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Daily Newswire
Executive Search Faces Shrinking Demand
As a search firm owner, you’ve likely had the call by now. “A larger firm reaches out with interest in acquiring your boutique,” said James Abruzzo, managing partner of JGA Partners. “You take the meeting, curious. They make an offer—lower than you expected, maybe far lower. You politely decline, but the seed is planted.” You wonder, did
Morgan Samuels Company Recruits CFO for PE-Backed Western States Water
Nashville, TN-based executive search firm Morgan Samuels Company has Tanya Toot as the new CFO of Western States Water, a Strength Capital Partners portfolio company. Tom Dunn, Jarrod Gray, Justin Kai Ossola, Benjamin Wolf, Mallory Allen, and Raquel De La Vega led the assignment. “We’re grateful for the trust from the Strength Capital and Western States Water teams,
Executive Recruiters Pull Off Another Remarkable Year, Remain Bullish for 2023
Hunt Scanlon Media has released its annual rankings of leading executive recruiters. In the U.S. and globally, billions of dollars poured into the high-end recruiting sector in 2022, a result of continued pentup demand for senior-level leaders and their key reports.
SearchWide Global Recruits President and CEO for Visit California
SearchWide Global has helped to recruit Julie Coker as the new president and CEO of Visit California. She succeeds longtime leader Caroline Beteta, who announced her retirement earlier this year. The assignment was led by Mike Gamble, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of SearchWide. The appointment is the culmination of a comprehensive global search conducted in partnership
GDPR – The Perfect Time to Refresh Your Database
As executive search firms grapple with the complexities of GDPR, many are concerned that the new regulation will mean deleting thousands of records built up over many years. Surely there must be an alternative?
JM Search Expands Search Team
JM Search, a senior-level talent provider serving private equity investors, portfolio companies, and Fortune 1000s, has expanded with the additions of Amber Shockey as partner within its legal practice and Curtis Walker as principal within its media & telecommunications team. “Continued private equity investment across legal services, legal-adjacent businesses, and professional sports is elevating the importance of
Interim or Executive Search? Choosing the Right Leadership Solution
Interim leadership has moved well beyond being a stopgap solution for unexpected vacancies. As organizations face greater complexity, faster strategic shifts, and mounting pressure to deliver results, boards and CEOs are increasingly turning to experienced interim leaders as a flexible way to maintain momentum and address critical business needs. For executive search firms, that shift
Funk Associates Assists the University of North Florida with the Recruitment of Eighth President
Funk Associates has assisted in the recruitment of Michael P. Shannon as the eighth president of the University of North Florida (UNF). Past president Moez Limayem stepped down from his position in early 2026. “Mike Shannon is the leader who can build on UNF’s strong momentum and continue to elevate the University’s incredible impact across our
DHR Global Recruits President of Business Operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins
Talent advisory firm DHR Global has placed Marcel Braithwaite as president of business operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins. This search was led by Mike Gagliardi and Glenn Sugiyama of DHR’s sports practice. “Marcel is going to be a transformational hire for one of the NHL’s premier teams,” said Mr. Sugiyama, managing partner of DHR’s sports practice. “I had the
Mercuri Urval Expands International Public and ESG Expert Practice
Stockholm, Sweden-based executive search firm Mercuri Urval (MU) has expanded with the addition of former Danish government minister Astrid Krag to its international public and ESG expert practice. “With Astrid’s extensive experience in international public affairs, strong commitment to ESG and sustainability, and deep understanding of life sciences, she brings a valuable combination of expertise and
ZRG Partners Acquires N2Growth’s Spain Business
ZRG Partners has entered the Spanish market through the acquisition of the business formerly known as Blacksmith that had been doing business since 2023 under the umbrella of N2Growth. Through this integration, ZRG enters the Spanish market with an established local team and the goal of offering Spanish and international clients agile, high-touch advisory backed by
Family Offices Move Into Human Capital M&A
Altss’ latest ranking, The 50 Largest Family Offices in the World (2026), illustrates the scale family capital has reached. The 50 largest offices collectively manage an estimated $2.4 trillion, with the top 10 controlling more than $1.5 trillion. Twenty-eight of the top 50 are headquartered in North America, while private equity represents their largest average portfolio allocation
The Leadership Pipeline Crisis: AI’s Hidden Cost
Companies everywhere are celebrating leaner teams, faster execution, and higher productivity thanks to AI, according to HIRECLOUT. From a business perspective, the logic is easy to understand, according to Avetis Antaplyan, founder and CEO of HIRECLOUT. “Investors reward efficiency,” Mr. Antaplyan said. “Leaders are under pressure to do more with less. Automation is eliminating repetitive
Klein Hersh Recruits CFO for Sparrow Pharmaceuticals
