Odgers Berndtson Expands in Western Canada
May 21, 2018 – Executive search firm Odgers Berndtson has continued its recent expansion – this time in Western Canada – marked by the recent appointment of Stephen Diotte to partner and head of leadership services for the Western region, as well as the firm’s new Canadian energy sector expert.
Mr. Diotte has deep consulting experience in working with leaders globally around talent and organizational strategy and redesign, specifically focused on the energy sector. He was most recently an associate partner at McKinsey & Company in Calgary. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at Mercer Human Capital Consulting, Deloitte Consulting and MEG Energy.
“Stephen will be a true asset to our clients who are facing significant talent and succession planning challenges,” said Eric Beaudan, global head, leadership practice at Odgers Berndtson. “His acute business sense combined with phenomenal human capital expertise, executive level experience and deep knowledge of both the oil and gas and mining sectors, is quite unique in Western Canada.”
“I’m thrilled to be a part of shaping Odgers Berndtson’s expanded leadership and energy sector offering in Western Canada,” said Diotte. “My goal is to approach talent challenges from a client mindset, leaning on my own experience as a client and consultant to effectively address the market’s complex human capital needs.”
According to Odgers Berndtson’s chairman and CEO, Carl Lovas, driving the firm’s recent additions is the need to address the significant talent gap that exists at the uppermost levels of many Canadian organizations.
“The talent landscape is changing rapidly, and organizations are under pressure to attract and develop top talent that will help them navigate and win in the face of continued disruption,” he said. “Our deep executive search experience, combined with our flexible interim solutions, and leadership assessment and development capabilities, are clearly addressing an important need in the market. As a result, our business has doubled in the last four years, with sales up 35 percent in the first half of the 2018 fiscal year.”
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Expansion Wave
Odgers Berndtson has seen a wave of growth in recent months. In March, it added Michael T. Kelly to its Minneapolis office as vice chairman, global head of life sciences, and U.S. head of the healthcare and life sciences practices. Previously, Mr. Kelly was a partner in the life sciences practice with Caldwell Partners.
“Mike brings to his clients personal attention and unparalleled access to an international talent base across all major industries at the very highest levels of management and operations,” said Steve Potter, CEO of Odgers Berndtson U.S. “In the past 25 years, he has worked with hundreds of companies and their corporate boards, identifying top executives throughout the world in almost every function and industry.”
The firm began the year with the addition of four experienced and well-established executive search professionals to the firm: Richard Kim, Diane Lavietes, Margaret Plympton and Richard Modecki. Mr. Kim joined as a partner in the firm’s Houston office and was most recently the head of the energy sector with Futurestep. Ms. Lavietes joined the New York office of Odgers as a partner and head of the firm’s U.S. consumer & retail practice. She was previously a SVP at Berglass + Associates. Dr. Plympton came to the Boston office as a partner in its U.S. higher education practice. She previously served as deputy chair and acting chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Mr. Modecki joined the firm as a principal in the technology practice based in Washington, D.C. He was most recently at Russell Reynolds Associates.
Odgers also opened a new office in Dublin. The move was made to enhance the firm’s capacity to support global companies looking to establish new centers of operation in Europe in readiness for Brexit, according to Odgers. The new location is led by Damian Ringwood, who becomes managing partner, Odgers Berndtson Dublin.
In addition, Odgers added Susannah Crabtree as partner and head of its Ottawa office. She specializes in the recruitment of senior executives in the Ottawa market, with a focus on the public and not-for-profit sectors. She is also a key member of Odgers Berndtson’s leadership practice, helping clients assess and develop their leadership teams, succession plans and high-potential talent. Ms. Crabtree previously served as Ottawa office leader for Mercer Canada.
Lastly, Odgers acquired the former Boyden licensee in Washington, D.C., adding five people to the firm, including Tim McNamara and Derek Wilkinson, former Boyden partners with more than 45 years’ combined management consulting and recruiting experience. Judy Whitaker, Diana Farmer and Kelly Crittenden, also from the Boyden licensee, will be joining the Washington, D.C. office. Allen Reed, a partner in Odgers Berndtson’s healthcare & life sciences practice, is now based in the new office as well, along with Richard Modecki, a principal in the technology and aerospace & defense sector.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media