and will lead searches across the executive functions, with a specialization in human resources, talent and legal searches. Prior to NU, and over a two-decade search career, he built leadership teams across industries and asset classes with a focus on clients in the technology, consumer, financial services, and healthcare sectors. Previously, Mr. Dewar was a partner with True Search, where he built and led the people, talent, and legal practice. He specialized in CPO and CLO searches for growing businesses across tech and consumer sectors, especially recruiting investment, talent, and legal professionals into investment firms. Prior to his search career, Mr. Dewar practiced corporate law with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and with Davis & Gilbert. He is based in San Francisco, CA.
Tara Ryan joins as an associate partner and will focus her time on C-suite searches for high-growth private equity-backed and public companies. She was most recently a principal at True Search in the firm’s go-to-market and edtech practices. Before that, Ms. Ryan worked at Swing Education, a tech-enabled marketplace, where she played a key role in driving strategy and business development. She is based in Boston, MA.
“The new additions add even more depth and industry knowledge to NU’s leadership team,” the search firm said. “NU’s mission is to reinvent the executive search industry with the highest quality services, sophisticated use of technology and AI, reimagined processes, and a creative approach to solving difficult problems.”
“We’re excited that Ben, Jay, and Tara, three highly respected professionals in the executive search industry, have joined our quest to be as driven, creative, and nimble as the organizations we serve,” said Nada Usina, the firm’s co-founder and CEO. “They exemplify everything we stand for, believe in what we are building from a tech and AI perspective, and know their industries inside and out. They turn up amazing candidates in unexpected places and are leaning in to the chance to bring the most modern perspective to clients with the use of AI.”
Veteran Recruiters
Last year, NU Advisory Partners was launched by former Russell Reynolds Associates recruiters Mar Hernandez, Libby Naumes, Meredith Rosenberg, and Ms. Usina. The firm is focused on senior executive, operating, and board positions.
Ms. Hernandez specializes in placing corporate officers (CHRO, CFO, general counsel), and also supporting boards, financial services, fintech, telecommunications, and hospitality organizations in different talent needs. Prior to co-founding NU, she was a senior member of the corporate officers, DE&I, and financial services practice at Russell Reynolds Associates, where she was also the co-head of the Hispanic board initiative. Before her 12 years in the search industry, she held senior sales and marketing roles with firms such as Amicorp, Mphasis-EDS, and TTech.
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Ms. Naumes specializes in placing go-to-market and commercial roles across the sports, media, entertainment, technology, consumer, retail, and marketplace industries. Prior to co-founding NU, she spent 11 years building the consumer digital practice of Russell Reynolds Associates while also serving as the co-lead of the global sports practice. Ms. Naumes was previously the director of marketing and communications for NASDAQ’s Global Corporate Solutions Group.
Ms. Rosenberg is a market leading voice in the edTech sector. She brings more than 25 years of entrepreneurial and operating experience in the education sector. Prior to co-founding NU, she led the global edTech practice at Russell Reynolds Associates. She spent 10 years there working across the entire sector, advising larger public companies and VC and private equity portfolio companies, as well as nonprofits and higher education institutions. Previously, Ms. Rosenberg was a senior vice president at Fullbridge Inc., a workforce development and upskilling company, and helped to co-found Global Student Loan Corporation. She was a vice president at The Yankee Group, where she led the consumer communications practice, and a senior consultant in the telecommunications and media strategy practice of Braxton Associates/Deloitte Consulting.
Ms. Usina’s board, CEO and C-suite placement expertise spans technology, sports, media, entertainment, industrial, and numerous other industries. Prior to co-founding NU, she was a member of the executive committee of Russell Reynolds Associates, the global leader of its technology media, entertainment, and sports practices as well as a senior member of the CEO & board practice. Ms. Usina spent 13 years leading high-level executive searches and advising leading private equity and VC firms across their portfolio companies. She had an extensive career as an executive at digital media and software companies, including as a member of the senior team at Broadcast.com, as president of Nokia Canada, as president of Comcast Venture-backed XOS Technologies which she successfully sold to publicly held JumpTV and then merged the company with NeuLion where she remained as president. Earlier roles in sports included the Florida Sports Foundation, Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and Florida State University Athletics.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