Klein Hersh, a search firm focused on the life sciences and healthcare industries, has recruited George Eldridge as the new CFO of Sparrow Pharmaceuticals, a targeted cardiometabolic therapeutics company. “We are thrilled to welcome George to Sparrow at such an important time for our company,” said Robert Jacks, president and CEO of Sparrow Pharmaceuticals. “George
McCormack + Kristel Seeking Executive Director for NEXT Harm Reduction
McCormack + Kristel has been retained by NEXT Harm Reduction (NEXT Distro) to lead in its search for an executive director. This is a rare opportunity for a visionary leader and skilled fundraiser to take a nationally recognized organization with an urgent mandate and grow it to the scale the moment demands. Reporting to the board
Riviera Partners Expands Public Practice
San Francisco-based Riviera Partners, a recruitment provider specializing in C-level engineering, product, and design leader placements, has expanded with the addition of Archer McFall as a partner within its public practice serving large, publicly-traded companies and late-stage, pre-IPO companies. “Getting the right CTO, CIO, or chief AI officer in place, building the team structure around AI, making sure the
HelloSky Brings Its Graph of People, Investors, and Companies Into Claude and ChatGPT
Executive search firms are increasingly looking for ways to move beyond traditional databases and static candidate profiles as clients demand deeper market intelligence and faster, more precise insight into leadership talent. Advances in artificial intelligence are giving recruiters new tools to connect people, companies, investors, relationships, and career outcomes in ways that can strengthen candidate
Harris Search Associates Leading Senior Assignment for Carnegie Mellon University
Harris Search Associates has been retained by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to lead in its search for newly created role of associate vice president for research computing and data (AVP RCD). Jeffrey Harris and Ed Christ are leading the assignment. This role offers a unique opportunity to elevate and transform CMU’s research computing ecosystem positioning it to better support
Preng & Associates Assists SOGC, LLC with President Search
Following a comprehensive executive search, Houston-based Preng & Associates assisted in the recruitment of David French as the new president of SOGC, LLC. “Preng & Associates is proud to have supported this important leadership appointment and continues to partner with energy companies worldwide in identifying and securing transformative executive talent,” the firm said. Mr. French brings
NPAG Appoints Senior Advisor
Executive search firm NPAG has appointed André Blackman as senior advisor. In this new role, he will build and lead a practice focused on mission-driven innovation — connecting dynamic leadership talent and the development resources to keep that talent in seat, to founders and organizations solving problems that matter. “André brings a rare combination of strategic insight, storytelling
Sheffield Haworth Adds Private Equity & Growth Venture Portfolio Assets Veteran
Global leadership advisory and executive search firm Sheffield Haworth has expanded with the addition of Michael McDonnell as managing director, private equity and growth venture portfolio assets. He is based in the New York office and works within the technology sector practice. “We are thrilled to welcome Michael to the team,” said Paul Gillespie, managing director of the
Leadership Needs Shift in a Changing Federal Market
Executive search across the federal contracting, government services, defense, and technology sectors is entering a new phase as companies look for more sophisticated ways to evaluate leadership beyond résumés, references, and past performance. In markets where specialized experience, relationships, and an understanding of complex government customers can be critical, the challenge is not simply identifying
Private Equity Rollup Wave Reshapes Executive Search
What may once have looked like a series of isolated transactions is increasingly taking on the shape of a broader industry shift. As capital moves into the sector and firms rethink where they have true competitive strength, the pattern is becoming harder to ignore. “A year ago, I would have called this a prediction, today,
HARTZ Search Seeking Chief Revenue Officer for Geisinger
Charlotte, NC-based HARTZ Search was recently retained by Geisinger to lead in its search for a chief revenue officer. This executive will direct, manage, and implement programs to ensure efficient revenue management operations and sufficient cash flow to support Geisinger operations and strategic initiatives. The role is responsible for identifying, analyzing, reducing, and resolving revenue management issues
Kincannon & Reed Places Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association
Kincannon & Reed (K&R), which exclusively focuses on food, agribusiness, and the related life sciences, has assisted in the recruitment of Patrick Carney as the new executive director of the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association. Dave Smith stepped down from his executive role after leading the association for more than 30 years. “Patrick pairs dairy industry knowledge with
Noto Group Expands Global Consumer Practice
Portland, OR-headquartered executive search firm Noto Group has expanded with the additions of Kirsty Schofield and Cody Johns as senior partners in its global consumer practice. “Cody and Kirsty bring highly complementary experience, deep consumer sector expertise, and a genuine connection to how we work,” said Sara Spirko, managing partner of Noto Group. “Both understand that finding
millionways Brings a New Behavioral Intelligence Lever to Executive Recruiters
Hunt Scanlon Ventures this week completed its investment in millionways, a New York-headquartered company that builds a behavioral intelligence layer of AI for human agent workforces, utilizing a proprietary Large Psychology Model called Thorsten-4. The platform focuses on understanding human signals, motives, and behavior patterns, with applications used across AI governance, executive hiring, talent management,
AI Governance Jobs Platform Builds Early Momentum Through Privacy-First Model
AI-Governance-Jobs.com, operated by GRC Careers LLC and led by founder and CEO F. Jay Hall, has built its model combining specialized career content, organic search visibility, and privacy-focused architecture. The company’s latest executive summary reports 134,499 organic impressions over a recent 28-day period, achieved roughly three months after launch — without advertising. As demand grows
Blue Rock Human Capital Assists Linfield University with the Recruitment of Dean of the School of Business
Blue Rock Human Capital has helped to recruit Isaac Wanasika as the new dean of the School of Business at Linfield University. “Blue Rock Human Capital was pleased to work with Linfield University to identify their new dean of the School of Business,” said Jacquelyn Elliot, president and COO of Blue Rock Human Capital. “Today’s higher
CIO Partners Leading Cybersecurity Search for Flexsteel Industries
CIO Partners was recently retained by Flexsteel Industries in Dubuque, IA, to lead in its search for director of cybersecurity. This role partners closely with IT, executive leadership, legal, compliance, operations, and external security partners to reduce cyber risk, strengthen business resilience, and ensure the organization is prepared to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover
2025 Hiring Trends: How Strategic HR Management is Shaping the Future of Work
The future of corporate hiring is unfolding rapidly, with 2025 shaping into a transformative year for workforce strategies. As businesses navigate a landscape defined by strategic human resources management, emerging trends such as skills-based hiring, AI-powered recruitment, and hybrid work models reshape how organizations attract and retain talent, according to a new report from Talento. “Strategic human
HR Leaders Overlooked for Leadership Development Opportunities
Korn Ferry has posted results of a global executive study that paints a less than glowing picture of leadership development opportunities for those in the human resources field. The survey of more than 700 executives found that nearly half of respondents (47 percent) say their organizations do not offer leadership development programs specifically for members of the
Isaacson, Miller Leading President Search for UNC
Isaacson, Miller has been selected by the University of North Carolina to lead the search for its next president. Current president Tom Ross, who led the university for the past four years, has been asked by the system’s Board of Governors to step down next January. The firm will help the board’s presidential search committee identify potential successors by
ZRG Partners Opens Phoenix Office, Adds Managing Director
West Orange, NJ-based ZRG Partners has opened a new office in Phoenix with the addition of David Bruno as managing director. Mr. Bruno has a long history of conducting board of director, C-level and critical VP and director level searches in the Phoenix market. “We are thrilled to add David to our team and bring his wisdom and experience to
hrQ Adds Consultant in Houston Office
hrQ, an executive search and professional services firm focused exclusively on the human resources sector, has named Dale Wunder as a principal consultant in its Houston office. Mr. Wunder joins hrQ with more than 30 years of global human resources experience at Royal Dutch Shell where he was a senior executive overseeing teams in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and had expatriate
AltoPartners Adds Member Firm in Japan
AltoPartners has added Japanese executive search firm KIZASHI Corporation to its global alliance. This extends AltoPartners’ global reach to 51 offices in 31 countries. Founded in 2011, KIZASHI is an executive search firm with offices in Tokyo and Osaka. Its consultants have a wide range of experience in recruiting senior leadership across the industrial, consumer/retail, life science/healthcare, game/entertainment and technology sectors. Clients ranging from
Barton Executive Search Recruits Director for Welch’s
Atlanta-headquartered boutique search firm Barton Executive Search has recruited Michael Keown as a member of Welch’s board of directors. Mr. Keown is president and CEO of Farmer Brothers, a manufacturer and distributor of coffee and tea products. “Mike’s vast consumer products leadership experience shows that he knows how to use a variety of organizational capabilities to deliver substantial results for shareholders and
Top Search Firms Partner on Boardroom Diversity Initiative
The trend by executive search firms to join forces to advance global diversity initiatives in boardrooms around the world has come to Asia. The Diversity Action Committee (DAC) formed just nine months ago with the objective of building up the representation of women directors on boards of companies in Singapore, has signed up six new search
CTPartners Loses Top Producer to Heidrick & Struggles
Sylvain Dhenin, a vice chairman and member of the executive committee of CTPartners, has left the company after more than nine years to join Heidrick & Struggles. Mr. Dhenin joins a chorus of high ranking executives to depart the embattled search firm, whose fortunes have been depleted since its chairman, Brian Sullivan, resigned in disgrace earlier
Buffkin Group Names Head of Digital Recruiting Practice
Executive search firm The Buffkin Group has added Raj Das as partner and head of the firm’s digital recruiting practice in New York. Mr. Das brings more than 22 years of experience advising organizations on digital strategies. For the last 10 years he has focused exclusively on the creation and activation of digital assets and marketing channels for organizations
Russell Reynolds Associates Recruits Director for PJM Interconnection
Russell Reynolds Associates has recruited Terry Blackwell to serve on the board of directors of PJM Interconnection. He will finish the unexpired term of William R. Mayben, which will expire in 2016. Mr. Blackwell has 36 years of experience in power system planning and operation. Most recently, he was senior vice president of Power Delivery at Santee
Taylor Winfield Recruits SVP Sales for PayScale
Executive search firm Taylor Winfield has placed Melody Brown as senior vice president of sales at PayScale, Inc., based in Seattle. Ms. Brown has 16 years of sales experience with a focus in the technology industry. She joins PayScale from DataCore Software, an enterprise storage company, where she was VP of sales and channel. Previously, Ms. Brown was VP of
IRC Global Expands Footprint in Africa
Lagos, Nigeria-based Leading Edge Consulting has joined IRC Global Executive Search Partners (IRC) as its newest partner firm. “We’re pleased that we can offer our clients first class executive search services in one of the most important economies on the African continent,” said Patrick Westerburger, president of the board of IRC Global. “Besides giving us a stronger footprint in
Hanold Associates Launches CHRO Search for Outward Bound
Executive Search firm Hanold Associates has been selected by Outward Bound NY Schools to lead its search for a new chief human resources and administrative officer. The successful CHRO candidate, to be based in Queens, NY, will report to Outward Bound’s president, Richard Stopol, and serve as a member of the senior management team and support all senior
Korn Ferry Adds Global Logistics Recruiting Specialist
Korn Ferry has added Dustin Ogden in the firm’s global logistics, transportation and distribution practice. He will be based in Atlanta. Mr. Ogden brings an extensive executive search portfolio, with a strong emphasis on developing and managing talent searches in logistics, transportation, distribution and industrial services. He previously worked at Spencer Stuart for three years in the firm’s greater Atlanta office
Egon Zehnder Expands Life Sciences Practice Group
Egon Zehnder has appointed Jessica Watson as a consultant in its life sciences and healthcare services practice group. Ms. Watson joins Egon Zehnder’s newly opened Washington, D.C. office, where she will also focus on serving clients in D.C.’s public and social sector. Ms. Watson brings a unique policy and government perspective to Zehnder, having previously launched the
Harris Search Associates Recruits Dean at Howard University
Dublin, Ohio-based Harris Search Associates has placed Dr. Hugh Mighty as the 18th dean and vice president of clinical affairs of Howard University College of Medicine. He will also serve as professor on the faculty in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In his new role, Dr. Mighty will oversee the College of Medicine’s academic programs and provide oversight for the
Search Firms Claiming Smaller Piece of Recruiting Budgets
According to a highly-anticipated Bersin by Deloitte research report just released, U.S. companies increased their average talent acquisition spend by seven percent in 2014, with healthcare organizations reporting the largest increase among industries. But a closer look at the study’s findings shows that executive recruiters are taking a significant hit along the way, claiming just 18 percent of typical
Boyden Elects Jörg Kasten as Chairman; Adds New Board Members
Boyden has elected Jörg Kasten, managing partner of Boyden Germany, to a two-year term as chairman. He succeeds Dr. Gerhard Raisig, who is a managing partner in Frankfurt. In addition, Finn Rants, managing partner of Boyden Denmark, was assigned to a first term as director. Kristen Smit, managing partner of Boyden France, and Brent Shervey, managing partner of Boyden Canada,
Heidrick & Struggles Adds Life Sciences Search Specialist
Chicago-based Heidrick & Struggles has strengthened its healthcare and life sciences practice with the addition of Tim Dietlin to its Chicago office. Mr. Dietlin has extensive life sciences and professional services experience and has worked globally and across the R&D, medical and commercial functions. “Tim is an excellent addition to our practice and firm. His deep knowledge of the healthcare and life sciences
Preston & Partners Recruits CEO for Adorama
The New York office of Preston & Partners has placed Barry Litwin as chief executive officer of Adorama, Inc. Gary Preston and Elaine Erickson led the assignment. Adorama is a leading online destination for photography, imaging and consumer electronics. Mr. Litwin joins the company from Sears Holdings, Inc., where he was vice president and general manager of e-commerce.
Herbert Mines Completes Search for Performance Sports Group
New York-based executive search firm Herbert Mines Associates has recruited Todd Harman as executive vice president of baseball/softball at Performance Sports Group Ltd. Mr. Harman brings more than 20 years of experience in the sporting goods industry and will lead all aspects of the company’s Easton Baseball/Softball business. He was most recently president of Cleveland Golf, USA and had held various
Spencer Stuart’s India Chief Resigns
Anjali Bansal, a partner and co-leader of Spencer Stuart’s CEO and corporate board practice in Asia Pacific, has resigned her post after spending more than a decade with the firm. Ms. Bansal founded and led Spencer Stuart’s India practice, which now operates from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Ms. Bansal is a noted expert in strategy and leadership consulting.
ZRG Launches Cyber Security Search Practice
West Orange, NJ-based ZRG Partners has launched a new cyber security and government / defense recruitment practice with the additions of search consultants Stephen Spagnuolo and Phoebe Henderson. Finding cyber security leadership is one of the fastest growing segments of the talent acquisition business, according to Hunt Scanlon Media in its coming ‘State of the Industry’ forecast report. “The
ON Search Partners Adds Partner In Boston
ON Search Partners has added Leonard Vairo to its recently established Boston office as a partner. With 20 years of executive recruiting experience, Mr. Vairo’s practice focuses on the technology and business services industry across CEO, board of director and senior-level executive search assignments. He joins the firm from Russell Reynolds Associates where he was a partner for 10
Human Capital Group Recruits President for FRANKE
Brentwood, TN-based The Human Capital Group, Inc. has placed Gary Langbo as president at Franke, overseeing the Kitchen Systems in North America. Mr. Langbo previously spent five years as vice president of retail, global commercial and consumer products at Underwriters Laboratories, in Northbrook, IL. Before that, he spent 15 years at Whirlpool Corporation where he served in various leadership
Brooke Chase Associates Places CEO at Wellborn Forest Products
Sarasota-based executive recruiter Brooke Chase Associates has recruited Dave Gordon as president and chief executive officer of Wellborn Forest Products. Rick Mohrman led the assignment. Mr. Gordon will oversee all functions of the business, developing and implementing strategic plans for growth and operational improvement, leading and developing the senior management team and driving sales growth and profitability. With a background
Caldwell Partners Recruits Doerr Center Director at Rice University
Caldwell Partners has recruited Tom Kolditz as executive director of Doerr Center for Student Leadership at Rice University in Houston, Texas. The search was conducted by a team led by John Strackhouse, a partner who advises investors and executives at venture capital firms, private equity concerns, and growth-oriented public companies on succession planning, talent acquisition, leadership, and company building. Mr. Kolditz
RSR Partners Adds Managing Director in New York
RSR Partners, a corporate governance and executive search firm, has added Trish Shortell as managing director in its New York office. Her search experience spans the marketing services spectrum — from agencies to corporations — bringing a wealth of knowledge to the firm’s chief marketing officer (CMO) and chief financial officer (CFO) practices. “We are delighted to welcome Trish to our firm. Her
Egon Zehnder Retained by Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Egon Zehnder has been selected by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to find its new director. The firm was responsible for conducting the ABC’s last search for a managing director in 2006, when Mark Scott was appointed to role. According to reports, the new director will ultimately replace Mr. Scott whose second five year term expires in July 2016. The
O’Neill Consulting Group Acquires DMR Advisory
Search firm O’Neill Consulting Group has acquired DMR Advisory, LLC. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. DMR Advisory provides executive search and organizational advisory services for the hotel, real estate, and hospitality technology industries. “We are delighted to welcome DMR to the O’Neill family as we continue our efforts to serve clients in new, innovative ways,” said Kevin O’Neill, founder
Andersen Partnership Opens New Office in Dublin
Executive recruiters Andersen Partnership has opened new digs in Dublin, making it the firm’s 11th office. Led by director Darragh Everard, the office intends to hire more than 30 consultants over the coming months, specializing in recruiting mid to senior management level roles. Commenting on the opening, Andersen Partnership’s CEO, Brian Schroder, commended the achievements of Mr. Everard
